[Illustration (Frontispiece): 1. Craterellus cornucopioides. 2. Cortinarius armillatus. 3. Clitocybe laccata. 4. Tremellodon gelatinosum. ] AMONG THE MUSHROOMS A Guide for Beginners by ELLEN M. DALLAS and CAROLINE A. BURGIN [Illustration] Toronto / LondonDrexel Biddle, Publisher NEW YORK 67 Fifth AvenuePHILADELPHIA 228 South Fourth St. SAN FRANCISCO 319-325 Sansome St. 1900 Copyright, 1900 By A. J. DREXEL BIDDLE Press of DREXEL BIDDLE, PHILADELPHIA “_Have you not seen in the woods on a late autumn morning a poor fungus or mushroom--a plant without any solidity, nay, that seemed nothing but a soft mush or jelly--by its constant total and inconceivably gentle pushing, manage to break its way up through the frosty ground, and actually to lift a hard crust on its head? It is the symbol of the power of kindness. _” Emerson. PREFACE. The books which have been consulted in the preparation of this work are, “British Fungi, ” by Rev. John Stevenson; “British Fungus-Flora, ” byGeorge Massee; “Mushrooms and their Uses, ” and “Boleti of the UnitedStates, ” by Professor Charles H. Peck, State Botanist of New York;“Moulds, Mildew and Mushrooms, ” by Professor L. M. Underwood; and apamphlet by Mr. C. G. Lloyd, entitled “The Volvæ of the United States. ” No attempt has been made to do more than to put in popular language thestatements of experienced botanists, and so to arrange the matter as toaid beginners in their work. Thanks are due to Mr. Harold Wingate for his suggestions and correctionsof the manuscript; to Mr. C. G. Lloyd for permission to print from hisphotographs; to Miss Laura C. Detwiller for her paintings from nature, which have been here reproduced; and also to Mrs. Harrison Streeter andMiss Mary W. Nichols for their encouragement of the undertaking andsuggestions in furtherance of its success. CONTENTS. [Transcriber’s Note: The structure of the Table of Contents does not correspond perfectly to the book itself, but all page numbers are correct. ] Page Introduction, 13 Mushrooms, 23 Antiquity of Fungi, 23 Manner of Growth, 24 Odor, 26 Duration, 27 Uses, 27 Habitat, 28 Structure and growth, 29 Mycelium, 31 The Stem, 34 The Gills, 34 The Spores, 36 The Volva and Veil, 37 The Tubes or Pores, 38 Classification of Fungi, Distinctive Characteristics of Genera. 39 Hymenomycetes, 41 Gasteromycetes, 59 Ascomycetes, 64 By Color of the Spores, 72 General Helps to the Memory, 68 Descriptions of Fungi arranged According to Color of Cap only, 77 Red or Pink, 77 Yellow or Orange, 88 Gray, 100 Green, 106 White, 107 Brown, 115 Purple or Violet, 129 Description of Some Familiar Mushrooms, without regard to color, 131 Direction for Using Keys, 147 Key to Hymenomycetes, 149 Key to Polyporei, 152 Key to Hydnei, 152 Key to Thelephorei, 152 Key to Clavariei, 153 Key to Gasteromycetes and Ascomycetes, 153 Glossary, 155 Index to Descriptions of Fungi, 161 Guide for Determining Genera of Agarics in four Tables, 165 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. FACING PAGE Craterellus cornucopioides-- Cortinarius armillatus-- Clitocybe laccata-- Tremellodon gelatinosum. _Frontispiece. _Coprinus atramentarius, 26Amanita vaginata, 37Omphalia alboflava, 47Russula pectinata, 76Lactarius insulsus, 92Amanita vaginata, 101Psathyrella disseminata, 116Lepiota procera, 120Boletus edulis-- Hypholoma perplexum-- Marasmius rotula-- Calostoma cinnebarinus, 129Cortinarius distans, 147 INTRODUCTION. This book is intended for those who, though ignorant on the subject, desire to know something about mushrooms. The first question which suchan one asks upon finding a mushroom is, “What is its name?” If there isno one near to tell him, then follows the second inquiry, “How can Ifind it out for myself?” If wild flowers were concerned, Gray’s littlebook, “How the Plants Grow, ” could be used; and there is also Mrs. Dana’s book on “The Wild Flowers, ” that has given so much pleasure. Inthe case of mushrooms, however, but one answer can be returned to allquestions: “There is no American text-book on mushrooms, there is nomanual for beginners. ” There are many books on British fungi for students, but we want somepopular work easy to understand, with no technical expressions. This necessity for a simple guide-book has been felt by many. Let usgive our own experience. We procured a list of works on fungi, andlooked for some volume not too deep for our comprehension nor too costlyfor our purse. Among those we found were “Handbook for Students”(Taylor); “Edible and Poisonous Fungi” (Cooke), and a pamphlet byProfessor Peck, “Mushrooms and Their Uses. ” This seemed to be the onethat we could comprehend most easily, and so, armed with it, and anotherpamphlet by Professor Underwood, called “Suggestions to Collectors ofFleshy Fungi, ” which contained a simple key, we started out to makediscoveries. We afterward procured some publications of Mr. C. G. Lloyd, which were of great assistance, and lastly a glossary published by theBoston Mycological Society, a necessary addition to our library. We found Professor Peck’s book was confined to edible mushrooms, and itsoon became too limited to satisfy our craving for further knowledge--itincited a longing to know something of inedible fungi. The rest is soon told. We were advised to get either a copy ofStevenson’s “British Fungi” or of Massee’s works. We did so, but foundthem too advanced to be readily used by the unlearned. Then the ideaarose, How can we help others in their difficulties? This little book isthe answer. It will not be of use to advanced students, they will onlycriticise and discover how much has been left unsaid; but the beginneris more easily satisfied with the extent of information gained, and if ataste for knowledge is encouraged the object of this book is attained. This explanation will also account for the use of simple terms. We finda tiny fungus which looks like a brownish bird’s nest, with someminiature eggs in it, or a shining white mushroom, and we are told itsname in Latin; it is described in terms meaningless to the ignorant, we lose interest, and our attention flags. We began for pleasure andrecreation, but it became irksome and fatiguing, and the subject whichmight have amused us and helped to pass many an idle hour is put asideand abandoned. Yet this study is a most fascinating one. We all long forpleasant subjects of thought in our leisure hours, and there can benothing more diverting and absorbing than the investigation of thebeautiful and familiar plants around us. When we leave the bustling, noisy streets of a city and go into thequiet fields and woods the contrast is very great. A walk for exercisealone is often dull and tiresome. We cannot be assured of pleasantcompanions, nor is there always a fine view or picturesque scenery toreward us during our strolls, but there are plants to be found andgathered, and when these fail us, then the bright-hued mushrooms mayarrest our attention. The discovery of new specimens, the learning theirnames, the knowledge of their curious organizations, will all add aninterest to our lives. It will inspire us with a love of nature, andopen our eyes to many objects of which we have before been unobservant. Besides this it obliges us to be accurate. Our descriptions must beexact or they are of no use. Let us imagine ourselves taking a stroll in the woods or down some shadylane, and see what we can find there. The golden-rod and asters adorn the roadsides, the odors of the sweetgale and scented fern are wafted gratefully to our senses as we passalong the lanes, and there, among the fallen leaves, at the very edge ofthe woods, peers out a bright yellow mushroom, brighter from thecontrast to the dead leaves around, and then another, close by, and thena shining white cap; further on a mouse-colored one, gray, and silky intexture. What a contrast of colors. What are they? By what names shallwe call them? Let us first carefully dig up the yellow one. We have brought a basketand trowel, and can examine them thoroughly. We must dig down deep so asnot to break off the stem. There is a ring or collar around it near thetop. There is a bulb at the base, with some slight membrane attached. The cap is orange color, almost smooth, covered with a few spots likewarts, and there are some lines on the margin. The gills are notattached to the stem, and are white with a creamy hue. The stem is alsowhite, tinged faintly with yellow. We will take a penknife and divide itinto halves, cutting straight through the stem and cap. We find the stemis filled with a spongy substance, and we can now see more clearly theposition of the gills. Our specimen measures 2 inches across the cap, and the stem is 2 or 3 inches long. It is an Amanita, resembling the FlyAmanita, which we will probably soon discover. Our fungus is Frost’sAmanita, named after the botanist who first placed it on the list, Frost. It is not among the British fungi. It is American. Now let us dig up the shining white one. It is much larger than theyellow fungus, handsome, pure-looking, with a rather slender stem. Thecap is nearly 4 inches across, the flesh is white. The stem is long, solid, with a bulbous base. There is a wide, loose ring high up on thestem. The membrane around the base is large and thick. The stem is scalyand shining white like the cap. This pure-looking, handsome mushroom isone of the most poisonous of its kind. It is called Amanita virosa--thepoisonous Amanita, from a Latin word meaning poison. We have never foundany specimen with insects on it. They seem to know its deadly qualitiesand shun its acquaintance. Let us look at the gray mushroom and see how it differs from the others. It has no ring, its color is a soft gray or mouse color, the margin isdeeply grooved. The cap is almost flat, the flesh does not reach to themargin, and is white. It is very smooth, but another time we might findthe same mushroom with scales upon it. The cap measures 3 inches across. The stem tapers upward, is slender, and is 4 inches long. The gills arefree, not attached to the stem, and are swollen in the middle. They arenot very close together and are shining white. The base extends deepinto the ground, and is sheathed with a membrane that is loose andeasily broken off. It is a very common mushroom, and we shall often findit, but it varies in color; it is sometimes umber, often white, and evenhas a faint yellowish or greenish hue in the centre. So far we have only looked at Amanitas. They are conspicuous, and thelarge rings and colors are striking and interesting to the novice; butlook at that clay bank that borders on our road, and perhaps we maydiscover some Boleti. Even a beginner in the study of mushrooms can tellthe difference between a boletus and those we have been examining. Hereare two or three mushrooms growing together. What is there differentabout them? We see no ring, no membrane around the base of stem, andwhat are these tubes beneath the cap so unlike the gills of the others?They have the appearance somewhat of a sponge. These are the pores ortubes that contain the spores. Let us divide the fungus. At the firsttouch of the knife, through the stem, the color begins to change, and ina moment stem, tubes, and cap turn to a bright blue. We can see thecolor steal along, at first faintly, and then deepen into a darker blue. The cap is a light brownish yellow color, 2 inches broad, covered withwoolly scales. The tubes are free from the stem. They have been white, but are changing to yellow. The mouths or openings of the tubes arebecoming bluish-green. The stem is swollen in the middle. It is coveredwith a bloom. It is stuffed with a pith, and tapers toward the apex. Itis like the cap in color, and measures 1½ inch in length. The mouthsof the tubes are round. This is Boletus cyanescens, or the bluingBoletus, as named by Professor Peck in his work on Boleti. He says itgrows more in the North, and sometimes is much larger than the one wefound. We turn to the bank in hopes of discovering another, and see, instead, what appears to be a mass of jelly half-hidden in the clay, and in themidst some bright scarlet cherries, or at least something that resemblesthem. We take the trowel and loosen them from the earth, and there, among the gelatinous matter, we find small round balls as large as acommon marble, covered by a bright red skin. When cut in half we seethey are filled with a pure white substance, like the inside of a youngpuff-ball. This is quite a discovery. We must look in our books for itsname. It is not in our British manual, but we learn from Professor Peckthat it is called Calostoma cinnabarinus. Calostoma is a Greek wordmeaning beautiful mouth, and cinnabarinus is taken from cinnabaris, which means dragon’s-blood. We are not responsible for the names givento plants, but cannot help wishing that some might be changed orshortened. We could go on prolonging our search, and describe many wonderful fungi, so easily found on a summer day, but as our object is to excitecuriosity and interest and not fatigue the reader, we will here pause, and afterward arrange the descriptions of mushrooms in a separatesection. The ones we have described may be found in the Middle Statesand in New England. MUSHROOMS. ANTIQUITY OF FUNGI. Fungi have existed from early geological ages. They flourished in theCarboniferous period, when the enormous beds of coal were formed, aspace of time that occupied many millions of years. Bessey says that theoldest known member of the order of membrane fungi, Hymenomycetes, wascalled by the name of “Polyporites Bowmanii. ” During the Tertiary periodmembers of the genera now known under the names of Lenzites, Polyporus, and Hydnum were all in existence. It is interesting to know that evenbefore the Tertiary period the undergrowth consisted of ferns and fleshyfungi. What a time of delight for the botanist! But there were no humanbeings in those days to roam amongst that luxuriant undergrowth, andonly the fossil remains in the deposits of coal and peat are left totell of their former existence. MANNER OF GROWTH. Fungi are either solitary, grow in clusters, in groups, or in rings andarcs of circles. The species called the Fairy mushroom, Marasmius oreades, is the mostfamiliar of all those that grow in rings. Besides this there is theHorse mushroom, Agaricus arvensis; the Chantarelle, Cantharelluscibarius; the Giant mushroom, Clitocybe maximus, and St. George’smushroom, Tricholoma gambosa. The latter species is reproduced in ringsevery year. It is a popular saying that when the ring is unbroken therewill be a plentiful harvest the following season. It is an earlymushroom, appearing in April. It derives its name from the fact of itsappearing about April 23d, which is St. George’s day in the Englishcalendar. Besides these mushrooms there is another Tricholoma, T. Tigrinus, the Tiger mushroom, which sometimes appears in circles. The word tigrinus means a tiger. The cap is variegated with dark brownspots, hence the name. Then there is the Limp Clitocybe, C. Flaccida, socalled because flaccida means limp. It also appears in rings (accordingto Stevenson), while the stems are united under the soil. The waxy Clitocybe, C. Laccata, is not spoken of as having that mode ofgrowth in circles, but we have seen many of these mushrooms appearing inarcs of circles, and forming almost perfect rings, particularly aftershowers of rain, and always on the sides of roads. Many fairy rings have lasted for years and are very old. We have read ofone, in the county of Essex, England, that measured 120 feet across. Thegrass that covered it was coarse and of a dark green color. What causesthese fairy rings? An explanation is given in a newspaper extract from“Knowledge, ” in which it is said: “A patch of spawn arising from asingle spore or a number of spores spreads centrifugally in everydirection, and forms a common circular felt, from which the fruit arisesat its extreme edge; the soil in the inner part of the disc isexhausted, and the spawn dies or becomes effete there, while it spreadsall around in an outward direction and produces another crop whose spawnspreads again. The circle is thus continually enlarged, and extendsindefinitely until some cause intervenes to destroy it. The peculiarityof growth first arises from a tendency of certain fungi to assume acircular form. ” The perplexing mushroom, Hypholoma perplexum, often grows in clusters, and so does the inky Coprinus, C. Atramentarius, also the glisteningCoprinus, C. Micaceus. The honey-colored mushroom, Armillaria melloea, is often found in crowded clusters, and this growth is common to manyfungi. ODOR. Many mushrooms have distinct odors and are distinguished by thisfeature. The genus Marasmius may be known by the garlic-like smellpeculiar to it, but it never has a mealy perfume. There is one species, the disgusting mushroom, M. Impudicus, that Stevenson says has a strong, unpleasant odor; this is also the case in two other species, theill-odored mushroom, M. Fœtidus, and the penetrating mushroom, M. Perfurans. The Chantarelle, Cantharellus cibarius, has the smell of a ripe apricot, a delicious odor and easily detected. One of the Lepiotas, the tuftedLepiota, L. Cristata, has a powerful smell of radishes. Some Tricholomashave a strong odor of new meal. The fragrant Clitocybe, C. Odora, hasthe smell of anise. [Illustration: Coprinus atramentarius. Photographed by C. G. Lloyd. ] There is a very small white, scaly mushroom, never more than an inchacross the cap, and with a stem hardly two inches high, that has thedistinction of possessing the strongest smell of all the membrane fungi(Hymenomycetes). It is called the narcotic Coprinus, C. Narcoticus, andit derives its name from its odor. It is very fragile and grows on heapsof manure. DURATION. There is another Coprinus, the radiating Coprinus, C. Radiatus, socalled from the radiating folds on the cap, that may carry off the honorof being the shortest-lived of all the membrane fungi. Stevenson says“it withers up with a breath. ” It is often overlooked, as it perishesafter sunrise. It grows in troops, and is perhaps the most tender of allmushrooms. The genus Marasmius, belonging to the white spored Agarics, has thepower of reviving under moisture after withering, so it may represent agenus that endures longest. None of the fleshy fungi have long lives. USES. Besides the uses of fungi as