474 
ESCULENT MUSHROOMS. 
taste the common mushroom, and quite as 
delicate ; moreover it abounds in seasons 
when the common mushroom is not to be 
found in any quantity." 
27. B. scaber. — Stipes four to six inches 
long, firm, attenuated above, scabrous : pileus 
two to five inches broad, convex, glabrous, 
humid, somewhat glutinous, of various colours 
— orange-red, brownish, olivaceous, livid, or 
dark grey : tubes free, round, whitish : flesh 
thick and flabby, white, sometimes turning 
blackish. — This fungus abounds in woods 
and shaded fields in the summer and autumn. 
When cooked in the same way as B. edulis it 
has an agreeable flavour ; but being more 
viscid in substance, it requires when stewed 
to be thinned with water : when dried it 
loses all odour, and is then insipid and unfit 
for food. Boletus luridus, a poisonous species, 
has the tubes yellow, and the flesh yellowish, 
instantly changing to blue. 
Caxtharellus. — Hymenium veined : 
veins dichotomous subparallel, sometimes an- 
astomosing. 
28. C. cibarius. — Stipes one to two inches 
long, solid, attenuated at the base, of the 
same colour as the pileus : pileus fleshy, 
irregular, smooth, two to four inches broad, 
yolk-of-egg yellow, but varying in shade : 
flesh white, fibrous, dense, scentless when 
recent, but in a few hours smelling like ripe 
apricots ; when raw it has the pungent taste 
of pepper. — It is found under trees, and in 
the borders of fields, growing sometimes spo- 
radically, sometimes in circles or segments of 
a circle, and may be found from June to 
October. At first it assumes the shape of a 
minute cone ; next, in consequence of the 
rolling in of the margin, the pileus is almost 
spherical, but as this unfolds it becomes 
hemispherical, then flat, and at length irregu- 
lar and depressed. Being naturally rather 
dry and tough, this fungus requires a con- 
siderable quantity of fluid sauce to cook it 
properly : perhaps it is best when minced and 
stewed ; it requires to be gently stewed for a 
long time to make it tender. The common 
people in Italy dry, or pickle, or keep it in 
oil for winter use. The quantity of this 
fungus which is produced is sometimes im- 
mense. It is called the Chantarelle. 
Clayaria. — Plants carnose, cylindrical, 
simple or branched : hymenium smooth, oc- 
cupying almost the whole surface, confluent 
with the stipes. 
29. C coralloides. — Plants white, two 
to four inches high, with erect stipes, and 
elongated, irregular, unequal, mostly acute 
branches. Sometimes violet coloured at the 
base. — This is the most abundant species ; it 
is found on the ground in shady places, and 
after much rain generally in the autumn. 
30. C. grisea. — Plant one to four inches 
high, cinereous, often Avith a bluish tinge, 
with thick short stipes, and unequally incras- 
sated, rugose branches. — It is frequent on the 
ground, in woods, or among grass, in moist or 
shaded places. 
31. C. cristata. — Plant one to three inches 
high, white or cinereous, tufted, branched, 
smooth, the branches dilated at the summit. 
— This is found in woods in the autumn. 
32. C. rugosa. — Plant one to three inches 
high, white, solid, but hollow in old plants ; 
thickened, or club-shaped ; simple, or divided 
into a few obtuse unequal branches. — Com- 
mon in the autumn on the ground in woods, 
and in moist shady places. 
The Clavarias enter more or less largely 
into the supplies of the. Italian markets. Dr. 
Badham gives the following mode of dressing 
them : — Having thoroughly cleansed away 
the earth, which is ap 1 : to adhere to them, they 
are to be sweated with a little butter, over a 
slow fire ; afterwards to be strained, then 
(throwing away the liquor) to be replaced to 
stew for an hour with salt, pepper, chopped 
cloves and parsley, moistening with plain 
stock, and dredging with flour occasionally. 
When sufficiently cooked, to be thickened 
with yolks of eggs and cream. The sauce- 
pan should be covered with a sheet of paper 
under the lid, which keeps the Clavarias 
white, and also preserves their flavour. 
Fistulina. — Hymenium formed of a dis- 
tinct substance, but concrete with the fibres 
of the pileus : tubes at first wart-like, some- 
what remote, radiate-fimbriate, closed, at 
length approximated, elongated, open. 
33. F. hepatica. — Pileus confluent with 
the stalk ; at first studded on the upper side 
with minute papilke, which afterwards disap- 
pear : tubes continuous with the flesh of the 
receptacle, unequal, short, small; at first with 
closed pores, but becoming spreading ; co- 
lour at first a dusky white, afterwards yel- 
lowish red ; the whole surface more or less 
sticky ; flesh succulent, fibrous, like beet-root 
in appearance, with a vinous smell, and a slight 
acid taste. — The Fistulina grows on trees, 
principally oaks, and may be found abund- 
antly throughout the summer months. It 
varies in size from that of a small kidney to 
an irregular mass of many pounds weight, 
and of several feet in circumference. No 
fungus yeilds a richer gravy ; and though 
rather tough when grilled, it is scarcely to be 
distinguished from broiled meat. The best 
way to dress it if old, is to stew it down for 
stock and reject the flesh ; but if young it 
may be eaten in substance, plain or with 
minced meat. 
Helvella. — Pileus submembranaceous, 
irregular, smooth on each surface, deflexed 
