wushrooji 



l.y some ti> he poisonous, so that caution slioul.l l,e em- 

 liloyect m eatrnj,- j)lants of this (orm unless <uie is ,;t- 

 tain of the species and of its ecHhle qualities 1 ,/,■„- 

 biliformis is rarely found in this country, and induin- 

 troiu the characters of certain plants t'trihuted to it 

 there is a strong suspicion that it is onlv a fi.rui ;f l' 

 sdlitariii With larc:e scales. 



Other native Mushrooms ,d' ecunoiuie importance mav 

 he meittioned : 



Armillaria »!e//f((. the Honev-colored At;;iric. occurs in 

 late summer and during the autumn about old stumps 

 anil from roots. The plants are clustered, the cap is more 

 or less covered with pointed blackish erect scales, the 

 Kills nre attached to the stem, and an aniiulus is present. 

 The plant is also a parasite, especiallv on the roots of 

 coniferous trees, in some instances kiliini; the trees It 

 develops under the bark lonf; black cords of nivcelium 

 The plant is edilile. 



Pleurotus contains several edible species: the oyster 

 agaric, P. ostreatits ; the elm Pleurotus, P. iilmii i-ins .■ 

 and the sapid Pleurotus, P. xapidus. all growing on tree 

 trunks, stumps, etc., especially abundant in the autumn. 

 Trk-lii'loma per.^oiiatum . ")i\eKits," is regarded as an 

 excellent edible species. It grows on the ground in woods. 

 When young, the entii-e plant is of a pale lilac or violet 

 color, the color fading out in age. The spores are of a 

 light ochre color. 



CniilhareUKs cihariim is the well-known chanterelle. 

 It is yellowish iu color, grows in wihhIs on the ground, 

 is somewhat irregular top-shaiied. and the gills are mere 

 folds, which run irregularly from the stem to the margin 

 of the cap, and are much branched. It is one of tlie best 

 edible species. 



MarasiniKx omidvs. the well-known Fairy Ring, or 

 champignon, grows iu lawns and pastures. It is white, 

 with a cream-colored cap. It often grows in the form of 

 rings on the ground, though not always. 



The genus Ijactarius contains a large'number of species. 

 The plants are more or less fleshy and are characterized 

 by the presence of a milky .juice contained in a system of 

 tubes throughout the plant. This .iuice exudes in dmps 

 when the plant is bruised or cut. In the larger number 

 of species the .iuice is white in color, in siune it changes 

 on exposure to the air to various shades of yellow, while 

 in others the milk is orange, blue, etc., from the first. 

 LactariKs (Icliriiixus is one of the best of the edible spe- 

 cies, as its name indicates. The milk is orange in color. 

 The plant is dull orange in color and marked on the caji 

 with concentric zones of darker cidor. In age bruises 

 of the plant become more or less tinged with green. 

 fyaefariiis vo!cnivs is dull orange in color, the Color 

 being uniform, the flesh quite firin, and the milk white, 

 sweet and verv abundant, quickly exuding in large drops 

 or running from cut or cracked portions. Laetariux 

 corriigis is closely related btit darker in color, some- 

 times dark brown, the gills also.being dark ..chre-brown 

 in color. Both species are excellent, atnl grow in the 

 woods during sumnier and autumn. Lartn rhis pi/irra- 

 liix is entirely white, with close and narrow white gills. 

 and abundant milk which is very hot or peppery to the 

 taste. It is said to be edible, but should not be con- 

 fused with certain species having peppery milk, wliiidi 

 are reputed to be poisonous. LnctariHx rexintus is 

 another white species with white and very hot milk, 

 which is stispected. Lactariiix Iiidir/o is of an indigo- 

 blue color, with faint zones of a darker color on the ca]i, 

 and with a dark indigo-blue .iuice. 



The genus Ritsstila is closely related to Lactarius. but 

 lacks the milky .iuice. In this genus occur many of the 

 brilliant-colored agarics. The entire pdaut is more or 

 less brittle and easily breaks, the gills of many species 

 crumbling easily when rubbed. Ji'itsxiiht feplda. with 

 reddish cap and stem, white gills wdth the red color from 

 the cap extenrling a short distance on the ends of the 

 gills, taste mild, is an edible species. Another edible 

 species, I^itxxiila ahtfacea, has a reddish or purple cap. 

 but the gills and spores are ochraceous in color. The 

 taste is mild. Piixxirfa ehntim is a poisonous species. 