scavengers of creation, there are somewhich have a commercial value and yield an article called “amadou. ”This is a French word, used for a sort of tinder or touch-wood, aninflammable substance which is prepared from a fungus, [1] Boletusigniarius, and grows upon the cherry, ash and other trees. It is made bysteeping it in a strong solution of saltpetre and cutting it in smallpieces. It is also called German tinder. Thomé says that Boletus laricisand Polyporus fomentarius yield the “amadou” of commerce. Then, again, the birch Polyporus, P. Betulinus, is used for razor strops. We need notsay anything on the uses of fungi as articles of food. This subject hasbeen exhausted by many able mycologists, and, excepting the mere mentionof some mushrooms that are edible, the authors have abstained from thispart of the subject. [Footnote 1: Worcester’s Dictionary, citing Brande. ] HABITAT. It is interesting to observe where different mushrooms love to dwell. Some are always found on roadsides, as if seeking the notice ofpassers-by. These are the Clitocybes and Stropharia, and many of thecup-fungi, while the Boleti take shelter in clay banks and hide in everycranny and nook that they can find. Russulas are seen in open woods, rising out of the earth, also the Lactarius, which seems to like theshade of trees. The Cortinarius also prefers their shelter. The Coprinusloves the pastures and fields, near houses and barns, and dwells ingroups upon the lawns. The Hypholoma grows in clusters on the stumps oftrees. Marasmius is found among dead twigs and leaves. The whiteAmanitas flourish in woods and open ground. There are some, likePleurotus, that grow in trunks of trees, and make their way throughopenings in the bark. Every dead tree or branch in the forest is crowdedwith all species of Polyporus, while carpets, damp cellars, plasterwalls and sawdust are favorite abodes of many fungi. STRUCTURE AND GROWTH. Mushrooms consist wholly of cells. These cells do not contain eitherstarch or the green coloring-matter, called chlorophyll, which exists inother plants. They are either parasites or scavengers, and sometimesboth. The food of fungi must form a part of some animal or plant. Whenthey commence to grow it is by the division of cells, not laterally, butin one direction, upward. As the mushroom grows the stem lengthens, thecap expands and bursts the veil that surrounds it, and gradually gainsits perfect shape. Every mushroom has a spore-bearing layer of cells, which is called thehymenium. This hymenium is composed of a number of swollen, club-shapedcells, called basidia, and close to them, side by side, are sterile, elongated cells, named paraphyses. In the family called Hymenomycetesthere are mixed with these, and closely packed together, one-celledsterile structures named cystidia. The basidia are called mother-cells because they produce the spores. There is one great group of fungi called Basidiomycetes, so named fromhaving their stalked spores produced on basidia. The basidia are formed on the end of threadlike branched bodies whichgrow at the apex, and are called hyphæ. On top of the basidia are minutestalk-like branches, called sterigmata (singular sterigma), and eachbranch carries a naked spore. They are usually four in number. Thisgroup of Basidiomycetes is divided into (1) Stomach fungi(Gasteromycetes), (2) Spore sac fungi (Ascomycetes), and (3) Membranefungi (Hymenomycetes). MYCELIUM. The Mycelium is commonly called the spawn of mushrooms. It is the vegetative part of the fungus, and is composed of minute, cylindrical, thread-like branching bodies called hyphæ. When we wish tocultivate mushrooms we plant the spawn not the spores. The thread-likebranches permeate the earth or whatever the mushroom grows upon. Thecolor of the mycelium is generally white, but it may also be yellow orred. Its structural details are only visible through a microscope. Every fungus does not bear the spores exposed upon the cap norunderneath it. The first group of Gasteromycetes, or “Stomach fungi, ” asProfessor Peck has called them in his work on “Mushrooms and TheirUses, ” have the spore-bearing surface enclosed in a sac-like envelope inthe interior of the plant. The genus Lycoperdon belongs to this group, and it contains the puff-balls so common in this country. In the second group, Ascomycetes, or “Spore sac fungi, ” the spores areproduced in delicate sacs called asci. The fruit-bearing part is oftencup-shaped, disc-like, or club-shaped, thicker at the top or coveredwith irregular swellings and depressions like the human brain. The Morels and Helvellas belong to this group. One often meets withmushrooms of the former genus in the spring, and they are striking andinteresting looking fungi. There are many of both genera that areedible. They will be described in detail later. Botanists have classified Agarics by means of the color of the spores, and it is the only sure way of determining to what class they belong. Wepropose in this work also to enumerate the mushrooms according to thecolor of the pileus or cap, and give a list, with a description of each, after this arrangement. This, of course, is merely superficial, but mayinterest and attract a beginner in the study of fungi. This list will beplaced at the end of the book. The descriptions will be preceded by a classification according to colorof spores, some hints to students, and aids to learning which have beenfound useful to others. It is appalling to a beginner when he first reads the long list of namesof classes, genera, and species, as the latter are so closely allied inresemblance. One has not always the time nor inclination to condensefacts for himself, nor to collect necessary information so as toremember it most easily, all which has to be done in the absence of anAmerican manual or textbook. A great deal has been written for us, it istrue, by experienced botanists, but a general and comprehensive work hasyet to be compiled. Before we begin our list of fungi, let us learn what a mushroom is, andknow something of its component parts. A mushroom consists of a stem anda cap, or pileus. The cap is the most conspicuous part. The color variesfrom white and the lightest hues of brown up to the brightest yellow andscarlet. Its size is from an eighth of an inch to sixteen inches andmore in diameter. The surface is smooth or covered with little grains(granular) or with minute scales (squamulose) shining like satin, orkid-like in its texture. It may be rounded and depressed (concave), elevated (convex), level (plane), or with a little mound in the centre(umbonate). It may be covered with warts, marked with lines (striate), or zoned with circles. The margin may be acute or obtuse, rolledbackward or upward (revolute), or rolled inward (involute); it may bethick or thin. THE STEM. The stem is the stalk that supports the cap. It is sometimes attached toone side, and then it is said to be lateral or between the centre andside, and it is called eccentric; when it is in the middle, or nearlyso, it is central. It is either solid, fleshy, stuffed with pith, or hollow, fibrous, firmand tough (cartilaginous). It is often brittle and breaks easily, or itwill not divide evenly in breaking. Its color and size both vary, likethe cap. It may taper toward the base, or toward the apex, be even orcylindrical. Its surface may be smooth (glabrous), covered with scales(squamulose), rough (scabrous), dotted, lacerated, or be marked with anetwork of veins (reticulated). The base may be bulbous, or only swollen(incrassated), and it may root in the ground. [Illustration: Sections of gill bearing mushrooms. Gills adnexed Gills free Gills adnate Gills decurrent Gills sinuous Gills serrated Pileus umbonate Pileus umbilicate Margin involute Margin revolute] THE GILLS. The gills or lamellæ are the radiating parts, like knife blades, thatextend from the centre to the margin underneath the cap. They containthe spores. The group of mushrooms that have gills are called Agaracinior Agarics. The gills vary in color; sometimes they change color whenmature. When they are close together they are called crowded, and whenfar apart distant. There are often smaller gills between the others, andsometimes they are two-forked (bifurcate), and are connected by veins. They are narrow or wide, swell out in the middle (ventricose), arecurved like a bow (arcuate), and have a sudden wave or sinus in the edgenear the stem (sinuate). There are various modes of attachment to the stem. Where the gills arenot attached to it they are called free; slightly so, adnexed; and whenwholly fastened they are adnate. They may run down on the stem, and arethen called decurrent. THE SPORES. The color of the spores can be seen by cutting off the cap, and layingit gills downward, on a sheet of paper, two or three hours or more. Theimpression will remain on the paper. It is better to use blue paper, sothat the white spores can be seen more clearly. The Agarics are dividedinto classes according to the color of the spores, so it is of greatimportance to examine them. The shape and size of the spores can only belearned by the use of a microscope. We have not attempted in thiselementary work to do more than mention them. [Illustration: Amanita vaginata (breaking from volva). Photographed by C. G. Lloyd. ] THE VOLVA AND VEIL. The universal veil or volva is a thin covering which encloses the entireyoung plant. The cap grows and expands and bursts this veil intofragments. That part of the veil which breaks away from the cap, calledthe secondary veil, forms the annulus or ring. It resembles a collar, and is generally fastened to the stem. It is not always permanent orfixed in one place. It may disappear when the plant is mature. It isoften fragile, loose and torn, and sometimes is movable on the stem. The name volva is particularly given to that part of the universal veilwhich remains around the base of the stem, either sheathing it orappressed closely to it, or in torn fragments. The volva and ring, orannulus, are not always present in mushrooms. The rupture of the veiloften causes a part of it to remain on the cap in the shape of warts orscales. These may disappear as the plant grows older, and are sometimeswashed off by a heavy rain. THE TUBES OR PORES. There is a group of fungi called Polyporei, which have tubes or poresinstead of gills. They are placed under the pileus just as the gills aresituated, and contain the spores. The length of the tubes varies. Themouths or openings are also of different shapes and sizes. They aresometimes round, and at other times irregular. The color of the mouthsis often different from the tubes, and changes when mature. The mouths, too, are sometimes stuffed when young. The attachment to the pileus isto be noted. They may be free or easily detached, depressed around thestem or fastened to it (adnate. ) CLASSIFICATION OF FUNGI. The color of both gills and tubes is an important feature in theclassification of fungi. We have now arrived at a point where the amateur may become wearied atthe reading of long names and the enumeration of classes and genera. Stevenson has said in his preface to his work on British Fungi that“there is no royal road to the knowledge of fungi, ” and if we becomeenough interested to pursue the subject we will probably discover it atthis point. We will try and make this part as simple as possible, andonly mention those genera which are most common. Mushrooms may be divided into three great classes: I. Gasteromycetes, or “Stomach fungi, ” where the spores are producedwithin the plant. II. Ascomycetes, or “Spore sac fungi, ” where the spores are produced indelicate sacs called asci. III. Hymenomycetes, or “Membrane fungi, ” where the spores are producedon the lower surface of the cap. CLASS III. HYMENOMYCETES, OR MEMBRANE FUNGI. This class is divided into six orders: 1. Gill-bearing mushrooms, Agarics, or Agaricini. 2. Fungi with pores or tubes, Polyporei. 3. Fungi with awl-shaped teeth or spines, Hydnei. 4. Fungi with an even spore-bearing or slightly wrinkled surface, Thelephorei. 5. Plants, club-shaped and simple, or bush-like and branched, Clavariei. 6. Gelatinous plants, irregularly expanded, Tremellinei. The first order, the Agarics, contains most of the well-known mushrooms, as well as most of the edible ones. They have been divided intodifferent classes according to the color of the spores. In a great manycases the color is the same as that of the gills; but this is not alwaysthe case, especially in the young plants. The Agarics are divided intofour sections: 1. White spores, Leucosporæ. 2. Rosy, salmon or pinkish spores, Rhodosporæ. 3. Brown or ochraceous spores, Ochrosporæ. 4. Dark purplish or black spores, Melanosporæ. There are an infinite number of mushrooms we shall not mention. Thestudy of fungi has only begun in this country, and there is an immensevista for future students. The amateur or beginner may be well satisfiedif after one summer spent in studying mushrooms he can remember thedistinguishing types of the various genera, and can say with certainty, “This is a Russula, or this a Cortinarius, or this a Tricholoma. ” Hewill then feel he has taken one important step in this “royal road. ” DISTINCTIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF GENERA OF HYMENOMYCETES. ORDER 1. AGARICS. The names of the genera are all derived from Greek and Latin words. Stevenson, in his book on British Fungi, has given the original wordsand also their meanings. We take the liberty of copying the English termonly, and will place it beside the name of each genus. SECTION 1. WHITE SPORES, OR LEUCOSPORÆ. The first genus we will mention is: +HYGROPHORUS, from a word meaning moist. + This genus contains plants growing on the ground. They soon decay. Thecap is sticky or watery, the gills often branched. It has a peculiarityin the fact that the hymenial cells, or the layer of mother cells, contained in the gills, change into a waxy mass, at length removablefrom the trama. The trama is that substance which extends with and islike in structure to the layer of mother cells. [1] It lies between thetwo layers of gills in Agarics. The gills seem full of watery juice, andthey are more or less decurrent, _i. E. _, extend down the stem. Thisgenus contains many bright-colored and shining species. [Footnote 1: In the young plant it forms the framework of the gills. ] We are obliged to refer to the hymenial layer in this place, though thebeginner will scarcely understand the meaning of the term. Thedistinguishing peculiarity of this genus consists in the cells changingto a waxy mass. In the chapter on the structure of mushrooms we havetried to explain something about the cells and the Hymenium. +LACTARIUS = milk. + This genus is fleshy, growing on the ground; the cap is often depressedin the centre. The gills are adnato-decurrent, that is, partly attachedand prolonged down the stem. They are waxy, rather rigid and acute atthe edge. The distinctive feature is the milk that flows when the gillsare cut. Sometimes the milk changes color. +RUSSULA = red. + This genus grows on the ground, is fleshy, and soon decays. The cap isdepressed, or becomes so at a later stage of growth. The stem ispolished, generally white, and is very brittle. The gills are rigid, fragile, with an acute edge, and mostly equal in length. Some speciesexude watery drops. It contains many species of beautiful colors. +CANTHARELLUS = vase or cup. + The principal characteristic of this genus consists in the fold-likenature of its gills. The gills are thick, with an obtuse edge, and arebranched and decurrent. The genus is fleshy, soft, and putrescent, andhas no veil. Some plants grow on the ground and others on mosses. +MARASMIUS = to wither. + The genus is tough and dry, not decaying, but shrivelling, and revivingwhen wet. The stem is tough (cartilaginous. ) The gills are ratherdistant, the edge acute and entire. The plants often have a peculiarsmell and taste, like garlic. They are small and thin, commonly growingon the outside of another plant (epiphytal) on the ground, on putridleaves, or on roots of grasses. +AMANITA. + The origin of this name is doubtful. Galen, an ancient Greek physician, is said to have given the name to some edible fungi (Stevenson). It isdistinguished as the only genus that has _both volva and ring_. Theyoung plant is enveloped by a universal veil which bursts at maturity. The volva around the base of the stem is formed by the splitting orbursting of the veil, and its different modes of rupture mark theseveral species. It is sometimes shaped very prettily, and has theappearance of a cup around the stem. It contains many poisonous as wellas edible mushrooms. +LEPIOTA = a scale. + This genus has a universal veil. The gills are free. Sometimes the ring, or annulus, is movable on the stem. The cap is often covered with warts, or the skin torn into scales, and the stem sometimes inserted in a cupor socket. +ARMILLARIA = ring or bracelet. + There is no universal veil in this genus, only a partial one that formsa ring, or sometimes only indicating the ring by scales. The speciesusually grow on the ground. +TRICHOLOMA = from two Greek words, hair and fringe. + This genus is especially noted for its sinuate gills. They have a toothnext to the stem. All grow on the ground and are fleshy. There aresometimes fibrils which adhere to the margin of the cap, the remains ofthe veil. There are no plants in this genus that are consideredpoisonous. +CLITOCYBE = a declivity. + The gills in this genus are attenuated behind and are attached to stem(adnate) or run down it (decurrent. ) The cap is generally planodepressed or funnel-shaped (infundibuliform). Some are fragrant; theodor resembles fresh apricots. +COLLYBIA = a small coin. + The stem in this genus is tough or stuffed with a pith, and covered witha cartilaginous rind. The margin of the cap is smooth and turned underat first (involute). The gills are soft, free, or only adnexed behind. The plants grow on the outside of wood and leaves, even on fungi, butare often rooted on the ground, and do not dry up. The gills aresometimes brightly colored. +MYCENA = a fungus. + In this genus also the stem is cartilaginous, the cap is sometimesbell-shaped (campanulate) and slender. The plants are generally smalland fragile. The cap is from ⅛ to 1½ inch broad. The stem issometimes