ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF FUNGI 289 
belong to an entirely different group. All puff-balls are 
good to eat when young. Many esteem the morel 
(Morchella esculenta) as a great delicacy. 
FIG. 212. Shaggy-mane mushroom (Coprinus comatus). Edible before 
the spores turn black. 
279. Criterion of Edibility. Here, as elsewhere, there 
is no royal road, no short cut to knowledge. There are 
absolutely no external characteristics which distinguish 
edible from poisonous fungi. The only way to tell whether 
a given species is poisonous or not is to try it. Since this 
is so, it is best for the amateur not to make the endeavor, 
but to depend only upon the knowledge of an experienced 
mycologist. One should first seek to attain skill in 
determining the exact species of his specimen, and then 
follow the assurance, and especially the warnings, of 
some reliable book. In general, one should avoid all 
bright-colored species (although some of them are not 
poisonous), and all species that have a "cup" at the 
base of the stalk, or stipe. To insure no mistake in this 
latter point, one should always be sure that he has the 
base of the stipe, and has not broken it off above the 
base. Beginners should also avoid all specimens in the 
"button" stage of development, as it is more difficult 
to determine the exact species at that stage. 
19 
