404 



THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



Photograph by A. G. and B. keeper 



the; glistening coprinus (Coprinus micaceus). edible 



Soon after the first showers in April this tiny ink-cap emerges from the ground in 

 clusters of hundreds of individuals. The best harvesting implement is a pair of scissors. 

 It grows at the base of old trees, stumps, and from buried wood in lawns. Caps tawny, and 

 glistening with minute, mica-like particles; stems white. About natural size (see figure, 

 lower left, Color Plate VIII). 



of individuals. It should be looked for in the 

 autumn. 



The caps often measure as much as ten 

 inches across, the stems being proportionately 

 long. 



Pleitrotus olearius, another phosphorescent 

 mushroom that parasitizes the olive tree in 

 southern Europe and is also poisonous to hu- 

 man beings, is closely related to, if not iden- 

 ical with, this plant. 



EDIBLE AND POISONOUS FLESHY 

 TUBE-FUNGI (Various species 

 of Boletus) 



{See Color Plate IV) 



Though similar in shape, the fleshy tube- 

 fungi differ in one important point from the 

 gill-fungi ; instead of gills, the under side of 

 the cap exhibits a layer of small, vertically 

 placed tubes, on the inside of which the spores 

 are borne. 



The Boleti are fairly safe; yet the beginner 



ought to be forewarned against certain species 

 that are likely to cause illness when eaten. 

 Chief among these is a group collectively 

 known as the Luridi. The prime distinguish- 

 ing mark of species belonging to this group is 

 the more or less bright red, orange-red, or 

 maroon coloring of the tube-mouths ; also, all 

 Boleti that show the slightest tendency to as- 

 sume some shade of blue when broken or 

 bruised should be avoided. Bitter species, too, 

 should not be eaten, especially B. fclleus, a 

 somewhat robust plant with pinkish flesh- 

 colored tubes. 



The edible Boletus, the cepe of commerce 

 (Boletus edulis), Plate IV, is the well known 

 and much sought cepe of the French. Before 

 the war, a regular article of commerce, one 

 could purchase it, either dried or canned, at 

 the little delicatessen shop "around the corner." 

 Now we are dependent upon our own supply, 

 which is none too plentiful. In the coast coun- 

 ties of California, however, it seems to be 

 fairly abundant, for the writer has seen Italian 