filiform, and they grow on stumps and sticks, dead wood, twigs and leaves. They may be found early in the season, but oftenerfrom August to November. [Illustration: Omphalia alboflava. Photographed by C. G. Lloyd. ] +OMPHALIA = depressed. + The stem in this genus is cartilaginous. The gills run down the stem. The cap is somewhat membranaceous. It is oftener depressed andfunnel-shaped. The gills are often branched. The species grow in moistplaces. The plants are generally small. The largest only measure 2inches, the smallest only ½ inch across the cap. +PLEUROTUS = side and an ear. + In this genus the stem is sometimes wanting, or it grows on the side, orbetween the centre and margin (eccentric). The plants rarely grow on theground. They are irregular and fleshy or membranaceous. The time ofgrowth is generally in the autumn. There are a few edible species. SECTION 2. RHODOSPORÆ, RED OR PINK SPORES. In this section of Agarics the spores are red, pink, or salmon color. +PLUTEUS = a penthouse. + This genus has neither volva nor ring. The gills are rounded behind andfree, entirely separate from stem, white, then flesh-colored, but oftentinged with yellow. The cuticle is sometimes covered with fibres, orwith a bloom upon it (pruinose). The apex of the stem is inserted in thecap like a peg, and in this it resembles the Lepiotas. The species growon or near trunks, appear early, and last until late in the season. +ENTOLOMA = within and fringe. + This genus resembles Tricholoma, which belongs to the white-sporedAgarics and Hebeloma, which is rosy-spored. The species grow on theground, and are found chiefly after rain. The stem is fleshy or fibrous, soft, sometimes waxy. The cap has the margin incurved, the gills have atooth (sinuate), and are adnexed to the stem. Some species smell offresh meal. SECTION 3. OCHROSPORÆ, BROWN OR OCHRACEOUS SPORES. +CORTINARIUS = a veil. + This genus has a veil resembling a cobweb. The gills generally becomecinnamon-colored. They grow on the ground in woods, during late summerand autumn. Some of our most beautiful mushrooms belong to this group. The veil is not persistent, and soon disappears. +PHOLIOTA = a scale. + This genus mostly grows on trunks. The partial or secondary veil takesthe form of a ring. The cap is often covered with scales. +INOCYBE = fibre and head. + This genus is distinguished by the silky fibrilose covering of the cap, which never has a distinct pellicle, and by the veil which is lastingand of like nature to the fibrils of the cap. All grow upon the ground. +HEBELOMA = youth and fringe. + In this genus the margin of the cap is at first incurved. The gills areattached with a tooth, with the edge more or less of a different color, often whitish. The stem is fleshy, fibrous, somewhat mealy at the apex. They grow on the ground and are strong-smelling, appear early in theautumn, and continue until late in the season. +PAXILLUS = a small stake. + This genus is fleshy, putrescent; at first the cap has the margin turnedunder (involute), then it unfolds gradually and dilates. There are somespecies of both Tricholoma and Clitocybe that resemble it. The gillsseparate easily from the cap, and in this it is similar to the Boleti, where the tubes separate also with ease. SECTION 4. MELANOSPORÆ, DARK PURPLE OR BLACK SPORES. +PSALLIOTA = a ring or collar. + The common mushroom Agaricus campestris belongs to this group. The gillsare rounded behind and free, the stem has a collar. There are manyedible mushrooms in this genus. They grow in pastures, and the largerones are called Champignons. In former times when one spoke of eatingmushrooms the species A. Campestris, or campester, was always the onedenoted. +STROPHARIA = a sword belt. + This genus has a ring. The gills are generally attached to the stem;some species grow on the ground, and some grow on other fungi. They aresometimes bell-shaped and then flattened, often with a mound or umbo. +HYPHOLOMA = web and fringe. + The veil in this genus is woven in a web which adheres to the margin ofthe cap. The cap is more or less fleshy, and the margin at firstincurved. The gills are attached or have a tooth. There is no ring. Theplants grow in tufts on wood, or at the base of trees in the autumn. +PSILOCYBE = naked and head. + The cap in this genus is fleshy, smooth, and the margin at firstincurved. Gills turn dusky purple. The stem is cartilaginous, hollow orstuffed. No veil is visible. They grow on the ground. +PSATHYRA = friable. + The cap is conical and soft, the margin at first straight, and thenpressed to the stem. The plants are slender, fragile and moist. Gillsbecome purple. They grow on the ground, or on trunks of trees. +COPRINUS = dung. + In this genus the spores are black. It has two distinctive features:one, that the gills cohere at first, and are not separated when young;and the other, that they dissolve into an inky fluid. The gills are alsoscissile, that is, they can be split, and are linear and swollen in themiddle. The plants last but a short time. Some are edible. ORDER 2. POLYPOREI, OR TUBE-BEARING FUNGI. We now pass to the next order, the Polyporei. We will mention fourgenera: +BOLETUS. + The name is that of a fungus much prized for its delicacy by the Romans, and is derived from a Greek word meaning a clod, which denotes the roundfigure of the plant. The Boleti grow on the ground, are fleshy and putrescent with centralstems. The tubes are packed closely together and are easily separated. +FISTULINA = a pipe. + In this genus the tubes are free and distinct from one another. They aresomewhat fleshy and grow upon wood. +POLYPORUS = many pores. + The pores or tubes in this genus are not separate from one another. Theyare persistent fungi, most of them growing upon wood. +DAEDALEA = curiously wrought. + The name of this genus is derived from Daedalus, who constructed thelabyrinth at Crete, in which the monster Minotaur was kept. It was oneof the seven wonders of the world. These fungi grow on wood, and become hard. The pores are firm when fullygrown; they are sinuous and labyrinthine. ORDER 3. HYDNEI, OR SPINE-BEARING FUNGI. The name is derived from a word meaning a spine. This order containsmany genera, two of which we will mention, Hydnum and Tremellodon. +HYDNUM. + Hydnum is derived from a Greek word, the name of an edible fungus. Theplants in this genus are furnished with spines or teeth, instead ofgills or tubes, and these contain the spores. The species are dividedaccording to the stem. In some it is central and grows on the ground, in others it is lateral, and the cap is semicircular (dimidiate), andothers again have no stem. There are some species that have no cap, andthe spines are either straight or oblique. There are a few that areedible, but generally they have a bitter taste. However, some writerssay that Hydnum repandum, or the spreading Hedgehog, is “delicious. ”This mushroom and the one named “Medusa’s head, ” H. Caput Medusæ, areperhaps the most conspicuous of the order. The latter is very large. Its color is at first white, then becoming ashy gray. The spines on theupper surface are twisted, while the lower ones are long and straight. It grows on trunks of trees. In the spreading Hydnum the margin of thecap is arched and irregular. It grows on the ground. +TREMELLODON = jelly and a tooth. + The fungi in this genus are gelatinous. The cap is nearly semicircularin shape, sometimes fan-shaped and rounded in front. The spines or teethare soft, white and delicate. We found one specimen in the month ofSeptember in the mountains of the State of New York. ORDER 4. THELEPHOREI, OR EVEN SURFACE FUNGI. In this order the lower surface of the cap is smooth and even, orslightly wrinkled. It is divided into several genera, only two of whichwe will enumerate, Craterellus and Stereum. +CRATERELLUS = a bowl. + The species called the “horn of plenty, ” Craterellus cornucopioides, belongs to this genus, and is often found. Stevenson says it is common. It is trumpet-shaped (tubiform). The cap is of a dingy black color, andthe stem is hollow, smooth, and black. We found quite a small specimen, the pileus not more than 1½ inch broad, but it may measure 3 inches. The spore-bearing surface was of an ash color. The margin of the cap waswavy, and it was hollow right through to the base. It was only 2 incheshigh, and there was scarcely any stem. +STEREUM = hard. + The genus Stereum is woody and leathery in nature, somewhat zoned, andlooks like some Polyporci. It grows on wood, on stumps, and on deadwood. ORDER 5. CLAVARIEI, OR CLUB FUNGI. This order contains several genera, but one only will be mentioned, thatof Clavaria. +CLAVARIA = club. + The common name often given to this genus is “Fairy Clubs. ” We havedescribed several species in our list of fungi, and will only say thatthese are fleshy fungi, either simple or branched. The expressionfleshy, so often met with in these pages, is used in speaking of plantswhen they are succulent and composed of juicy, cellular tissue. They donot become leathery. In the genus Clavaria the fungi have no caps, butthey have stems. There are a few edible species. One can scarcely walkany distance without seeing some species of Clavaria. They areconspicuous, sometimes attractive looking, and interesting in theirvariety. The genus Cortinarius, one of the order of Agarics, has been alreadydescribed, but it contains so many species that it deserves especialmention. They are difficult to define. The genus has been subdivided by botanistsinto tribes which it may be well to enumerate. We have followedStevenson’s arrangement. He divides Cortinarius into six tribes. 1. Phlegacium = clammy moisture. In this tribe the cap is fleshy andsticky (viscous), while the stem is firm and dry. In all Cortinarii thegills become cinnamon-colored. There are many large-sized mushrooms inthis tribe, the cap sometimes measuring 6 inches across. 2. Myxacium = mucous. This tribe has the stem sticky (viscous), and theuniversal veil is glutinous. The cap is fleshy but thin. Gills attachedto stem and decurrent. 3. Inoloma = fibre and fringe. It contains distinguished species. Thecap is at first silky, with innate scales or fibrils, is equally fleshyand dry. The stem is fleshy and rather bulbous. 4. Dermocybe = skin and head. The cap and stem are both thinner in thistribe than in Inoloma. The pileus becomes thin when old, and is dry, notmoist. It is at first silky. The color of the gills is changeable, whichmakes it hard to distinguish the species. 5. Telamonia = lint. Pileus moist; at first smooth or sprinkled withsuperficial whitish fibres of the veil. Flesh thin, or becoming soabruptly at the margin; the veil is somewhat double, which is adistinguishing characteristic of this tribe. 6. Hygrocybe = moist and head. Cap in this tribe is smooth or onlycovered with white superficial fibrils, not gluey, but moist when fresh, and changing color when dry. Flesh thin. CLASS I. GASTEROMYCETES, OR STOMACH FUNGI. The Basidia-bearing fungi, or Basidiomycetes, are divided into threeclasses, as has been already stated. The third class, Hymenomycetes, orMembrane fungi, has been described, but there remain two other groups ofwhich we will now speak more fully. They may be considered too difficultfor beginners, and we would not venture to enter further into thesubject were it not that some of the most familiar fungi belong to theseclasses--such as Puff-balls, Morels, and Helvellas. The first class, called the Gasteromycetes, or Stomach fungi, maturesits spores on the inside of the plant. The distinction between thisclass and that of the Membrane fungi, which ripens its spores on theoutside, may be more readily understood by one familiar with thestructure of the fig, whose flowers are situated on the interior of itspear-shaped, hollow axis, which is the fruit. We will divide the Stomach fungi into four orders--1, the thick-skinnedfungi (Sclerodermæ); 2, the Bird’s-nest fungi (Nidulariæ); 3, thePuff-balls (Lycoperdons); 4, the Stink horns (Phalloidæ. ) ORDER 1. SCLERODERMÆ, THE THICK-SKINNED FUNGI. Our attention will be confined to only one genus, and, indeed, onespecies of this family. We often see in our walks what at a first glancelook like potatoes lying along the road, and the suggestion arises thatsome careless boy has been losing potatoes from his basket on his wayhome from the country store. We stoop to pick them up, and find themrooted to the ground and covered with warts and scales. We cut them openand find them a purplish-black color inside. It is a mass of closelypacked unripe spores. In a few days the upper part of the outsidecovering decays, bursts open, and the ripe spores escape. This is calledthe common hard-rind fungus, or Scleroderma vulgare. ORDER 2. NIDULARIÆ, THE BIRD’S-NEST FUNGI. This is again divided into three genera. The Crucible (crucibulum), theCup (Cyathus), the Bird’s-nest proper (Nidularia. ) We often find on a wood-pile or a fallen tree some of the members of theBird’s-nest family. It is fascinating to examine them in their variousstages of development. First we see a tiny buff knot, cottony in textureand closely covered; next, another rather larger, with its uppercovering thrown aside, displaying the tiny eggs, which prompts one tolook around for the miniature mother bird; then we find a nest emptywith the fledglings flown. The characteristic that distinguishes theBird’s-nest fungi from others consists in the fact that the spores areproduced in small envelopes that do not split open, and which areenclosed in a common covering, called the peridium. One species is knownby the fluted inside of the covering, which is quite beautiful. They areall small and grow in groups. ORDER 3. LYCOPERDONS, THE PUFF-BALLS. The Lycoperdons contain several genera, among which we select thePuff-balls proper and the Earth stars. What child is there who lives in the country and does not know thePuff-ball? With what gusto he presses it and watches what he calls thesmoke pouring from the chimney. Indeed, the outpouring of myriads ofspores in its ripe stage does suggest smoke from a chimney. Thepuff-ball, when young, is of a firm texture, nearly round, grayish, orbrownish outside, but of a pure white within. There are several genera, but we have selected two--1, Lycoperdon; and 2, Earth Star, or Geaster. +LYCOPERDON = the puff-ball. + The puff-balls vary greatly in size, the smallest measure ½ inch up tothe largest, about 15 inches. Professor Peck describes them thus:“Specimens of medium size are 8 to 12 inches in diameter. The largest inthe State Museum is about 15 inches in the dry state. When fresh it wasprobably 20 inches or more. The color is whitish, afterward yellowish orbrownish. The largest size was called the Giant Puff-ball (Calvatiabovista). ” +GEASTER = the earth star. + These vary greatly in size. The small ones grow on pine needles on theground or among leaves. Some are mounted on pedicels, some are sessileor seated directly on the earth, but the family likeness is sopronounced that even the novice need not be doubtful as to the name ofthe fungus when found. There are two species that have slender, elongated stems. The name is well chosen. In moist weather the pointsexpand and roll back or lie flat on the earth. Then the round puff-ballin the centre is plainly seen. In dry weather the star-like divisions are rigidly turned in and coverclosely the round portion. “When dry it is sometimes rolled about by thewind; when it is wet by the rain or abundant dew it absorbs the moistureand spreads itself out, and rests from its journey, again to take up itsendless wandering as sun and rain appear to reduce it once more to aball and set it rolling. ” (Underwood. ) ORDER 4. PHALLOIDS, THE STINK HORN FUNGI. We come now to the fourth and last order of the Stomach fungi(Gasteromycetes) that we shall mention. In spite of their appellationthese fungi are strikingly beautiful, but their odor is most offensive. They grow in woods, and are also found in cellars. Their history hasbeen carefully investigated by mycologists, and the novice will findmany beautiful illustrations in various works. In their early stage theyare enclosed in an egg-shaped veil (volva), having a gelatinous innerlayer. Some are bright-colored, others are pure white, and the stems ofone species look as if covered with lace work. The most familiar one, Phallus impudicus, “the fetid wood witch, ” we have placed in the list offungi at the end of this book, with its description. CLASS II. ASCOMYCETES, OR SPORE SAC FUNGI. This is the second division of the Basidia-bearing fungi. It includesall the fungi that have the spores enveloped in delicate sacs calledasci. It is divided into several orders, but we will only mention theone which contains the most familiar plants. This order is named theDisc-like fungi (Discomycetes). In this the spore-bearing surface is onthe upper or outside surface of the mushroom cap. It is divided intomany genera, of which we shall mention three--the Cup fungi, or Pezizas, the Morels or Morchellas, and the Yellowish fungi or Helvellas. +PEZIZAS = the Cup fungi. + These form a very large group, mostly growing on decaying plants. Theyare typically disc-shaped or cup-shaped, and when young are closed ornearly so, opening when mature. They vary in size from minute species tolarge fleshy ones, 3 to 4 inches in diameter. They are generally small, thin, and tough. They grow on twigs, leaves, dead wood, or on theground. Many are stemless. They are both solitary and densely clustered. The color varies from pale brown to a dark gray, resembling, when moist, india-rubber cloth, and then, again, there are many of brillianthues--red and orange. Some are erect, some are split down at the sidelike the ear of a hare. The Cup fungi are found in August and September, growing near ditches, and by the roadside where there is moisture. Theear-shaped Pezizas somewhat resemble the Jew’s ear, and the beginnermight easily confound them. This latter fungus belongs to the thirdclass of membrane fungi (Hymenomycetes), and it is included in thedescriptions of fungi. +THE MORELS or MORCHELLAS = the honey-combed fungi. + The collector during the months of April and May will enjoy a newexperience when he first finds a fungus of a bright brown color, deeplypitted, spongy looking, cone-shaped or nearly round; its head supportedon an erect, white stem. He will probably find it on a grassy hillsideor along a running brook under some forest trees. He has perhaps seenits picture and at once exclaims, “my first Morel. ” He will notice itspeculiar honey-combed depression, and then cutting it open will findboth the head and the stem hollow. Where are the spores? There are nogills as in the Agarics, nor are they concealed in a covering(peridium), as in the Puff-balls, but they are contained in delicatesacs on the cap. The exterior surface of the cap is the spore-bearingportion, and the spores are developed in their sacs, but only seen undera microscope. +HELVELLA = the yellowish mushroom. + This genus may be readily recognized by the form of the cap, which islobed and irregularly waved and drooping, often attached to the stem. They grow on the ground in the woods, and sometimes on rotten wood. Thegenus comprises the largest of the Disc fungi known, some speciesweighing over a pound. Cicero mentions the Helvellas as a favorite dishof the Romans. +THE TRUFFLE = delicacy. + It will be well to finish this section with the mention of the Truffle. It may yet be found in the United States, but hitherto its place ofgrowth has been on the continent of Europe, and especially in France, where it forms an article of commerce, and is highly prized as food. Itis subterranean, and requires for its discovery a higher sense of smellthan man possesses. It is generally found by the hog and the dog, whoare trained to help the truffle hunters. There are some species in ourcountry that resemble it, and grow underneath the ground. One, found inthe Southern States, called Rhizopogon, grows in sandy soil. Thisspecies, however, does not belong to Class II. , but to Class I. , theGasteromycetes, or Stomach fungi. It is not likely that the beginnerwill find this mushroom, so no description will be given. GENERAL HELPS TO THE MEMORY. There are certain facts which if committed to memory will be of greathelp to beginners in classifying mushrooms. There are distinctivefeatures belonging to different genera, which will be enumerated asfollows. These facts apply to the order of Agarics, containing thelargest number of familiar mushrooms. They have been placed in tablesfor the convenience of the beginner, and are arranged without regard tofamily relationship. _Mushrooms Containing both Volva and Ring (Annulus). _ There is only one genus that has both volva and ring. Amanita. _Mushrooms with Ring and no Volva. _ 1. Pholiota. 