 The cap is rose-color or red. the cuticle easily peels off 

 from the cap. the margin of tlie cap is deeply furrowed 

 and warty along the ridges, the stem is white or reddish 

 and the taste of the plant is peppery. 



Of the tube-bearing Fungi {Polijporact^a] the genus 



MFSHROOM 



104." 



BnUliix contains a nmnbi-rof edible as well as |„,i-i,o- 

 ous species. In shape the iihuits are like the Mushronm 

 but they have a porous surface instead of gills on the 

 under side of the cap. J;„l,tnx eduUs has a yellowish 

 or dull brownish cap, pi. res white and closed at first 

 but yellowish or greenish yellow in age. JSolclus Mini's 

 (poisonous) is of about the same size and resembles lln- 

 edible species closelv, but the tube surface is pink or 

 flesh-color, and the taste is hitter. In the genus Pe/.v- 

 /)()) ux most of the species grow on wood, trees, stumps 

 logs, branches, roots, etc. The sulfur polyporus, P. x,il- 

 pliiirrKx. forms clusters of sulfur-yellow bracket-like 

 cajis, on various broad-leaved trees 'or stumps. Pdii- 

 jinnix fifindoxiis grows from roots at the base of dead 

 oak stumps, forming large irregularly branched leafy 

 masses with gray caps and whitish ste'ms and pore sur- 

 face. Both of these are edible. 



In tlie spine-bearing Fungi ( Iliidnaciv) the under sur- 

 face "f the cap presents numerous spine-like processi-^ 

 HiidiiiimrejniiiduiH.iu shape like a JIushroom, with the 

 caj) more or less irregular, and of a buft or cream color 

 is an excellent edible species. The Coral Hv.lnum. Ilo' 

 Bear's Head, the Medusa's Head, and Eiid'iniiu ,,,i,„. 

 i-<:iiin, all growing on trees, all white 'in ci.|..r. ami 

 branched, or forming large masses from whicdi long 

 spines dangle, an- all edible. 



The Club Fungi [( 'In i;r ri,ir, ,r] are all said to be edibi,' 

 riie Horn of Plenty, C,;itrr, 1 1 ,ix rn,ini,-,ip,,nd,-x , funmi- 

 shaped, and smoky in i-i.l.u'. with a smooth nii'der sm- 

 face, belongs ti. tin- riirl.phorurr.r. and is edible. 



Among the Pud-balls i Liiro/irrdiiceiie) all the specie- 

 when young and wliite inside are edible, that is, they are 

 not poisonous. iSmiie are better to the taste than otl'ici-. 

 The two best ones are the Giant Putf-liall, Lticnprnh.u 

 Hiyaiitiiiiii and the L/zccjierdoii Cjialhi formed Both i.f 

 these grow in lawns or fields, the fonner grows some- 

 times to a large size, several feet indiameter; wdiile the 

 latter is 4 to C, inches in diameter. 



Besides the Mushrooms proper which belong to the 

 Basidioniyeitas. certain of the large Ascomycetes are 

 edible and are usually included iu treatises on Musb- 

 rooms. In the Ascocomvcet.es the s].ores are borne on 

 the inside of a. club-shaiied liodv called the ax,-„x. ami 

 this is the chief point of dilleii-nre in tlinii from tin. 

 Basidiomycetes. To the Ascomvcetes belong the fol- 

 lowing. The M(U-els grow on 'the ground in d..imp 

 places. Thi-y have a stout stem and a rounded or more 

 or less elongateil rap which is deeply and coar-ely 



U44. 



Morel — Morchella esculenta 



pitted. .\["i-cheU(i cxr/il' nta . represented iti Fi^ 

 shows well the general character of the genus. in 

 Helvella, containing several edible species, the cap is m 

 the form of several (usually two) irregular flaps, some- 

 times free below from the stem, sometimes tmited witii 

 it. Lastly, the TnifHes might lie mentioned. They arc 

 subterranean Fungi rounded or globose in form, tirin, 



