﻿34 
  A 
  PLAIN 
  AND 
  EASY 
  ACCOUNT 
  

  

  known 
  as 
  esculent 
  on 
  the 
  Continent, 
  though 
  it 
  consti- 
  

   tutes 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  very 
  few 
  having 
  a 
  marketable 
  value 
  in 
  

   England, 
  where 
  it 
  is 
  employed 
  chiefly 
  for 
  making 
  

   ketchup. 
  It 
  is 
  quite 
  essential 
  that 
  this 
  species 
  should 
  

   be 
  collected 
  in 
  dry 
  weather, 
  and 
  when 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  moist 
  

   with 
  the 
  early 
  dew, 
  as 
  it 
  absorbs 
  moisture 
  very 
  readily 
  ; 
  

   for 
  if 
  regard 
  be 
  not 
  had 
  to 
  these 
  conditions 
  in 
  eratherine, 
  

   it 
  will 
  probably 
  afterwards 
  suffer 
  condemnation. 
  

  

  Opinions 
  vary 
  as 
  much 
  as 
  tastes 
  differ, 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  quality 
  

   of 
  this 
  fungus 
  ; 
  but 
  though 
  agreeable 
  to 
  some 
  when 
  

   well 
  broiled 
  and 
  seasoned 
  with 
  sweet 
  herbs, 
  it 
  has 
  a 
  

   peculiar 
  flavour 
  which 
  would 
  not 
  commend 
  it 
  to 
  others. 
  

   It 
  certainly 
  does 
  not 
  deserve 
  to 
  stand 
  in 
  the 
  first 
  class 
  of 
  

   our 
  indigenous 
  species, 
  and 
  the 
  ketchup 
  it 
  affords 
  is 
  

   poor. 
  It 
  has 
  the 
  recommendation 
  of 
  being 
  readily 
  dis- 
  

   tinguished 
  by 
  its 
  violet-tinted 
  stem, 
  and 
  smooth, 
  sleek 
  

   pileus, 
  and, 
  did 
  it 
  not 
  appear 
  in 
  October, 
  when 
  other 
  

   and 
  better 
  species 
  are 
  plentiful, 
  might 
  be 
  accepted 
  as 
  a 
  

   substitute. 
  

  

  The 
  sub-genus 
  Clitocybe 
  is 
  also 
  well 
  represented 
  in 
  

   the 
  British 
  Flora. 
  The 
  name 
  (hiitos, 
  a 
  declivity, 
  and 
  

   kube, 
  a 
  head) 
  originated 
  in 
  the 
  funnel-shaped 
  pileus 
  of 
  

   some 
  of 
  the 
  species. 
  This 
  group 
  differs 
  from 
  Tricholoma 
  

   in 
  the 
  gills 
  not 
  having 
  a 
  sinus 
  behind, 
  they 
  being 
  

   attached 
  abruptly, 
  or 
  tapering 
  gradually 
  and 
  running 
  

   down 
  the 
  stem. 
  There 
  are 
  several 
  esculent 
  species 
  to 
  

   De 
  found 
  in 
  this 
  group, 
  some 
  of 
  which 
  we 
  shall 
  proceed 
  

   to 
  notice. 
  

  

  One- 
  fungus 
  especially 
  deserving 
  attention 
  may 
  often 
  

   ne 
  found 
  in 
  our 
  woods, 
  growing 
  amongst 
  dead 
  leaves. 
  

  

  