2. Annularia. 3. Stropharia. 4. Psalliota. 5. Armillaria. 6. Lepiota. _Mushrooms that have the stem attached on the side (lateral) or betweenMargin and Centre (eccentric). _ 1. Crepidotus. 2. Claudopus. 3. Pleurotus. _Mushrooms with tough or cartilaginous Stems. _ 1. Psathyra. 2. Nolanea. 3. Mycena. 4. Marasmius. 5. Naucoria. 6. Leptonia. 7. Omphalia. 8. Collybia. 9. Psilocybe. 10. Galera. _Mushrooms, Stemless. _ 1. Schizophyllum. 2. Trogia. 3. Lenzites. _Mushrooms that have the Cap bell-shaped (campanulate) and Marked withLines (striate). _ 1. Psathyra. 2. Galera. 3. Nolanea. 4. Mycena. _Mushrooms with Gills attached to Stem and a Ring. _ 1. Stropharia. 2. Armillaria. 3. Pholiota. _Mushrooms Having Gills with serrated edge. _ 1. Lentinus. _Mushrooms with Free Gills not attached to Stem. _ 1. Chitonia. 2. Psalliota. 3. Pluteolus. 4. Pluteus. 5. Volvaria. 6. Lepiota. 7. Amanita. _Mushrooms with emarginate sinuate Gills, or with notch near to Stem. _ 1. Hypholoma. 2. Tricholoma. 3. Hebeloma. 4. Entoloma. _Mushrooms that are corky and leathery. _ 1. Lenzites. 2. Lentinus. 3. Schizophyllum. 4. Panus. _Mushrooms with Gills running down Stem more or less (decurrent). _ 1. Gomphidius. 2. Paxillus. 3. Tubaria (some species). 4. Flammula (some adnate). 5. Eccilia (truly decurrent). 6. Clitopilus (somewhat decurrent). 7. Panus (some species decurrent). 8. Lentinus (mostly decurrent). 9. Cantharellus. 10. Hygrophorus (mostly decurrent). 11. Pleurotus (some decurrent). 12. Omphalia (truly decurrent). 13. Clitocybe (decurrent or adnate). 14. Lactarius (decurrent or adnato-decurrent). _Mushrooms that are deliquescent or turn into inky fluid. _ 1. Coprinus. 2. Bolbitius. It will also be useful to the beginner to see a list of Agaricsclassified according to botanists by the color of their spores. CLASSIFICATION OF AGARICS BY COLOR OF SPORES. 1. Leucosporæ (white spores). 2. Rhodosporæ (rosy or salmon spores). 3. Ochrosporæ (ochraceous spores). 4. Melanosporæ (dark purple or black spores). _Leucosporæ, or White Spores. _ 1. Amanita. 2. Lepiota. 3. Armillaria. 4. Tricholoma. 5. Clitocybe. 6. Collybia. 7. Mycena. 8. Omphalia. 9. Pleurotus. 10. Trogia. 11. Hygrophorus. 12. Lactarius. 13. Russula. 14. Cantharellus. 15. Marasmius. 16. Lentinus. 17. Panus. 18. Xerotus. 19. Schizophyllum. 20. Lenzites. 21. Arrhenia (pallid spores). _Rhodosporæ, Rosy or Salmon Spores. _ 1. Volvaria. 2. Pluteus. 3. Enteloma. 4. Leptonia. 5. Nolanea. 6. Eccilia. 7. Claudopus. 8. Clitopilus. _Ochrosporæ, or Ochraceous Spores. _ 1. Pholiota. 2. Inocybe. 3. Hebeloma. 4. Flammula. 5. Naucoria. 6. Pluteolus. 7. Galera. 8. Tubaria. 9. Crepidotus. 10. Cortinarius. 11. Acetabularia. 12. Paxillus (spores are ferruginous or dingy white). 13. Bolbitius (ferruginous spores). _Melanosporæ, Dark Purple or Black Spores. _ 1. Chitonia. 2. Psalliota. 3. Stropharia. 4. Hypholoma. 5. Psilocybe. 6. Psathyra. 7. Panæolus. 8. Psathyrella. 9. Coprinus. 10. Gomphidius. 11. Anellaria. Having arranged these lists of mushrooms by their differentcharacteristics, and then by the color of the spores, we will give alist of fungi familiar to most persons, classified according to thecolors of the cap. The far greater number have been analyzed by thewriters, and a full description is given to enable the beginner moreeasily to identify them. The reader will notice that in the lists of fungi given above there arecertain genera not elsewhere mentioned in this book. He will understandthat it is inadvisable in a short primer to allude to all the generathat exist. It was, however, impossible to give a complete table withoutincluding them in it. [Illustration: Russula pectinata. Photographed by C. G. Lloyd. ] DESCRIPTIONS OF FUNGI, ARRANGED ACCORDING TO COLOR OF CAP ONLY. MUSHROOMS WITH RED OR PINK COLORED CAP. The genus Russula probably contains the largest number of mushrooms withreddish caps, the word Russula meaning reddish. +RUSSULA EMETICA = a vomit. + +The Nauseating Russula. + +Cap+ bright blood red, at first rosy, then blood color, tawny when old, 3 to 4 inches broad, first bell-shaped, then flattened or depressed, polished, margin at length grooved (sulcate), flesh white, reddish underthe cuticle. +Stem+ 1½ to 3 inches long, ¾ of an inch thick, whiteor with a reddish hue, spongy, stuffed, stout, elastic when young, fragile when old, even, tapering slightly upward. +Gills+ free, broad, rather distant, white. This is found on the ground among dead leaves, in the woods and openplaces from July to December. It has a bitter taste, and is said to bepoisonous. Those eating it are often affected as if they had taken anemetic. It is easily distinguished by the fact of the flesh turning redimmediately under the skin when it is peeled off. There are numerousvarieties of it, in one the stem has minute wrinkles running lengthwise. We found it in different localities. The taste was acrid. It was one ofthe first and the last mushrooms that we gathered. (Poisonous. ) +RUSSULA SANGUINEA = blood. + +The Blood-colored Russula. + +Cap+ blood red, becoming pale at margin, 2 to 3 inches broad, at firstconvex, then depressed, and funnel-shaped (infundibuliform), irregularlyswollen in the centre, polished, even, margin acute, moist in dampweather. Flesh firm, cheesy, white. +Stem+ stout, spongy, stuffed, atfirst contracted at apex, then equal, slightly marked with lines whiteor reddish. +Gills+ at first fastened to stem and then decurrent, crowded, narrow, connected by veins, fragile, somewhat forked, shiningwhite, afterward turning ochraceous color. The taste is acrid andpeppery. It is found in woods from August to September, and is notcommon. (Poisonous. ) +RUSSULA ROSEIPES = rosy stem. + +The Rosy Stemmed Russula. + This is a striking-looking mushroom. The colors are pretty, and thetinge of red in the stem adds to its beauty. There are other species ofRussula that also have red tints in the stem. +Cap+ rosy red, with pinkand orange hues, 1 to 2 inches broad, convex, becoming nearly plane orslightly depressed; at first viscid, soon dry, slightly marked withlines on the thin margin, taste mild. +Gills+ moderately close, nearlyentire, rounded behind and slightly adnexed, swollen in the middle, whitish, becoming yellow. +Stem+ 1 to 2 inches long, 3 to 4 lines thick, slightly tapering upward, stuffed or hollow, white, tinged with red. It is distinguished from other species by its mild taste, rosy cap, commonly dry and but slightly striate on margin, its gills changing fromwhite to yellow or slightly ochraceous, and being partially attached tothe stem, and its stem being slightly stained with rosy red. It grows inpine and hemlock woods, and is found in July and August. (Edible. ) +RUSSULA LEPIDA = neat or elegant. + +The Elegant Russula. + +Cap+ at first is a bright red, but becomes a dull reddish-pink, palerat the disc, 3 inches broad, dry, fleshy, convex; then expanded, scarcely depressed, obtuse and polished, afterward cracked (rimose), andwith minute scales (squamulose). The margin spreading and rounded, obtuse, _not_ striate. +Stem+ about 3 inches long, from 1 to 1½ inchthick, even, solid, white, or rose color. +Gills+ rounded behind, ratherthick, somewhat crowded, often forked, connected by veins, white, oftenred at edge. Taste mild. We found our specimen in mixed woods. The stemwas only tinged with pink. (Edible. ) +LACTARIUS VOLEMUS = a kind of large pear. (From its shape. )+ +The Orange Brown Lactarius. + +Cap+ 3 to 5 inches broad, reddish-orange color, becoming pale, compact, rigid, obtuse, with the margin bent inward, depressed, at length markedwith lines like a river (rimose). Flesh white, turning brown. +Stem+2 to 3 inches long, ¾ to 1¼ inch thick, stout, stuffed, then hollow, paler at apex, with a bloom, same color as cap, with lengthwise lines. +Gills+ adnato-decurrent, yellowish turning ochraceous, broad, thin, crowded, milk sweet and plentiful. Stevenson says that the taste of thisLactarius is delicious, that it is savory even when raw. It should notbe kept too long before cooking, or it will emit a strong, unpleasantodor. It is abundant in chestnut or oak woods from July to September. Our specimen was much wrinkled on the margin. The milk was abundant. (Edible. ) +LACTARIUS ICHORATUS = lymph. + +The Colorless Lactarius. + The name of this species is given on account of the color of the milk(Stevenson). +Cap+ a tawny pinkish-red color, 3 to 4 inches broad, zoned, plano-depressed, margin often wavy, dry, flesh creamy white orpallid. +Stem+ 1½ to 3 inches long, thick, solid, afterward spongy, equal, smooth, the same color as the cap, lighter at the apex. +Gills+adnate, slightly decurrent, not crowded, creamy white, turningochraceous. Milk white, sweet. It has a strong smell. In the specimen wefound the stem was slightly marked with lines and the milk plentiful. Itis not spoken of as edible. +LACTARIUS MITISSIMUS = mild. + The name only applies to the taste of the milk. (Stevenson. ) +Cap+ a light, bright reddish-orange, golden tawny color, 1 to 4 inchesbroad, even, then depressed, smooth, sticky when moist, flesh whitish, turning yellow. +Stem+ 1 to 4 inches long, thick, stuffed, then hollow, even, smooth, same color as cap. +Gills+ slightly running down the stem, rounded at one end, broad, yellowish. Milk mild, then bitterish andplentiful. It is found in pine and mixed woods from August untilNovember. It has a beautiful color, and resembles in that particular L. Volemus. +CORTINARIUS ARMILLATUS = a ring or bracelet. + +The Zoned Cortinarius. + +Cap+ a tawny reddish-yellow, brick red, 2 to 5 inches broad, fleshy, bell-shaped or almost conical, then convex, dry, smooth, marked withreddish specks, darker toward the centre, flesh white, turning red andnarrowing toward the margin. +Stem+ 3 to 6 inches long, ½ inch thick, solid, firm, slightly tapering toward the apex, very bulbous at base, same color as cap, stuffed with brown pith inside. There are two orthree reddish oblique zones encircling the stem. +Gills+ adnate, swollenin the middle, distant, variable, at first pale cinnamon color, and thendark brown. We found them at the end of August in great numbers, sometimes united in tufts (cæspitose) in all stages of growth, theyounger ones covered with a cobwebby veil, which is paler in color thanthe zones. They grow in mixed woods. +CLITOCYBE LACCATA = a resinous substance. + +The Waxy Clitocybe. + This species is small in size. +Cap+ is about 1 inch broad, thin, convexand almost plane. Sometimes with a depression (umbilicate). When moistit has a water-soaked look, and becomes pale in drying. When wet it hasa peculiar flesh color, but when dry it is a pale yellowish-red hue. +Stem+ is long and slender, tough and of same color as cap, 2 linesthick, fibrous, stuffed, often twisted and white, with soft, weak hairsat base (villous). +Gills+ are attached to stem with a decurrent tooth, broad, distant, of a peculiar flesh color. We found several varieties. One had gills of a beautiful violet color (Var. Amethystina), in anotherthe gills were pale (Var. Pallidifolia). (Peck. ) A small form withradiating lines extending from near the centre to the margin (Var. Striatula), Peck, is an interesting species and often seen. They growclosely together on the sides of roads, in groups, all through theseason. Sometimes the cap is very small, ¼ inch across. It often growsin arcs of circles. +CLITOCYBE INFUNDIBULIFORMIS = funnel-shaped. + +The Funnel-shaped Clitocybe. + +Cap+ a pale red color, 2 to 3 inches broad, convex when young, thenslightly raised in the middle, umbonate, afterward the margin iselevated and the cap becomes funnel-shaped and the margin wavy. Flesh thin and white. +Stem+ 1½ to 3 inches long, 2 to 3 lines thick, smooth, paler colored than the cap, tapering upward. +Gills+ ratherdecurrent, arc-shaped, broad, distant, whitish, not yellow, netted withveins. This is also a variable species and grows in woods. It is pretty, and is easily known by its shape. +BOLETUS MURRAYI. + +Murray’s Boletus. + +Cap+ dark red, 1 to 3 inches broad, granulated, convex, with a slightmound or umbo, margin turned upward, flesh yellow. +Stem+ ½ inch long, yellow. Tubes lemon color, angular and round, irregular. The stem in ourspecimen was granulated like the cap. +BOLETUS CHROMAPES = chrome yellow and foot. + +The Chrome-footed Boletus. + +Cap+ tawny red, 2 to 4 inches broad, convex or nearly plane, fleshwhite. Tubes almost attached (subadnate), depressed around the stem, whitish, turning a pinkish-brown color. +Stem+ equal or tapering upward, rough whitish color, with reddish specks upon it, but chrome yellow atthe base, both outside and inside, and spongy within. Stem 2 to 4 incheslong, about ½ inch thick. This is not a hard boletus to distinguish onaccount of the yellow color at the base of the stem. The Boleti seem tobe most abundant from the beginning of July until early in September. There are many varieties of beautiful colors, and they are a mostinteresting group, especially to beginners. This may be partly owing tothe fact that Professor Peck’s pamphlet on “Boleti” is clearlyexpressed, and the descriptions so vivid and plain that one has lesstrouble in naming them than any other class of fungi. +HYGROPHORUS MINEATUS = vermilion. + +The Vermilion Hygophorus. + +Cap+ 1 inch broad, at first vermilion color and then paler, broad, flattened and then even, depressed in centre by the margin becomingelevated. It is thin and fragile at first, even, smooth, and then scaly. +Stem+ from 1 to 2 inches long, slender, 1 line thick, a little palerthan the cap, equal, round, somewhat stuffed, smooth, shining. +Gills+attached, seldom decurrent, distant, distinct, yellow color, shaded withred. This species is very fragile. It grows in woods or in open country, on mosses or on dead leaves. It may be cæspitose, or grows singly fromJuly to October. +HYGROPHORUS COCCINEUS = scarlet color. + +The Scarlet Hygrophorus. + +Cap+, first bright scarlet and then changing to a paler hue. One to 2inches broad and even more, convex, plane, often unequal, obtuse, sticky, and even, smooth, flesh of the same color as cap. +Stem+ 2inches long, 3 to 4 lines thick, hollow, then compressed and rathereven, scarlet color like cap, but always yellow at the base. +Gills+wholly attached, decurrent, with a tooth, distant, connected by veins, soft, watery, when full grown, purplish at the base, light yellow in themiddle, powdery at the edge, fragile. This species grows in pastures, and is common. It is found from August to November. +HYGROPHORUS PUNICEUS = blood red. + +The Blood-red Hygrophorus. + +Cap+ 2 to 4 inches broad, glittering blood scarlet, when older becomespaler, at first bell-shaped, obtuse, commonly spread out or lobed, irregular, even, smooth, sticky. Flesh of the same color as cap, fragile. +Stem+ 3 inches long, 1 to 1½ inch thick. Solid when young, at length hollow, very stout, swollen in middle, thinner at both ends, marked with lines and generally scaly at apex; when dry either yellow orsame color as the cap, always white at first, and often incurved at thebase. +Gills+ ascending, swollen in middle, 2 to 4 lines broad, distant, thick, white or light yellow, or yellow, and often reddish at base. Thisis a very handsome species. It is found in pastures from July toNovember. MUSHROOMS WITH YELLOW OR ORANGE COLORED CAP. +CANTHARELLUS CIBARIUS = food. + +The Chantarelle. + +Cap+ bright orange or egg color, first convex, and then depressed, at length top-shaped and smooth. The margin lobed and turning under(involute). Flesh thick and white. +Stem+ 1 to 1½ inch long, thickenedupward, solid, fleshy. +Gills+ running down the stem, thick, distant, fold-like. Stevenson does not give the size of the cap, but ourspecimen measured 2 inches in breadth. It had an odor like ripeapricots, and a pleasant taste. It is often tufted in its growth. It isfound in woods from July to December. This