VEGETABLE FOODS IN GENERAL 113 



Fio. 119. — luld Mushroom {A'jaiiiii^ annpeslris. Gill-mushroom Family, 

 Agaricacea). Fruit-bodios, natural size, in various stages of growth, 

 a, "button stage," in which the regions of stalk and cap are just dis- 

 tinguishable; 6, a somewhat later stage, cut vertically to show the 

 "gills'" just appearing below the cap; c, a still later stage, similarly cut, 

 in which the gills now fully formed are yet protected below by the 

 membranous "veil"; d, stage in which the cap is almost expanded, 

 shomng on its under side the veil partly torn from the edge and ex- 

 posing the pink gills; e, final stage in which the cap is fully expanded, 

 and the veil, now entirely free from the rim, remains only as a ring 

 around the stalk. (Luerssen.) — The gills, at finst pink, turn finally 

 dark purplish brown, owing to the formation upon them of dark dust- 

 like "spores" which fall from the exposed gills, are carried away by the 

 wind, and give rise to new plants when favorably placed upon well- 

 manured ground. These spores first produce a network of threads 

 which feed upon the decaying materials, and finally send up the fruit- 

 bodies above the surface. 



less. Every summer brings the sad news of children and older 

 persons horribly poisoned through ignorance of our common- 

 est plants. Li a large proportion of these cases the plant 

 eaten has been one which was thought to be harmless be- 

 cause it somewhat resembled a cultivated species or was 

 mistaken for some harmless wild plant that is commonly 

 eaten. Hence it should be remembered that, even though 

 a wild plant looks like a familiar garden vegetable, there 

 may be danger in eating or chewing anj^ part of it. 



40. Vegetable foods in general. In the foregoing sec- 



