Ford and Clark: Properties of Poisonous Fungi 181 
Edible Amanitas 
Certain varieties of amanitas have long been known to be edible 
and indeed have been highly prized by epicures. The most im- 
portant species of this character are Amanita caesarea (Caesar’s 
agaric), Amanita rubescens Persoon and Amanita junquillea 
Quelet. No report has appeared in the literature in regard to the 
chemical properties of Amanita caesarea but Ford 30 has shown 
that Amanita rubescens has no toxic action upon animals. 
Amanita junquillea likewise is free from poisonous properties 
’(Ford and Brush 40 ). Such species, while possibly safe in the 
hands of experts should not be collected by amateurs owing to 
the difficulty in properly identifying them. There are also a num- 
ber of amanitas which have no poisonous action upon animals, 
the properties of which have not been clearly established by ex- 
perience. Among such species are Amanita frostiana Peck 
(Ford 23 ) and Amanita solitaria Bulliard (Ford 30 ). Owing to the 
resemblance of Amanita frostiana to Amanita muscaria and to the 
difficulties in the recognition of Amanita solitaria it would be un- 
wise to recommend either of these species. Much the same may 
be said of Agaricus amygdalinus Curtis possibly identical with 
Agaricus fabaceus Berkeley which causes unpleasant symptoms 
on ingestion but which has never been reported as causing serious 
illness (Ford and Sherrick 38 ). 
Lepiota morgani Peck 
The “ green-spored ” lepiota is a handsome plant growing with 
great freedom in the Ohio valley. In its favorite localities Lepiota 
morgani thrives in grassy pastures as well as in woods and this 
fact has been the cause of confusing it with the edible Agaricus 
campestris. The green spores of this fungus ought to serve as a 
sufficiently striking characteristic to prevent mistaking it for any 
edible fungus. Chestnut 41 has collected evidence that showed 
that Lepiota morgani often has caused serious illness and at least 
one death. Plis physiological experiments indicated that speci- 
mens of this plant from the District of Columbia were definitely 
poisonous to animals and that heating destroyed the greater part 
of its toxic properties. 