is a very striking lookingmushroom and easily distinguished. It often grows in rings or arcs ofcircles. (Edible. ) +HYPHOLOMA FASCICULARE = a small bundle. + +The Tufted Hypholoma. + +Cap+ a beautiful reddish color, like a peach; the disc darker, about 2inches broad, fleshy, thin, convex, then plane, with a slight mound orumbo, even, smooth, dry; flesh a light yellow. +Stem+ variable inlength, 2 to 9 inches long, 2 lines thick, hollow, thin, incurved orcurved, covered with fibres of same color as cap. +Gills+ adnate, verycrowded, linear, somewhat liquid when mature (deliquescent), sulphuryellow, and then becoming green, taste bitter. It grows in crowdedclusters. It is said to be poisonous. +AMANITA MUSCARIA = a fly. + +The Fly Amanita. + +Cap+ at first red, then orange, then becoming pale, about 4 inchesbroad, convex, and then flat, covered with thick fragments of volva;margin when grown slightly marked with lines; flesh white, yellow underthe cuticle. +Stem+ white, sometimes yellowish, 2 inches long, torn intoscales, at first stuffed, then hollow; the attached base of the volvaforms an oval-shaped bulb, which is bordered with concentric scales, that is, having a common centre, as a series of rings one within theother. +Ring+ very soft, torn, even, inserted at the apex of the stem, which is often dilated. +Gills+ free but reaching the stem, decurrent, in the form of lines, crowded, broader in front, white, rarely becomingyellow. It grows in woods from July to November. This mushroom is easilyidentified by its orange-colored cap, covered with white warts and _purewhite stem and gills_. We found several specimens in the woods, all of amost beautiful striking color. (Poisonous. ) +AMANITA FROSTIANA. + +Frost’s Amanita. + +Cap+ a bright yellow, almost orange color, 1½ inch broad, convex orexpanded, covered with warts, but sometimes nearly smooth, the marginmarked with lines (striate. ) +Gills+ white or tinged with yellow, freefrom the stem. +Stem+ 2 to 3 inches long, white or yellowish, stuffed, slender, bearing a slight evanescent ring; bulbous at the base, bulbslightly margined by the volva. We found several specimens growing inmixed woods. It is smaller than A. Muscaria, more slender, with abeautiful color. +TRICHOLOMA EQUESTRE = a knight. + +The Canary Mushroom, so called from its color. + +Cap+ pale yellow, 3 to 5 inches broad, darker at disc, tinged with abrick red hue, and yellow near margin, convex, then plane, wavy, irregular; flesh white, thick. +Stem+ 1 to 2 inches long, and ½ to ⅔inch thick, generally white, sometimes yellow, stout and solid. +Gills+close, deeply notched near the stem, a beautiful pale yellow color, scarcely adnexed, broad, somewhat swollen in middle. It grows in pinewoods and appears in the autumn. +TRICHOLOMA SULPHUREUM = sulphur. + +The Sulphury Tricholoma. + +Cap+ dingy sulphur yellow color, ½ to 4 inches broad, at first roundwith a slight umbo, at length depressed, rather silky, then smooth andeven. +Stem+ 2 to 4 inches long, 3 to 4 lines thick, stuffed, somewhatequal but often curved, rather smooth, striate, sulphur yellow, of samecolor as cap. +Gills+ adnexed, narrowed behind, rather thick, distant, distinct, brighter than the cap. This is also found in autumn in thewoods, and is quite common. It has a strange disagreeable odor. +LACTARIUS DELICIOSUS = delicious. + +The Delicious Lactarius. + +Cap+ orange brick color, 2 to 6 inches broad, becoming pale, fleshy, when young depressed in centre, margin turned under (involute), thenflat and depressed, or funnel-shaped, with margin unfolded, smooth, zoned, slightly sticky. The zones become faded in the old plants. Theflesh is whitish or tinged with yellow. +Stem+ a little paler than thecap, with spots of deeper orange, 1 to 4 inches long, ⅓ to ⅔ of aninch thick, stuffed, then hollow, fragile. +Gills+ running down the stem(decurrent), orange color, crowded, narrow, becoming pale and green whenwounded. The milk is orange color. It grows in pine woods and in wet, mossy swamps. It resembles the orange brown Lactarius in size and shape, but the color is different, so we have placed it in the orange-coloredsection and L. Volemus in the red division of colors. [Illustration: Lactarius insulsus. Photographed by C. G. Lloyd. ] +STROPHARIA SICCAPES = dry and foot. + +The Dry Stropharia. + Stropharia is taken from a Greek word meaning sword belt, referring toits ring (Stevenson). Siccapes is from two words meaning dry and foot. It grows on horse manure. Stevenson does not mention this species. It isdescribed by Mr. Peck in the State reports. +Cap+ is a light yellow, darker in the centre, ¼ inch to 1 inch broad, bell-shaped, sticky, shinywhen dry, even. +Stem+ sometimes 4 inches long, slender, straight, dry, base almost club-shaped. +Ring+ scarcely perceptible, but forming awhitish zone, shining, persistent, apex of stem whitish, and slightlystriate. +Gills+ dark gray, almost blackish, the margin paler, adfixed, thin. We found a great many in one place, of all sizes, from 1 lineacross cap to 1 inch. In some specimens the ring was wanting, but inothers it was apparent. +CANTHARELLUS AURANTIACUS = orange yellow. + +The Orange Chanterelle. + This species takes its name from its color. +Cap+ is orange yellow, 2 to3 inches broad, fleshy, soft, depressed, often eccentric, with the stembetween centre and margin, and wavy, somewhat tomentose and involute atthe margin. +Stem+ 2 inches long, stuffed, and then hollow, somewhatincurved and unequal, yellowish. +Gills+ decurrent, tense, and straight, repeatedly dividing by pairs from below upward (dichotomous) andcrowded, often crisped at base, orange color. This species grows inwoods, and is often found there during the months of autumn. Someconsider it poisonous. +CANTHARELLUS INFUNDIBULIFORMIS = funnel-shaped. + +The Funnel-Shaped Chantarelle. + +Cap+ yellow when moist, 1 to 2 inches broad, umbilicate, thenfunnel-shaped, wrinkled on the surface, at length wavy at margin. +Stem+2 to 3 inches long, 2 lines thick, hollow (fistulose), a littlethickened at the base, even, smooth, always a light yellow. +Gills+decurrent, thick, distant, dichotomous, straight, light yellow; whenold, ash color (cinereous. ) This is found in the woods from July toOctober. +BOLETUS HEMICHRYSUS = half and golden. + +The Half Golden Boletus. + The descriptions of the Boleti are all written after comparing thespecimens we found with those described in Professor Peck’s work onBoleti. We examined and analyzed all those placed on the list. Thedescriptions written by Professor Peck are so clear and faithful tonature that it makes the task of calling them by name much easier thanany other fungi we have studied. +Cap+ bright golden yellow, 1½ to2½ inches broad, convex plane and depressed, with minute wooly scales(floccose squamulose), and covered with a yellow powder (pulverulent), sometimes with cracks (rimose). Flesh thick and yellow. Tubes decurrent, yellow, becoming brown; mouths large, angular. +Stem+ short, about 1inch long, 3 to 6 lines thick, irregular, narrowing toward the base, sprinkled with a yellowish dust, tinged with red. We found it growing onan old stump, in pine woods, in the month of August. +BOLETUS GRANULATUS = granules. + +The Granulated Boletus. + This Boletus varies much in color. In our specimen it was apinkish-yellow, and covered with yellow spots of a darker shade. Wefound it in all sizes, from 2 to 4 inches broad. +Cap+ was convex, nearly plane, viscid when moist. It became more of a yellow color whenit was dry. Flesh pale yellow. The tubes were adnate, short andyellowish. +Stem+ 1 to 2 inches long, 4 to 6 lines thick. Some wereunited in tufts (cæspitose), others were gregarious (in groups) orsolitary. They grew on the edge of pine woods, and near the roadside. The stem was dotted in the upper part with glandules and was paleyellow. +BOLETUS CYANESCENS = bright blue. + +The Bluing Boletus. + +Cap+ a light pale brownish-yellow, or a light yellow color(alutaceous), 2 to 5 inches broad, with minute wooly scales, convex ornearly plane. Flesh white, changing quickly to blue when cut. Tubesfree, white, afterward yellow; mouths small, round. Tubes change also toa bluish-green when bruised. +Stem+ 2 to 4 inches long, ¾ to ½ inchthick, swollen in the middle (ventricose), covered with a bloom(pruinose), stuffed and then hollow, tapering toward the apex, coloredlike the cap. This is a very easy Boletus to distinguish from others, and interesting to the beginner on account of the striking and beautifulchange of color. Found in hemlock and pine woods toward the end ofAugust. +PHOLIOTA ADIPOSA = fat. + +The Stout Pholiota. + +Cap+ bright yellowish or orange color, 3 to 7 inches broad, convex, then flattened, gibbous, that is, more convex on one side than on theother; viscid, covered with woolly (floccose) scales, which oftenseparate. Flesh whitish. +Stem+ 3 to 6 inches long, ½ to 1 inch thick, solid, large at base, first white and then light yellow, with darkerscales. +Ring+ yellow, and then ironrust color (ferruginous. ) +Gills+adnate, slightly rounded, broad at first, yellow and then darker. Wewere driving through a thick woods when we saw the bright yellow cap ofthis mushroom peering among the bushes. There was no apparent ring andfew scales except on the margin. It was irregularly shaped, fleshy andthick. It was not a typical specimen, and a beginner would have found itdifficult to name. The then recent hard rains had washed nearly all thescales from the cap, and the ring was hardly to be seen. It grew on thetrunk of a tree in the month of September. Not edible. +PHOLIOTA SPECTABILIS = showy. + +The Showy Pholiota. + This Pholiota was found much later in the season. +Cap+ is from 2 to 5inches broad, a golden yellow, then growing paler, fleshy, torn intosquamules, dry, flesh thick, hard, sulphur yellow. +Stem+ about 3 incheslong and 1 inch thick, solid, hard, swollen in the middle, and extendinginto a spindle-shaped root. It is sometimes smooth and shining andsometimes scaly, sulphur yellow color and mealy _above_ the ring. +Gills+ adnate, crowded, narrow, at first pure yellow and afterwardironrust color. Gills have sometimes a small decurrent tooth(Stevenson), but our specimen had none. It grew together (cæspitose) ona stump. Not edible. +MARASMIUS OREADES = a mountain nymph. + +The Fairy Ring Mushroom. + +Cap+ when young and moist is of a pale yellowish-red, but fades whendry to pale yellow. It is from 1 to 2 inches broad, fleshy, tough, convex, then plane, somewhat umbonate, even, smooth, slightly striate atmargin when moist. +Stem+ 1 to 2 inches long and less than ¼ inch thick;slender, solid, tough, equal, sometimes cartilaginous, straight, coveredwith a close woven skin that can be rubbed off. +Gills+ free or slightlyattached, whitish or creamy yellow, broad, distant, the alternate onesshorter, rounded, or deeply notched at inner end. These mushrooms growin circles and are called fairy rings. They are found chiefly on lawnsand pastures from May till October. We saw one specimen in October. Itgrew in a waste lot at Kaighn’s Point, Camden, N. J. It was solitary, ofa brownish-yellow color, the cap 1 inch broad, and the stem 1 inch long. It was growing amidst some ballast plants, the only mushroom there. +COPRINUS MICACEUS = mica. + +The Glistening Coprinus. + +Cap+ varies from buff to tawny yellow, 1 to 2 inches broad, bell-shaped(campanulate) or conical (cone-shaped), thin, marked with lengthwiselines, which extend half-way up from the margin. The disc is even and ismore highly colored. It is often sprinkled with shiny atoms when young. +Gills+ at first whitish, then brown or black. +Stem+ 1 to 3 incheslong, slender, hollow and white. The spores are dark brown. We found itin great numbers growing on the ground amidst the grass in September andOctober. It may be seen as early as April. It is a pretty species. (Edible. ) MUSHROOMS WITH GRAY COLORED CAP. +AMANITA STROBILIFORMIS = a pine cone. + +The Warted Amanita. + +Cap+ light gray, or dingy white when young; 7 to 9 inches broad whenexpanded fully. It is covered with large pyramidal, persistent warts. The margin is even, and extends beyond the gills. Flesh firm and white. +Stem+ 6 to 8 inches long, 1 to 3 inches thick, solid, scaly, taperingupward, with a bulbous base and marked with a series of rings near theroot, which extends deep into the ground. +Ring+ large, torn. +Gills+white, free, rounded near the stem, ⅜ inch broad. This is said to berather rare. We found it twice in August growing solitary on theroadside in the grass. It was large-sized, measuring 7 inches acrosscap, of a grayish-white color, with prominent warts; the stem was mealy, the volva was large. It was marked with distinct rings near the base. When kept many hours the smell becomes disagreeable. The name is givenon account of the shape of the warts, which are conspicuous. [Illustration: Amanita vaginata. Photographed by C. G. Lloyd. ] +AMANITA VAGINATA = a sheath. + +The Sheathed Mushroom. + +Cap+ gray, mouse color, sometimes slate-colored gray, and evenbrownish, 2 to 4 inches broad. It is thin and fragile, convex, and thennearly flat, with a slight mound or umbo, but sometimes none. It isdeeply striate or grooved (sulcate) on the margin. +Stem+ is white andoften covered with mealy particles. It is slender, either hollow orstuffed, 3 to 5 inches long, ⅓ to ½ inch thick. It is not bulbous, but is sheathed quite high in a loose, soft wrapper, the remains of thevolva. There is no ring. +Gills+ are whitish, free from the stem, androunded. It is easily broken. There are several varieties (Peck). In onethe plant is white, Var. Alba. In Var. Livida the cap is a leadenbrownish color, and in the Var. Fulva the cap is tawny yellow andochraceous. The mouse-colored form is the most common. We found manyspecimens in July and August. +CORTINARIUS CORRUGATUS = wrinkled. + +The Wrinkled Cortinarius. + +Cap+ gray, with a pinkish-yellowish tint, 2 inches broad, campanulate, sticky, broken up into squamules, pellicle scaling, margin thin. +Stem+slender, 5 inches long, shiny, mealy at apex, slightly bulbous. +Gills+gray color, adnexed, distant, ventricose. This is a pretty mushroom. Theshade of color of the pileus is delicate. We found it in August in thewoods. +BOLETUS FELLEUS = bitter. + +The Bitter Boletus. + This Boletus varies much in color; our plant was a brownish-gray, a dingy color. +Cap+ 3 to 8 inches broad, convex or nearly plane, glabrous, even, flesh white, turning to flesh or pink color whenwounded. Taste bitter, tubes adnate, long, depressed around the stem, crowded. +Stem+ variable, 2 to 4 inches long, about ½ to 1 inch thick, equal or tapering, reticulated above, bulbous or enlarged at base, alittle paler than the pileus. The Boleti we found grew in great numbers, in different localities, and were of all sizes. The color of thereticulations was a brownish-gray. +BOLETUS GRISEUS = gray. + +The Gray Boletus. + +Cap+ dark gray, 2 to 4 inches broad, broadly convex, smooth, soft, silky, flesh whitish. Tubes adnate, slightly depressed, mouths small. +Stem+ 2 to 4 inches long, 3 to 6 lines thick, yellowish, muchreticulated, sometimes reddish toward the base. Our plant was of abrownish color at base, and grew in the month of September. +PSALLIOTA CAMPESTRIS = a field. + +The Common Mushroom. + There are several edible species of the genus Psalliota, chiefly theField or Common Mushroom, which is constantly seen on our tables. +Cap+varies from white and gray to brown. It is 2 to 4 inches broad, fleshy, convex, then flattened, dry, sometimes covered with silky fibrils, andwhen old smooth. The margin of the cap generally extends beyond thegills. Flesh white. +Stem+ rather short, 1 to 3 inches long, ⅓ to ⅔inch thick, white or whitish, slender, stuffed and then hollow, nearlyeven. +Ring+ distant, simple. +Gills+ free, ventricose, narrowing atboth ends, thin, first a pink color, then afterward brown orblackish-brown. It grows in rich pastures or in meadows, and isfound in autumn. It has a most delicious flavor. +AGARICUS PLACOMYCES. + +The Flat-capped Mushroom. + +Cap+ a whitish-gray, about 3 inches broad, convex, and then expandedand flat. It is covered with small, distinct, brown, persistent scales, except on the disc, where they are so close together that they appear ofa brown color. +Stem+ is long and slender, 3 inches and more, stuffedand then hollow, equal and bulbous at the base. It is whitish, butsometimes has yellowish stains toward the base. +Gills+ are first white, then pink, and lastly a blackish-brown. It grows under trees, and isfound in summer and autumn. +COPRINTUS ATRAMENTARIUS = ink. + +The Inky Coprinus. + +Cap+ gray or grayish-brown, smooth, except a slight scaly appearance onthe disc. It is silky near the margin, and the margin is irregular. Whenyoung it is often egg-shaped. +Gills+ crowded, whitish, soon becomingbrown and then deliquescent. +Stem+ smooth, hollow, white. It grows inclusters until late in the autumn. We found our plants on a lawn ingreat profusion in the month of October. +PLUTEUS CERVINUS = a deer. + +The Fawn-colored Pluteus. + +Cap+ about 3 inches broad, whitish-gray color, at first bell-shaped, then expanded, smooth, even, but afterward broken up into fibrils, margin entire; flesh soft, white. +Stem+ 3 to 6 inches long, nearlyequal and solid, whitish, striate with black fibrils. +Gills+ roundedbehind, free, crowded, ventricose, white, then flesh color as the sporesmature. This is a common species, appearing early in the season--Aprilto November. It usually grows from stumps and old logs. It can be easilyknown by its gills, being quite free from the stem, where it joins thepileus. MUSHROOMS WITH A GREEN COLORED CAP. +RUSSULA VIRESCENS = green. + +The Greenish Russula. + +Cap+ of a grayish-green color. It is 2 to 4 inches broad, dry andbroken up into small warts, the margin straight, obtuse, even; fleshwhite. +Stem+ 2 inches long and ½ inch thick, solid, spongy inside, firm, white, sometimes marked with lines (rivulose. ) +Gills+ free, whitish, narrowed toward the stem, somewhat crowded, sometimes equal andforked, with a few shorter ones between. It is easily distinguished bythe dull green pileus, being without a cuticle, and scaly in the form ofpatches. It is found in woods in July and September. We have not seen aspecimen of