FIELD BOOK OF COMMON GILLED MUSHROOMS 



Stem firm; pithy (stuffed) or hollow; brown or tawny- 

 brown; velvety hairy when mature; i to 3 or 4 inches long. 



Spores white; narrow ellipses; .0003 to .00036 inches long, 

 .00016 broad. 



The velvet stemmed collybia is one of the lew mushrooms 

 that appear late in the season. It has even been called a 

 winter mushroom because it is possible to find it in mild thaw- 

 ing weather in winter. It sometimes develops in spring also. 

 It is easily recognized by its viscid (sticky) tawny cap, its 

 velvety stem and tufted mode of growth. In very young 

 plants the stem is whitish. 



Its edible qualities are not inferior to those of the rooted 

 collybia. Its flesh is more tender and quite as agreeable in 

 flavor. It is well to peel the caps before cooking in order to 

 free them from adhering particles of dirt. Peck. 



This species is remarkable for its late appearance, being 

 often collected in the winter. It grows on stumps and dead 

 trunks near the ground, and is easily recognized by its viscid, 

 yellowish cap and velvety stem. Murrill. 



The genus Coprinus 



The genus coprinus is easily distinguished from all others 

 by the character of the gills of the mature plant. These 

 assume a black color and slowly dissolve into an inky fluid 

 which, in the larger plants at least, falls to the ground in 

 drops. The thin caps of some species also partly or wholly 

 waste away in this manner. Because of the production of 

 this black fluid, which has sometimes been used as a poor 

 substitute for ink, these plants have received the name of 

 **inky fungi." A ring is present on the stem in some species. 

 The spores are generally black, rarely brown. Some of 

 the plants literally grow up in a night and perish in a day. 

 Many of the species inhabit dung or manure heaps, as the 

 name of the genus implies. Most of them are so small, 



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