40 



CIECULAR 14 3, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



decurrent by a tooth, creamy when young, purplish olivaceous, sometimes with 

 a sooty tinge when mature; the stem is firm, stuffed, attenuated downward, 

 smooth or fibrillose, scaly, light yellowish, rust colored below ; the veil is at 

 first white, becoming dark, and may for a time adhere to the margin of the cap. 

 The cap is 2 to 3 inches broad; the stem is 3 to 4 inches long and 3 to 5 

 lines thick. 



This species appears very abundantly in the fall, producing large clusters 

 around rotten stumps or decayed prostrate logs. The European form of this 

 plant is reported as bitter and regarded as poisonous. The American form has 

 been frequently eaten, although it has little to recommend it as a delicacy. 

 Catchup has been made from it, but the success of the experiment was doubtless 



due more to the addition 

 of condiments than to 

 the flavor of the mush- 

 rooms. 



HYPHOLO^IA PERPLEXTJM. 

 PEBPLEXIXG HYPHOLOMA 



In this species the cap 

 is convex, expanding to 

 nearly plane, sometimes 

 umbonate, smooth, red- 

 dish, or brownish red, 

 margin yellowish ; the 

 flesh is white or whitish ; 

 the gills are thin, close 

 rounded at inner extrem- 

 ity, first pale yellow 

 then greenish, later pur- 

 plish brown ; the stem 

 is equal, hollow, fibril- 

 lose, yellowish above, 

 reddish-brown below. 



The cap is 1 to 3 

 inches broad ; the stem 

 is 2 to 3 inches long and 

 2 to 4 lines thick. 



Hyplioloma sublateri- 

 tium and E. perplexum 

 are very closely related, 

 and by some authorities 

 the latter is regarded as 

 only a variety of H. sublateritium, while certain mycologists consider the two 

 species identical. Peck 6 states that H. perplexum may be distinguished by its 

 smaller size, more hollow stem, the yellowish-greenish and purplish tints of the 

 gills, and the absence of a bitter flavor. Like H. sublateritium, this species 

 occurs abundantly in the fall about stumps or logs, often continuing until freez- 

 ing weather. The plants grow in clusters and the caps are frequently discolored 

 by the falling spores. 



COPRINUS 



The genus Coprinus is easily recognized by the black spores and 

 the close gills, which at maturity dissolve into an inky fluid. The 

 stem is hollow, smooth or fibrillose. The volva and ring are not 

 generic characters, but are sometimes present. The plants are more 

 or less fragile and occur on richly manured ground, on dung, or on 

 rotten tree trunks. The genus contains species of excellent flavor 

 and delicate consistency. 



COPRIXUS COMATUS. SHAGGY MANE. (EDIBLE) 

 (Fig. 37) 



In this species the cap is oblong, bell-shaped, not fully expanding, fleshy at 

 center, moist, cuticle separating into scales that are sometime white, sometimes 



Figure 37. — Coprinus comatus. (Edible) 



6 Peck, Charles II. Op. cit. 