R. Virescens, so have used Stevenson’s description. Edible, taste mild. +RUSSULA FURCATA = a fork. + +The Forked Russula. + +Cap+ from 3 to 5 inches broad, of an olive green color, sometimesgreenish umber, covered with a silky bloom, fleshy, gibbous, thenplano-depressed and funnel-shaped, cuticle here and there separable;margin at first inflexed, then spreading. Flesh firm, thick, white. +Stem+ 2 to 3 inches long, solid, firm, stout, white. +Gills+adnato-decurrent, thick, distant, broad, narrowed at both ends, oftenforked, white. Our specimen was 5 inches broad, and the margin slightlystriate, and when the cuticle was removed it was purplish underneath. It was found in August, in woods. Poisonous, taste bitter. MUSHROOMS WITH WHITE COLORED CAP. +AMANITA VIROSA = poison. + +The Poisonous Amanita. + +Cap+ shining white, from 2½ to 4 inches broad, fleshy, at firstconical and acute, afterward bell-shaped and expanded, viscous in wetweather, shining when dry, margin even, sometimes unequal, spreading andinflexed, flesh white. +Stem+ 4 to 6 inches long, wholly stuffed, almostsolid, split up into lengthwise fibrils, cylindrical from a bulbousbase, surface torn into scales, springing from a loose, thick, widevolva which bursts open at apex. +Ring+ large, loose, silky, splittinginto pieces. +Gills+ free, thin, a little broader toward margin, crowded, not decurrent, though the stem is sometimes striate. This is apoisonous species, but striking in appearance from the shining white ofthe whole fungus. Found in the woods in August. +AMANITA PHALLOIDES = appearance, phallus-like. + +The Death Cup. + This species is considered the most deadly of all the poisonousmushrooms, and yet it is one of the most beautiful. We place it in thesection of white-colored mushrooms, though the cap is sometimes tingedwith light yellow and delicate green. +Cap+ 2 to 4 inches broad, ovate, campanulate, then spreading, obtuse, with a cuticle, sticky in moistweather, rarely sprinkled with one or two fragments of the volva, themargin regular, even. +Stem+ 3 to 5 inches long, ½ inch thick, solid, bulbous and tapering upward, smooth, white. +Ring+ superior, reflexed, slightly striate, swollen, white. Volva more or less buried in theground, bursting open in a torn manner at the apex, with a loose border. +Gills+ free, ventricose, 4 lines broad, shining white. This species, aswell as A. Virosa, has a fetid odor when kept. We found it oftener thanany other species of Amanita. +AMANITA NITIDA = to shine. + +The Shining Amanita. + +Cap+ whitish, 3 to 4 inches broad, somewhat compact, at firsthemispherical, covered with angular, adhering warts, which become a darkcolor (fuscous. ) It is dry, shining, the margin even; flesh white. +Stem+ 3 inches long, 1 inch thick, solid, firm, with a bulb-shapedbase, scaly, white. +Ring+ superior, thin, torn, slightly striate, covered with soft weak hairs beneath, which at length disappear. +Gills+free, crowded, wide, nearly ½ inch broad, ventricose, shining white. This was also found in August. There is nothing more beautiful thanthese white poisonous Amanitas. +LEPIOTA NAUCINOIDES = a nut shell. + +The Smooth Lepiota. + +Cap+ a clear white, with sometimes a brownish tint on the disc, 2 to 4inches broad, smooth. +Stem+ 1 to 3 inches long, ¼ to ⅓ inch thick, growing thicker toward the base, as if it had a bulb, white, hollow, butstuffed with a cottony pith. +Gills+ white, when old they assume apinkish-brownish hue. +Ring+ has a thick, external edge, but its inneredge is so thin that it often breaks from the stem and becomes movable. It is found in the fields, by roadsides, or in the woods, from August toNovember. We have not seen a specimen of this mushroom, which is said tobe nearly equal to the common mushroom in edible qualities. It isconsidered to resemble it also in appearance, but Professor Peck saysthe different color of the gills when the plants are both young willdistinguish them, and the thin collar and stuffed stem of L. Naucinoidesis also different from thick-edged ring and hollow stem of A. Campestris. (Psalliota. ) +LACTARIUS PIPERATUS = peppery. + +The Peppery Lactarius. + +Cap+ white, 4 to 9 inches broad, fleshy, rigid, depressed in centrewhen young, reflexed margin, at first involute, when full grown thesurface becomes funnel-shaped and regular, even, smooth, without zones;flesh white. +Stem+ 1 to 2 inches long, 1 to 2 inches thick, solid, obese, equal or obconical, slightly covered with powder (pruinose), white. +Gills+ decurrent, crowded, narrow, scarcely broader than oneline, obtuse at edge, regularly dividing by pairs from below upward(dichotomous), curved like a bow (arcuate), then all extended upward ina straight line, white, with occasional yellow spots. The milk white, unchangeable, plentiful, and acrid. This is common in woods. The cap inone of our specimens turned yellow when old, and was slightly striate atthe margin; it was dry and thick and had no odor. The flesh had awhitish-brownish tinge where the cuticle was peeled off. Found it _only_in August. +LACTARIUS VELLEREUS = fleece. + +The Fleecy Lactarius. + +Cap+ white, 5 to 7 inches broad, fleshy, compact, convex, saucer-shaped, the margin for a long time sloping downward, with short, downy hairs (pubescent), dry, zoneless. +Stem+ 2 to 3 inches long, 1 to 1½ inch thick, stout, solid, equal, covered with innate, thinpubescence. +Gills+ arcuate, adnato-decurrent, rather thick, acute atthe edge, somewhat distant, rather broad, connected by branches, pallid, watery, white. Milk scanty, white, very bitter. It is not said to beedible. The cap tends to become a pallid, reddish tan. This descriptionis partially taken from Stevenson. The specimen we found had the marginrevolute, it was 2½ inches broad, and the stem 2 inches long. Theflesh was white and the cap was turning a brownish color. The stemslightly tapered toward the base. The milk was scanty and peppery. Foundin the beginning of August in the woods. It resembles L. Piperatus. +BOLETUS ALBUS = white. + +The White Boletus. + +Cap+ white, from 1½ to 3 inches broad, convex, viscid when moist, flesh white or yellowish, tubes small, nearly round (subrotund), adnate, whitish, becoming ochraceous. +Stem+ 1½ to 3 inches long, 3 to 5 linesthick, equal, white, sometimes tinged with pink near the base. We foundonly one specimen of the white Boletus in August. It grew in the woods. The flesh became yellow and the stem was 1¼ inch long, and it slightlytapered toward the base. +PLEUROTUS ULMARIUS = elm. + +The Elm Pleurotus. + The word pleurotus is taken from two Greek words, meaning a side and anear. It is given on account of the stem growing in a lateral oreccentric manner. The Elm Pleurotus, so called from growing on elmtrees, is considered edible. Our specimen had the _cap_ whitish, butstained in the centre with a rusty yellowish color, 3 to 5 inches broad, thick, firm, smooth, convex, then plane. The skin was cracked in atessellated manner. Flesh was firm and white. +Stem+ white, 2 to 4inches long, 1½ to ¾ inch thick, firm, smooth, a little hairy atthe base, and attached eccentrically to the cap. +Gills+ white witha yellow hue, broad, rounded near the stem, slightly adnexed and notcrowded. It was found in October, and is not common. +PLEUROTUS SAPIDUS = agreeable to taste. + +The Palatable Pleurotus. + This species generally grows in clusters with the stem united at thebase. Our specimen grew on a maple tree. The plants protruded from alarge crack in the trunk of a tree, about four feet above the ground, and grew one above the other. They had not attained their full growth. During former seasons they had been seen of a large size. +Pileus+ isfrom 2 to 5 inches broad, grayish-white, smooth. +Caps+ often overlapone another. Flesh is white. Gills broad, whitish, decurrent, and oftenslightly connected by oblique branches. +Stem+ is generally short andlateral. It grew in October. Professor Peck says that in ediblequalities it resembles the oyster mushroom, P. Ostreatus. MUSHROOMS WITH THE CAP BROWN AND VARIOUS SHADES OF BROWN. +CORTINARIUS CINNAMOMEUS = cinnamon. + +The Cinnamon-colored Cortinarius. + +Cap+ a golden brown or bright cinnamon color, 1½ to 4 inches broad, umbonate, silky, shining, squamulose, with yellowish fibrils, and thensmooth. +Stem+ 2 inches long, stuffed and then hollow, thin, equal, tapering toward the base, yellowish color, as also are the flesh and theveil. +Gills+ adnate, broad, crowded, shining reddish-brown color. Ourspecimen had beautiful reddish-colored gills, Var. Semisanguineus(Peck). It grows in woods from August to November. +COLLYBIA ACERVATA = a heap. + +The Tufted Collybia. + The name of the species is derived from a Latin word meaning a heap, so called from the habit of growth. (Stevenson. ) +Cap+ tan brown color, 2 to 3 inches broad, flesh color when moist, whitish when dry, convex, then flattened, obtuse or gibbous, margin at first involute, thenflattened and slightly striate. +Stem+++ 2 to 4 inches long, 1 to 2lines thick, very hollow (fistulose), rigid, fragile, slightly taperingupward, rarely compressed, very smooth, except the base, even, colorbrown or reddish-brown. +Gills+ are at first adnexed, soon free, crowded, linear, narrow, plane, flesh color and then whitish. It growsin tufts (cæspitose). The stems are sometimes white, tomentose at thebase. Stevenson says the cap is flesh color, but our specimen was of apale or tan brown color, less than 2 inches broad; when moist it wasmuch paler. Found in mixed woods in September. +PSATHYRELLA DISSEMINATA = scattered. + +The Widely-spread Psathyrella. + +Cap+ a light-colored yellowish-brown, changing into an ash color; thedisc with a yellowish shade; of an oval shape, then bell-shaped, andmarked with lines, almost sulcate. The margin does not extend beyond thegills. It is a small mushroom, measuring from 2 or 3 lines across thecap to 1 inch. +Stem+ about 1 inch long or more, fragile, hollow, sometimes curved and bending, smooth and light-colored. +Gills+ adnate, rather broad, slightly narrowed at both ends, at first whitish and thenturning a brownish color. The plants vary greatly in height and size, are sometimes cæspitose and at other times scattered. The disc in somespecimens was slightly raised in the middle, almost umbonate. It wasfound about stumps and on the ground, at the end of May, in mixed woods. It soon withers, but does not melt into fluid. [Illustration: Psathyrella disseminata. Photographed by C. G. Lloyd. ] +HYPHOLOMA CAPNOIDES = smoke. + +The Gray-gilled Mushroom. + +Cap+ is reddish-brown, 1 to 3 inches broad, fleshy, convex, thenflattened, obtuse, dry, smooth. The margin in our specimen was slightlyrevolute. Flesh white. +Stem+ 2 to 3 inches long, 2 to 4 lines thick, growing together at the base (connate), hollow, equal, often curved, becoming silky, even, whitish at apex, and here and there striate. +Gills+ gray color, adnate, easily separating, rather broad, waxy. Thename is given on account of the smoke-colored gills. It is not common, and is generally found on or about stumps in the autumn. +HYPHOLOMA PERPLEXUM = perplexing. + +The Perplexing Hypholoma. + +Cap+ brownish and turning to yellow, 1 to 3 inches broad and slightlyumbonate, flesh whitish. +Stem+ nearly equal, 2 to 3 inches long, 2 to 4lines thick, firm, hollow, slightly fibrillose, whitish or yellowishabove, reddish-brown below. +Gills+ thin, close, slightly rounded atinner end, at first pale yellow, then tinged with green, finallypurplish-brown. Taste mild. It grows in clusters. We found it both onand around old stumps, in the woods. It is sometimes solitary. (Edible. ) +COLLYBIA DRYOPHILA = oak-loving. + +The Oak-loving Collybia. + +Cap+ tan color, often varying in color, ½ inch broad, thin, convex, nearly plane, sometimes with margin elevated, irregular, smooth, fleshwhite. +Stem+ equal or thickened at base, 1 to 2 inches long, 1 to 2lines broad, cartilaginous, smooth, hollow, yellowish, or reddish likethe cap. +Gills+ narrow, crowded, adnexed or nearly free, whitish. Thislittle mushroom we found in a thick woods late in September, growingamong dead leaves. There were oak trees all around and a great manypines. The weather had been rainy, and it was pale-colored and lookedwater-soaked. +TRICHOLOMA IMBRICATA = a tile. + +The Imbricated Tricholoma. + +Cap+ reddish-brown, 3 inches broad, thick, fleshy, broadly convex, andthen flattened, obtuse, dry, continuous at disc, but torn into scalesand fibrillose toward the margin; flesh firm, white. +Stem+ solid, stout, sometimes short, and conico-bulbous, 1½ to 2 inches long, andas much as 1 inch thick, sometimes longer and almost equal; white atapex. +Gills+ slightly emarginate, almost adnate, somewhat crowded, about 3 inches broad, wholly white when young, at length reddish. Itgrows either scattered or in groups. It is found in pine woods inSeptember and November. +BOLETUS ORNATIPES = ornate and foot. + +The Ornate-stemmed Boletus. + +Cap+ 2 to 5 inches broad, yellowish-brown, convex, dry, firm, glabrousor minutely tomentose, flesh yellow or pale yellow. +Tubes+ adnate, plane or concave, the mouths small or middle size, a clear yellow. +Stem+ 2 to 4 inches long, 4 to 6 lines broad, subequal, distinctly andbeautifully reticulated, yellow without and within. In woods and openplaces. +BOLETUS BREVIPES = short and foot. + +The Short-stemmed Boletus. + +Cap+ dark chestnut color, 1½ to 2½ inches broad, thick, convex, covered with a tough gluten, margin inflexed, flesh white or yellowish. +Tubes+ short, nearly plane, adnate, or slightly depressed around thestem, small, white and afterward dingy ochraceous. +Stem+ ½ to 1 inchlong, 3 to 5 lines thick, whitish, very short, not dotted, or rarelywith a few inconspicuous dots at the edge. This plant was found inOctober, and looked as if it rested upon the ground, the stem was soshort; the cap was covered with gluten. [Illustration: Lepiota procera. Photographed by C. G. Lloyd. ] +LEPIOTA PROCERA = tall. + +The Tall Lepiota. + +Cap+ reddish-brown, 3 to 6 inches broad, fleshy; when young egg-shaped, and then campanulate, and flattening out with a broad, obtuse umbo. Thecuticle breaks up into brownish scales, close near the centre, butsometimes wanting at the margin. The centre or umbo is darker colored;flesh dry, tough and white. +Stem+ ½ inch thick, and 5 to 10 incheslong; it is straight or a little bent, swollen or bulbous at base, sometimes variegated with brownish scales; deeply sunk at apex into thecup of the pileus; hollow or stuffed. +Ring+ distinct from the stem, continuous with cuticle of pileus when young. It becomes free when thecap is expanded, and is then movable and persistent. +Gills+ far remotefrom the stem, with a broad plano-depressed cartilaginous collar, crowded, ventricose, broader in front, soft, whitish, sometimes becomingdusky at the edge. The gills vary in color. This mushroom is a handsomespecies and is quite common in woods and pastures. (Edible. ) +BOLETUS EDULIS = edible. + +The Edible Boletus. + +Cap+ varies sometimes in color (our specimen was brown). It is often atawny light brown, paler at the margin, 4 to 6 inches broad, flesh whiteor yellowish, tinged with red under the cuticle. +Tubes+ convex, nearlyfree, long, +minute+, round, white, then yellow and greenish. +Stem+ 2to 6 inches long, 6 to 18 lines thick, straight or bending, subequal orbulbous, short, more or less reticulated, especially above, whitish, pale reddish or brown. Found in August. Our specimen was small, the stemonly 1½ inch long. (Edible. ) +BOLETUS SCABER = rough. + +The Scabrous-stemmed Boletus. + +Cap+ varies in color, 1 to 5 inches broad, yellowish tan color, smooth, viscid when moist, at length rivulose. Tubes free, convex, white, thendingy color, mouths of tubes very small and round. +Stem+ 3 to 5 incheslong, 3 to 8 lines thick, solid, tapering above, roughened with fibrousscales. We found two or three varieties of this Boletus, which seems togrow everywhere in great abundance, in summer and autumn, in woods andin open places. One variety was of a yellowish tan color, Var. Alutaceus, in another the flesh changed slightly to pinkish whenwounded, Var. Mutabilis (Peck). (Edible. ) +BOLETUS CASTANEUS = chestnut. + +The Chestnut Boletus. + +Cap+ a chestnut color, brown or reddish brown, 1½ to 3 inches broad, convex, nearly plane or depressed, firm, even, dry, minutely velvety(tomentose), flesh white. +Tubes+ free, short, small, white, becomingyellow. +Stem+ 1 to 2½ inches long, 3 to 5 lines thick, equal ortapering upward, even, stuffed or hollow, colored like the cap. This isone of the prettiest of the Boleti. The bright chestnut color of thepileus forms a contrast with the white tubes, and makes it striking inappearance. We found it on several occasions, as it is common in woods. There are differences of opinion in regard to its being edible. +BOLETUS CHRYSENTERON = golden. + +The Golden Flesh Boletus. + +Cap+ dark brown or reddish-brown, 1 to 3 inches broad, convex or plane, soft, covered with woolly scales, sometimes marked with lines, fleshyellow, red beneath the cuticle, often slowly changing to blue whenwounded, mouths large, angular, unequal. +Stem+ 1 to 3 inches long, 3 to6 lines thick, rigid, fibrous, striate, equal, reddish or pale yellow. This species is variable. We found one where the flesh was white, another where the tubes changed finally to green, and one that had anolive tint in the pileus. +BOLETUS ILLUDENS = deceiving. + +The Deceiving Boletus. + +Cap+ yellow or olive brown, 3 inches broad, plane, dry, marked withareoles, that is, the surface is broken up into little areas or patches. Flesh thick, white, red under cuticle. +Tubes+ greenish-yellow, turningdark green, adnato-decurrent, that is, broadly attached to the stem andrunning down it, ⅛ inch long. +Stem+ 2½ inches long, stuffed withbrownish fibres, reticulated near apex, paler color than cap, curved. +BOLETUS PACHYPUS = thick. + +The Thick-stemmed Boletus. + +Cap+ tan color, 4 to 8 inches broad, convex, somewhat covered withlong, soft hairs pressed closely to surface, subtomentose; flesh thick, whitish, changing slightly to blue. +Tubes+ rather long, depressedaround the stem, mouths round, pale yellow, at length tinged with green. +Stem+ 2 to 4 inches long, thick, firm, reticulated, at first ovate, bulbous, then lengthened, equal, tinted pale yellow