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Edible and Poisonous Fungi. 



FEB., 



and poisonous fungi are absolutely valueless, and no reliance 

 should be placed on the presence of a skin that is readily 

 peeled off as an indication of an edible fungus, or on the 

 statements that a silver spoon placed in contact with 

 poisonous kinds becomes tarnished, or that all fungi growing 

 on wood are poisonous. 



With a view to enable residents in the country to distinguish 

 accurately between poisonous and edible kinds, and thus to 

 utilise to a greater extent those varieties useful as food, the 

 Board have decided to publish from month to month in this 

 Journal illustrations of certain species which are more or less 

 commonly found in Great Britain, with brief descriptions to 

 assist identification. 



The original drawings of these illustrations were prepared 

 by Mr. George Massee, Assistant Keeper at the Royal 

 Botanic Gardens, Kew, with the assistance of Miss 

 Ivy Massee. 



Common Mushroom, Agaricus campestris (Fig. i). 



This mushroom is nearly globose when young and in the 

 " button " stage. It gradually expands until nearly flat, when 

 it is white in colour and 3 to 6 inches across. The flesh is 

 thick and white, changing to dirty brown when cut or broken ; 

 gills crowded and rosy, then dark brown, and watery and 

 deliquescing when old; stem stout, white, with a ring or frill 

 near the top. 



It is found in pastures in summer and autumn. 



It often appears in enormous quantities in potato fields, &c. 

 The mushroom commonly cultivated in this country is by 

 some considered as a variety of the common field mushroom, 

 differing from it in having the cap more or less covered with 

 brown scales. In the cultivated form the aroma is not so 

 pronounced as in the wild plant. 



Horse Mushroom, Agaricus arvensis (Fig. 2). 

 The cap of this mushroom is ball-shaped when young, 

 gradually expanding until almost flat, white in colour, but 

 changing to primrose-yellow when bruised, 4 to 6 inches 

 across, but sometimes much larger ; flesh white, not becoming 

 brown when broken; gills brown, remaining dry when old; 

 stem stout, white, with a broad frill. 