and red. The stem inthe specimen was ¼ inch thick, swelling from apex downward, but it oftenmeasures 2 inches in thickness. This Boletus is considered poisonous. +BOLETUS SUBTOMENTOSUS = almost velvety. + +The Yellow-cracked Boletus. + +Cap+ dark brown, 1 to 4 inches broad, convex or nearly plane, soft, dry, covered with soft, weak, appressed hairs, almost olivaceous, of thesame color beneath the cuticle, often marked with cracks and dividedinto little patches; flesh white or pallid. +Tubes+ adnate, or depressedaround the +stem+, yellow, mouths large, angular. +Stem+ 1 to 2½inches long, 2 to 5 lines thick, stout, somewhat ribbed, or scurfy, with minute dots. The cap varies in color, it may be yellowish-brown. We found the dark brown species growing on decaying wood, in pine woods, during the month of September. +BOLETUS PIPERATUS = peppery. + +The Peppery Boletus. + +Cap+ reddish-brown or ochraceous, 1 to 3 inches broad, convex or nearlyplane, smooth, slightly viscid when moist, flesh white or yellowish, taste acrid, peppery. +Tubes+ long, large, unequal, plane or convex, adnate or nearly decurrent, reddish, ferruginous. +Stem+ 1½ to 3inches long, 2 to 4 lines thick, slender, almost equal, tawny yellow;at the base a bright yellow. The cap in our specimen was marked withcracks and patches, and the margin obtuse. The stem was rather curved, and the same color as the cap. Flesh yellow. Tubes a dark-reddish, decided color, which makes it a striking-looking mushroom. Tastepeppery. +BOLETUS SORDIDUS = dingy. + +The Dingy-colored Boletus. + +Cap+ a dingy, dark brown, about 2 inches broad, flesh white, tingedwith red. +Tubes+ long, nearly free, ⅜ inch long, white, turning a darkbluish-green. +Stem+ tapering toward apex, 2½ inches long, curved, solid, ½ inch thick, brownish, marked with darker streaks. The mouthsof tubes were angular, and the stem striate in our specimen. Found inthe woods in August. +BOLETUS SUBLUTEUS = almost, and yellow. + +The Small Yellow Boletus. + +Cap+ brownish yellow, 1½ to 3 inches broad, convex or nearly plane, viscid or glutinous when moist, often obscurely streaked (virgate). Flesh whitish or dull yellowish. +Tubes+ plane or convex, adnate, small, nearly round, yellow, becoming ochraceous. +Stem+ 1½ to 2½ incheslong, 2 to 4 lines thick, equal, slender, pale or yellowish, dottedabove and below the ring with reddish, brownish, moist, or sticky dots(glandules). +Ring+ almost soft, glutinous, at first concealing thetubes, then collapsing and forming a narrow whitish or brownish bandaround the stem. Our Boletus had a brownish ring. The cap was coveredwith a sticky, skin-like layer, called the pellicle or cuticle, bothterms having the same meaning. +BOLETUS AFFINIS = related. + +The Related Boletus. + +Cap+ reddish-brown, fading to yellow, 2 to 4 inches broad, convex aboveand almost plane, nearly smooth, flesh white. +Tubes+ plane or convex, adnate or slightly compressed around the stem, at first white andstuffed, then yellowish, turning to rusty ochraceous when wounded. +Stem+ 1½ to 3 inches long, 4 to 8 lines thick, nearly equal, even, smooth, paler than the cap. Our specimen had a few yellowish spots onthe cap, and is called Var. Maculosus. (Edible. ) +PAXILLUS LEPTOPUS = thin and a foot. + +The Thin-stemmed Paxillus. + This is the only specimen of the genus Paxillus that we have found. There is another species, P. Involutus, which Professor Peck says isedible. Stevenson says that P. Leptopus is a remarkable species, that itis distinguished from P. Involutus by having the gills simple at thebase, not united by interlacing or transverse veins (anastomosing). +Cap+ was a light brownish-yellow; it varies from 1½ to 3 inches inbreadth, eccentric or lateral, depressed in the middle, dry, coveredwith dense down, soon torn into scales, which are a dingy yellow. Fleshyellow. +Stem+ short, scarcely 1 inch, tapering downward, yellow inside. +Gills+ decurrent, tense and straight, crowded, narrow, yellowish, thendarker in color. It was growing on the ground in September. [Illustration: 1. Boletus edulis. 2. Hypholoma perplexum. 3. Marasmius rotula. 4. Calostoma cinnebarinus. ] MUSHROOMS WITH PURPLE OR VIOLET-COLORED CAP. +CORTINARIUS ALBO-VIOLACEOUS = white and violet. + +The Violet-colored Cortinarius. + +Cap+ whitish-violet, 2 to 3 inches broad, fleshy, convex, broadlyumbonate or gibbous, dry, beautifully silky and becoming even; fleshjuicy, a bluish-white color. +Stem+ 2 to 4 inches long, solid, firm, bulbous, club-shaped, ½ to 1 inch thick. It is, both outside and inside, of a whitish violet color, often fibrillose above, with the cortina, andsometimes with the white veil, in the form of a zone at the middle. +Gills+ adnate, 2 to 3 lines broad, somewhat distant, slightlyserrulated, of a peculiar ashy violaceous color, at length slightlycinnamon from the spores. It has no odor and the taste is insipid. Wefound this in the woods in the month of October, growing on dead leaves;a pretty fungus from the violet tints. DESCRIPTIONS OF SOME FAMILIAR MUSHROOMS WITHOUT REGARD TO COLOR. Here follows a list of fungi that we constantly see, but which cannot beclassified by the color of the cap. POLYPOREI, PORE-BEARING FUNGI. +FISTULINA HEPATICA = liver. + +The Beefsteak Fungus. + This species grows on trees, oaks or chestnuts, in hot weather. +Cap+ isof a dark-red color, which probably suggested the name. It is generally2 to 6 inches broad, but often grows to an immense size. The surface isrough, the flesh thick, viscid above, soft when young, when old tough, covered with tenacious fibres. +Stem+ short and thick. +Pores+ at firstpallid or yellowish-pink when young; they become brownish ochraceouswhen old. It is changeable in form, is sometimes sessile (without astem), or it has a short lateral stem. The genus Fistulina, to which this mushroom belongs, has the undersurface of the cap covered with minute hollow pores, which are separatefrom one another and stand side by side. The shape varies. It issometimes long, shaped like a tongue, or roundish. It ispeculiar-looking. It is considered good for food and nourishing, but thetaste is said to be rather acid. The specimens we found varied from 2 to5 inches in diameter. They were of a dark-red color, and were tough andold. They grew upon a tree in a large forest, and were not foundanywhere else. +POLYPORUS BETULINUS = birch. + +The Birch Polyporus. + We shall meet a great many fungi on our walks that belong to the genusPolyporus. They are generally leathery (coriaceous) fungi, and many growon wood. A few are edible, but are not recommended as food. The speciesP. Betulinus is found on living and dead birch trees. The specimens wefound grew in great quantities, of all sizes, from 1½ to 6 inchesbroad. They were at first pure white, and then assumed a brownish tinge. The edges were obtuse, the caps fleshy, then corky, smooth, the upperends not regular, oblique in the form of an umbo or little knob, thepellicles or outside layers thin and easily separated. Pores short, small, unequal, at length separating. The shape of the fungus ispeculiar, a sort of semi-circular outline that may be called dimidiate. The margins were involute. They protruded from a split in the bark ofa dead birch tree which lay prostrate on the ground, several feet inlength, and it was literally covered with the fungi, some an inchwide and snow white, and the largest 5 or 6 inches in width, and of abrownish-gray tinge. These specimens became as hard as wood after theyhad been kept for some time. The thin skin peeled off easily anddisclosed the snowy flesh beneath. +POLYPORUS PERENNIS = perennial. + +The Perennial Polyporus. + +Cap+ is cinnamon-colored, then of a date brown, leathery, tough, funnel-shaped, becoming smooth, zoned. +Pores+ minute, angular, acute, at first sprinkled with a white bloom, then naked and torn. +Stem+slightly firm, thickened downward, velvety. This is a common species, and one meets with it everywhere on the ground, and on stumps, from Julyto January. The cap is 1½ to 2 inches broad, and the stem 1 inch long. +POLYPORUS PICIPES = pitch and foot. + +The Black-stemmed Polyporus. + +Cap+ pallid color, then turning chestnut, often a pale yellowish lividcolor, with the disc chestnut, fleshy, leathery, rigid, tough, even, smooth, depressed at disc or behind. Flesh white. +Stem+ eccentric andlateral, equal, firm, at first velvety, then naked, and dotted black upto the pores. +Pores+ decurrent, round, very small, rather slender, white, then slightly pale and yellowish. This fungus grows on the trunksof trees, and is found as late as the middle of winter. +POLYPORUS SULPHUREUS = brimstone. + +The Sulphury Polyporus. + This mushroom gains its name from the color of its pores, which are of abright sulphur color. It grows in tufted layers (cæspitose), sometimes 1to 2 feet long, and it cannot be mistaken. +Cap+ may measure 8 inches inbreadth, and is of a reddish-yellow color, overlapping like the shinglesof a roof (imbricated). It is wavy and rather smooth. Flesh lightyellowish, then white, splitting open. +Pores+ are minute, even, sulphuryellow. They retain their color much better than the pileus. The plantsare generally without a stem, but there may be a short stem, which islateral. They grow in clusters, all fastened together and one above theother, and of all sizes. We saw this fungus first in a dense woods, where its bright color at once attracted our notice. It was growing in alarge cluster, closely packed one over the other. It is said to be goodfor food when young and tender. +POLYPORUS LUCIDUS = bright. + +The Shining Polyporus. + One can never mistake this fungus. Its surface looks as if covered withvarnish, rather wrinkled, a bright dark-red color, and its shape isvaried and singular. We have seen it sometimes shaped like a fan, andlike a lady’s high comb, or in some fantastic form. Stevenson says it isa light yellow color and then becomes blood red chestnut. It is firstcorky, then woody. +Stem+ lateral, equal, varnished, shining, of thesame color as cap. +Pores+ are long, very small, white and then cinnamoncolor. It grows on and about stumps during the summer. +Cap+ is from 2to 6 inches broad, and the stem 6 to 10 inches long, and 1 or morethick. +POLYPORUS VERSICOLOR = changeable. + +The Changeable Polyporus. + This species is also common. It is found on dead wood, in all forms andcolors. +Cap+ variegated with different-colored zones; leathery, thin, rigid, depressed behind, becoming velvety. +Pores+ minute, round, acuteand torn, white, turning pale or yellow. +POLYPORUS ELEGANS = elegant. + +The Elegant Polyporus. + +Cap+ 2 to 4 inches broad, of one color, pallid, ochraceous or orange, shining, equally fleshy, and then hardened, becoming woody, flattened, even, smooth. Flesh white. +Stem+ eccentric or lateral, even, smooth, pallid at first, abruptly black and rooting at the base. +Pores+ plane, minute, somewhat round, yellowish-white, pallid. The cap differs inshape from others that have been described; it is not funnel-shaped norstreaked, and is scarcely depressed, and the flesh is thick to themargin. It grows on trunks of trees from July to November. CLAVARIEI, OR CLUB-SHAPED FUNGI. We now come to another order, Clavariei, of which the first genus isClavaria, from a word meaning a club. They are fleshy fungi, notcoriaceous. They have no distinct stem and generally grow on the ground. We will mention a few of those we often see. They somewhat resemblecoral in growth but not in color. +CLAVARIA STRICTA = to draw tight. + +The Constricted Clavaria. + This Clavaria grows on trunks of trees. It is of a pale yellowish color, becoming a dusky brown (fuscous) when bruised. The base is about 3 lineslong, thick and much branched. The branches and branchlets are tense andstraight, crowded, adpressed and acute. Stevenson says that this speciesis uncommon in Great Britain. +CLAVARIA FLAVA = yellow. + +The Pale Yellow Clavaria. + Stevenson does not mention this species, so it may be peculiar to thiscountry. +Stem+ is short and stout, thick, and abruptly dissolves into adense mass of erect branches nearly parallel. The tips are yellow butfade when old. It branches below and the stems are whitish. Flesh white. It is recommended as well flavored and edible. +CLAVARIA PISTILLARIS = a pestle. + +The Large Club Clavaria. + This species belongs to the largest of the unbranched kind. It isgenerally 3 to 5 inches high, and ½ to ⅔ of an inch thick at top. Light yellow color, then reddish, and dingy brown in decay. It is smoothand the flesh soft and white. It is rounded at the top and club-shaped. It tapers downward toward the base. Stevenson gives the height from 6 to12 inches, but Professor Peck says he has not seen it as large in thiscountry. It is found in open grassy places. It was late in the autumnwhen we discovered it. (Edible. ) +CLAVARIA INEQUALIS = unequal. + +The Unequal Clavaria. + This fungus is yellow and fragile. The clubs are alike in color, simpleor forked, and variable. It is common in woods and pastures. We found itin September in the woods, rather wrinkled in appearance. It is notclassed among the edible species. +TYPHULA = reed mace. + One may sometimes see among the dead leaves in the woods, minute slenderbodies with thread-like stems, springing up from the ground, 2 to 3inches high, of a white color and cylindrical in shape. They look likeslender stems from which the blossoms have been plucked. They are calledTyphula. They grow on dead leaves, on mosses, or on dead herbaceousstems. The name is taken from the Cat Tail family, the Typhaceae, whichthey somewhat resemble in miniature. +SCHIZOPHYLLUM COMMUNE = to split, a leaf and common. + +The Common Schizophyllum. + There is but one species given by Stevenson of this genus, and, as thename demonstrates, it is common, at least in this country. In GreatBritain it is rare. It grows on dead wood and logs. It has zones, eitherof gray or white color, and it is turned up at the edge (revolute). There is no flesh, and the pileus is dry. The gills are branchedfan-wise. It is not a typical Agaric, but is more like some Polyporei. The gills are split longitudinally at the edge, and the two lipscommonly turn backward (revolute). +HIRNEOLA AURICULA JUDAE. + +The Jew’s Ear. + There is one species belonging to the order Tremellodon that is quitecommon. It is called the Jew’s ear. It is a very peculiar-lookingfungus, shaped somewhat like the human ear, of all sizes, and grows ingreat quantities in the same place. It looks as if it were composed of athick jelly, and becomes soft and tremulous when damp. Its color isdark, sometimes almost black. It is tough and cup-shaped, with ridgesacross it like an ear. The generic name, Hirneola, means a jug, and thespecific name, Auricula Judae, a Jew’s ear. GASTEROMYCETES, OR STOMACH FUNGI. +SCLERODERMA VULGARE = hard, skin, common. + +The Common Hard-skinned Mushroom. + This species closely resembles the common potato in shape and color. Itgenerally measures 2 to 3 inches across, and is of a pale brown color. It grows close on the earth, is folded toward the base, and firm intexture. The cuticle is covered with warts or scales. +CRUCIBULUM VULGARE = crucible, common. + +The Common Crucible. + This little fungus is about ¼ of an inch across. It resembles a tinybird’s-nest with eggs in it. At first it looks like a cottony knot, closely covered; its apex is closed by a membrane, then its covering isthrown off, and the apparent tiny eggs are merely smaller envelopes, called the peridiola. These are lentil-shaped and pale, and are fastenedto the inside of the covering by a long cord, which can be seen onlythrough a strong lens. +CYATHUS VERNICOSUS = varnished. + +The Varnished Cup. + This differs from the crucible in color, form and habitat. It is about ½an inch high. It is bell-shaped, becoming broadly open like a trumpet, and of a slate or ash color. The mouth and lining shine as if varnished, and hence its name. The plants grow on the ground, on wood and onleaves. +LYCOPERDON CYATHIFORME = cup-shape. + The Cup-shaped Puff-ball. + This species of puff-ball is round with a contracted base. It is 4 to 10inches across, a white or pinkish-brown color, afterward becoming adarker brown and covered with small patches. When the spores mature theupper part of the covering (peridium) becomes torn and only the lowerpart remains. It looks like a dark-colored cup with a ragged margin, andmay be seen by the excursionist in the spring on the roadside. It hassurvived the winter frosts and storms. It is split and shabby looking. In August it is a whitish puff-ball, in the spring only a torn, browncup. +LYCOPERDON PYRIFORME = pear-shape. + +The Pear-shaped Puff-ball. + This species is shaped like a pear. It is from 1 to 4 inches high and iscovered with persistent warts so small as to look like scales to thenaked eye. It is of a dingy white or brownish-yellow. Its shapeseparates it from the puff-balls, especially from the warted puff-ball, L. Gemmatum, which is nearly round with a base like a stem, an ashy-graycolor, and the surface is also warty, but unequally so, and as the wartsfall off they leave the puff-ball dotted. The pear-shaped puff-ball haslittle fibrous rootlets, and the plants grow in crowds on decayingtrees. +GEASTER HYGROMETRICUS = moisture, measure. + +The Wandering Earth Star. + This earth star is from 2 to 3½ inches wide. It is sessile, of abrownish color, and changes its form accordingly as the weather is moistor dry, hence the name. It is contracted and round in dry weather, andstar-like in damp atmosphere, with its lobes stretched out on the earth. The covering consists of three layers, the two outermost split from thetop into several acute divisions, which spread out like the points of astar. The innermost layer is round and attached by the base. There areone or more openings at the top for the escape of the spores. +PHALLUS IMPUDICUS = disgusting. + +The Fetid Wood Witch. + In the first stages the plant is white, soft and heavy, in shape andsize like a hen’s egg. It is covered by three layers, the outer onefirm, the middle one gelatinous, the third and inner one consists of athin membrane. This phallus develops under the ground until its sporesare mature. At length the apex is ruptured by the growth of the sporereceptacle, and the stem expands and elongates, escaping through thetop, and elevates the cap into the air. The stem at the early stage iscomposed of cells filled with a gluten. The stem afterward becomes openand spongy, owing to the drying of the gelatinous matter. The spores areimmersed in a strong-smelling, olive-green gluten. They are on theoutside of the cap and embedded in its ridges. A part of the volvaremains as a sheath at the base of the stem. This plant develops sorapidly as to attain in a few hours the height of seven inches, the stemis of lace-like structure, pure white, and its appearance suggests thesilicious sponge so ornamental in collections, commonly known as Venus’basket. The drooping cap is also lacey with a network, and the sporesdrip mucus and then dry up, in the meantime spreading around acarrion-like, fetid smell. The Phallus, therefore, differs greatly inappearance from the other genera of the order when it is seen aboveground, but if one is successful in finding it at an early stage, underthe surface of the earth, he will realize its relationship to thegeneral group, and find it an interesting subject of study. ASCOMYCETES, OR SPORE-SAC FUNGI. +PEZIZA AUKANTIA = golden. + +The Golden Peziza. + This species is 2 to 3 inches in diameter, its disc is bright orangecolor, while its exterior is pale and downy, owing to the presence ofshort, stout hairs. It is sessile or nearly so, and grows in tufts onthe ground near stumps of trees. At first the disc is thin and brittle, with a raised margin, much waved, becoming incised, and finally spreadsflat on the ground. +MORCHELLA ESCULENTA = food. + +The Edible or Common Morel. + This is 2 to 4 inches high, stem about ½ inch in diameter. The cap is ofa dull yellow color, olivaceous, darkening with age to a brownish tinge. It is oval-shaped, with dark hollows. +HELVELLA INFULA = name of a woollen head-dress. + +The Cap-like Helvella. + This species is named Infula, because it is supposed to resemble inshape the sacred woollen head-dress worn by priests of Rome, bysupplicants and victims, tied around the head by a ribbon or bandage, which hangs down on both sides. The stem is surmounted with a lobed cap, with two to four irregularly drooping lobes of reddish or cinnamon-browncolor, and is about 3 inches in diameter. The stem is 2 or 3 incheshigh, usually smooth, but sometimes pitted. We found our specimen in thewoods in August. [Illustration: Cortinarius distans. Photographed by C. G. Lloyd. ] DIRECTIONS FOR USING KEYS. Let us suppose that the beginner finds a mushroom and wishes to name it. He has learned its component parts. He has remarked the names of theclasses into which mushrooms are divided. How then shall he make use ofthe Keys? We will imagine that he has found a Cantharellus. The cap isyellow color, so let him turn to the list of fungi described under thesection “Yellow and Orange, ” and see if it agrees in appearance withanyone of these. (It is necessary before consulting a key to find thecolor of the spores. This is done by cutting off the cap, and placingit, gills downward, on paper, and leaving it there for two or threehours. Having followed these directions in this case it will have beenseen that the spores are white. ) After consulting the list of “Yellow and Orange” he will find that thefirst one mentioned is Cantharellus cibarius, the Chantarelle. Thedescription resembles that of the mushroom found in every particular. Now let the beginner go further, and prove the correctness of the namein another way. Turning to the section called “General Helps to theMemory, ” on page 68, and reading the names of the different genera underthe headings until he comes to the name Cantharellus, he will find it inthe table called “Mushrooms with gills running down the stems(decurrent). ” This distinction is apparent in the specimen found. Again, let him turn to the list of white-spored Agarics, page 73, and he willfind the name of the genus Cantharellus there. Now, as an additionaltest, let him turn to the key at the end of this work, the key toHymenomycetes. He must have learned enough by this time to know that hismushroom belongs to this class, namely, the one that has spores producedupon the lower part of the cap, and, also, that it is an Agaric, fromits having gills on the under side. Let him begin with Section A, “withcap. ” 1. Mushrooms with radiating gills beneath caps (Agarics). The keythen follows: 1. Plants fleshy, soon decaying. 2. Turn to number 2. There are two descriptions, juice milky and juice watery; he will choosethe second one, which is followed by the number 3. Then follows, stemcentral or nearly so; this agrees with the plant, and leads to 4. Thefirst line reads “white spores, ” which is correct; then comes 5. Thereare four lines with descriptions, the last one, “no ring and no volva, ”is right, which leads to 7. There are here two lines belonging to 7, thesecond one, “gills in the form of folds, obtuse edge, ” is correct, andpoints to 10. This reads, “Gills decurrent, plant terrestrial, Cantharellus. ” The Key gives the name of the _genus_ only. In the listof descriptions an attempt is made to mention some of the commonestspecies. These directions apply to all the keys alike. DIVISION I. Key to Hymenomycetes, Membrane Fungi. Hymenomycetes or membrane fungi are divided into two sections: Section A, with cap. Section B, without cap. Section A is divided into four classes: I. Mushrooms with radiating gills beneath caps, gill-bearing mushrooms (Agarics). II. With pores or tubes beneath caps (Polyporei). III. With spines or teeth beneath the cap or branches (Hydnei). IV. Where the spore-bearing surface beneath the cap is even, smooth, or slightly wrinkled (Thelephorei). Section B is divided into two classes: I. Plants club-shaped and simple, or bush-like and branched (Clavariei). II. Plants gelatinous and irregular (Tremellinei). SECTION A. Class I. Key to Gill-bearing Mushrooms (_Agarics_). 1. Plants fleshy, soon decaying, 2. Plants leathery, woody, persistent, 12. 2. Juice milky, white, or colored, Lactarius. Juice watery, 3. 3. Stem central, or nearly so, 4. Stem lateral, eccentric or wanting, 11. 4. Spores white, 5. Spores rosy, pink or salmon color, 15. Spores yellowish-brown, ochre color, 17. Spores dark brown, 21. Spores black, 24. 5. With volva and ring, Amanita. Volva and no ring, Amanita (sub-genus Amanitopsis). Ring and no volva, 6. No ring and no volva, 7. 6. Gills free, ring movable, pileus scaly, Lepiota. Gills adnate, pileus generally smooth, Armillaria. 7. Gills thin, edge acute, 8. Gills in the form of folds, obtuse edge, 10. 8. Gills decurrent or stem fleshy. Clitocybe. Gills sinuate, notched behind, stem fleshy, Tricholoma. Gills adnate, not decurrent, stem cartilaginous, Collybia. Stem fleshy, cap often bright color, 9. 9. Plants rigid, gills even, cap bright, Russula. Plants with waxy gills, Hygrophorus. 10. Gills decurrent, plant terrestrial, Cantharellus. 11. Spores white, Pleurotus. Spores yellowish or brown, Crepidotus. 12. Gills serrated on their edges, stem central or lateral, Lentinus. Gills entire, stem central, 13. Stem lateral or wanting, 14. 13. Gills simple, pileus dry, soon withering, then reviving when moist, Marasmius. 14. Gills deeply splitting, with weak hairs, Schizophyllum. Gills united by veins, plant corky, Lenzites. 15. Volva, no ring, Volvaria. No volva, ring present, Annularia. No volva, no ring, 16. 16. Gills free, rounded behind, cohering at first, Pluteus. Gills adnate or sinuate, stem fleshy, soft, waxy, cap fleshy, margin incurved, Entoloma. Gills decurrent, stem fleshy, Clitopilis. 17. Ring continuous, pileus with scales, Pholiota. Ring cobwebby or evanescent, not apparent in old specimens, 18. Ring wanting, 19. Stem with cartilaginous rind, 21. 18. Gills adnate, plants on the ground, Cortinarius. 19. Gills decurrent, stem fleshy, gills easily separating, Paxillus. Gills not decurrent, stem fleshy, 20. 20. Pileus fibrillose, or silky, Inocybe. Pileus smooth and sticky, Hebeloma. 21. Veil remaining attached to margin of pileus, often not seen in old specimens, Hypholoma. Veil on stem as a ring, 22. Margin of cap incurved when young, Naucoria. 22. Gills separate on the stem, Agaricus or Psalliota. Gills united with stem, Stropharia. Gills adnate or sinuate, 23. 23. Margin of pileus incurved when young, Psilocybe. Margin of pileus always straight, Psathyra. 24. Pileus of normal form, 25. 25. Pileus fleshy, membranaceous or deliquescent, 26. 26. Gills deliquescent--inky fluid, Coprinus. Gills not deliquescent--ring present, Annellaria. Gills not decurrent--ring wanting, 27. 27. Pileus striate--plants small, Psathyrella. Pileus not striate, stem fleshy, margin exceeding the gills, Panaeolus. Class II. Key to Pore-bearing Fungi (_Polyporei_). 1. Pores readily separating from cap, spores whitish or brownish, Boletus. 2. Stems strictly lateral, pores in the form of tubes, mouths are separate from each other (growing on wood), Fistulina. 3. Tubes not separable from each other, round, angular, or torn, fleshy, leathery or woody, Polyporus. (Key to species of Boleti may be found in Professor Peck’s work onBoleti. ) Class III. Key to Spine-bearing Fungi (_Hydnei_). 1. Spines awl-shaped, distinct at base, Hydnum. Spines awl-shaped, equal; plant gelatinous, tremulous, Tremellodon. Class IV. Key to Smooth Surface Fungi (_Thelephorei_). 1. Spores white, on ground, fleshy, tubiform, cap blackish, scaly, stem hollow, Craterellus Cornucopioides. 2. Coriaceous or woody, somewhat zoned, entire, definite in form, Stereum. SECTION B. Class I. Key to Clavariei. 1. Fleshy, branched or simple, without distinct stem, growing on the ground, Clavaria. 2. Growing on trunks, yellowish, becoming dark, much branched, tense and straight, C. Stricta. 3. Yellow, stuffed, clubs simple or forked, of the same color, C. Inequalis. 4. Color changeable, becoming dark, light yellow, then reddish, simple, fleshy, stuffed, obovate, clavate, obtuse, C. Pistillaris. DIVISION II. Key to Gasteromycetes and Ascomycetes. Section A. Fungi that have the spores inside the cap. (Stomach fungi orGasteromycetes. ) Section B. Fungi that have the spores in delicate sacs. (Spore sac fungior Ascomycetes. ) SECTION A. 1. Fungi covered with a hard rind, Scleroderma. 2. In which the spores when ripe turn to dust, 4. Where spores are at first closed in a cup-like sac that resembles a bird’s-nest, 3. 3. Fungi with the outside covering bowl-shaped Crucibulum, of one cottony layer, the Crucible. Outside covering tubular, trumpet-shaped, Cyathus, of 3 layers, the cup. Outside covering opening with a torn mouth, Nidularia, bird’s-nest. 4. Outer covering splitting into star-like points, Geaster, earth star. Outer covering opening by a single mouth Lycoperdon, at the top, puff-ball. Spores at first borne in an egg-like sac, Phallus, when ripe elevated on a cap at the top of stink-horn the stem, no veil, has an odious smell, fungus. SECTION B. 1. Where the sacs soon become free, no special Peziza, covering, mostly fleshy, cup-like fungi, cup fungus. Sacs opening from the first, caps pitted or furrowed, 2. 2. Cap lobed, irregular, saddle-shaped, Helvella, yellowish fungus. Cap oval or conical, upper surface with Morchella or Morel, deep pits formed by long ridges, honey-combed fungus. (The genera described under Section B. All belong to the order ofDiscomycetes, fungi that have the spore sacs collected in a flatteneddisc. ) GLOSSARY. Acute´. Gills when called acute have sharp edges or are pointed at either end. Adnate´. Spoken of gills when they are firmly attached to the stem. Adnex´. A less degree of attachment of gills than adnate. A´garic. A mushroom that bears gills. Aluta´ceous. A light leather color. Anas´tomosing. Interlacing of veins, spoken of gills that are united by cross veins or partitions. An´nulus. The ring on the stem of a mushroom, formed by the separation of the veil from the margin of the cap. A´pex. The top. The end of the stem nearest to the gills. Ap´ical. Relating to the apex. Appendic´ulate. Hanging in small fragments. Arach´noid. Like a cobweb. Ar´cuate. Shaped like a bow. Are´olate. Any surface divided into little areas or patches. Axis. Stipe or stalk. Band. A broad bar of color. Basid´ium (plural basidia). Mother cells in the hymenium. Behind. Posterior, the end of a gill next to the stem is said to be the posterior end. Bifur´cate. Two-forked. Bulbous. Spoken of the stem when it has a bulb-like swelling at the base. Cæs´pitose. Growing in tufts. Campan´ulate. Bell-shaped. Cap. The pileus. Cartilag´inous. Gristly, tough. Casta´neus. Chestnut color. Cell. A mass of protoplasm, with or without an enclosing wall. Chlorophyll. The green coloring-matter contained in plants. Cla´vate. Club-shaped. Close. Crowded together--term used in describing gills. Cohe´rent. Sticking together. Con´cave. Having a rounded inwardly curved surface. Concen´tric. With a common centre, as a series of rings, one within the other. Con´nate. Growing together from the first. Constric´ted. Contracted. Contin´uous. Without interruption. Convex. Elevated and regularly rounded. Con´volute. Covered with irregularities on the surface, like the human brain. Coria´ceous. Leathery in texture. Cor´rugated. Wrinkled. Corti´na. A veil of cobwebby texture. It gives the name to the genus Cortinarius. Cre´nate. In wavy scallops. Cu´ticle. Pellicle, a skin-like layer on the outside surface of the cap and stem. Cy´athiform. Cup-shaped. Decid´uous. Falling off when mature at the end of the season. Decur´rent. Gills that run down the stem are called decurrent. Dehis´cence. The opening of a peridium, when ripe, to discharge the spores. Deliques´cent. Turning to liquid when mature. Dichot´omous. Two-forked, regularly dividing by pairs from below upward. Dimid´iate. Divided into two equal parts, applied to gills that only reach half-way to the stem, and to the cap when it is semi-circular or nearly so. Disc. The central part of the upper surface of the cap. Distant. Gills when they are far apart. Emar´ginate. A gill which has a sudden curve in its margin close to the stem. Entire. An edge that is straight, has no notch. Ep´iphytal. Growing on the outside of another plant. Equal. A stem is equal when it is of uniform thickness, gills when they are of equal length. Eccen´tric. A stem which is not in the centre, but is attached to the cap between the margin and centre. Fascic´ulate. Growing in clusters. Ferru´ginous. Color of iron rust. Fi´brous. Composed of fibres. Fis´tulose. Tubular, hollow. Fleshy. Composed of juicy cellular tissue. Floccose. Woolly, downy. Free. Gills when not attached to the stem. Fungus (plural Fungi). A plant that has no chlorophyll, and obtains its nourishment from dead or living organic matter. Fus´cous. Dingy dark-brown, or gray color, Gelat´inous. Of the nature of jelly. Genus. A number of species that have the same principal characteristics. Gib´bous. Swollen unequally--applied to the cap. Gill. Lamella, a radiating plate under the cap of an Agaric. Gla´brous. Smooth. Glo´bose. Nearly round. Gran´ular. Consisting of or covered with grains. Grega´rions. Growing in groups. Hab´itat. Place of growth. Homoge´neous. Of like nature. Hyme´nium. The fruit-bearing surface, a continuous layer of spore mother cells. Hy´phæ (singular Hypha). Elementary threads of a fungus, cylindrical, thread-like bodies, developing by growth at the apex. Im´bricated. Overlapping like the tiles of a roof. Incras´sated. Thickened. Inferior. Applied to a ring that is far down on the stem. Infundibuliform. Funnel-shaped. Involute. Rolled inward. Labyrin´thine. Like a labyrinth. Lac´erate. Torn. Lamel´la. See gill. Line. 1/12 of an inch. Mac´ulate. Spotted. Me´dial or median. When the ring is situated in the middle of the stem. Membrana´ceous. Thin, soft, like a membrane. Mica´ceous. Covered with shining particles, like mica. Mother cell. A cell from which another is derived. Myce´lium. The vegetative part of fungi, commonly called the spawn. Mycol´ogist. One who is versed in the study of fungi. Obo´vate. Having the broad end turned toward the top. Ob´solete. Nearly imperceptible. Obtuse. Blunt. Ochra´ceous. Light brownish-yellow. Ovate. Egg-shaped. Par´asite. A plant growing on another living body, from which it gains its nourishment. Pel´licle. See cuticle. Peren´nial. Growing from year to year. Perid´ium. The outer covering of the spores in some fungi, as in puff-balls. Peridi´olum. The inside peridium containing the spores. Pi´leus. See cap. Pir´iform or pyriform. Pear-shaped. Plane. Level surface. Pores. The tubes in Polyporei. Poste´rior. Term applied to the end of the gill next to the stem. Pru´inose. Covered with a bloom or powder. Pulver´ulent. Covered with powder or dust. Putres´cent. Decaying. Rad´icating. Taking root. Retic´ulated. Marked with cross lines like a net. Rev´olute. Rolled upward or backward. Ri´mose. Cracked. Rim´ulose. Covered with small cracks. Ring. Annulus. Riv´ulose. Marked with lines like rivers in maps. Rotund´. Round. Ru´gose. Wrinkled. Sap´id. Agreeable to the taste. Sap´rophyte. A plant that lives on decaying matter. Scab´rous. Rough. Scis´sile. Easily split. Sep´arating. Spoken of gills when they easily separate from the stem. Ses´sile. Stemless. Sin´uate. Wavy, A gill that has a sudden curve near the stem. Sor´did. Dingy. Spore. The same body that answers to the seed of flowering plants. Spo´rophore. That part which bears the spores or spore mother cells. Squa´mose. Scaly. Stalk. A stipe or stem. Stel´late. Star-shaped. Stipe. See stalk. Strobil´iform. Shaped like a pine-cone. Stuffed. When a stem is filled with pith or a spongy substance. Suc´culent. Juicy, fleshy. Sul´cate. Grooved. Supe´rior. Spoken of a ring that is high up on the stem. Tes´sellated. In small squares, or checkered. To´mentose. Covered with matted wool. Tra´ma. The substance proceeding from and of like nature with the part that bears the hymenium--the framework of the gills. Trem´elloid. Jelly-like. Tu´bæform. Trumpet-shaped. Umbil´icate. Having a central depression. Um´bo. Arising or mound in the centre of the cap. Veins. Swollen wrinkles on the sides and at the base between the gills. Ven´tricose. Swelling in the middle. Ver´nicose. Varnished. Vil´lose. Covered with weak, soft hairs. Vires´cent. Greenish. Vir´gate. Streaked. Vis´cid. Sticky. Vis´cous. Gluey. Zones. Circular bands of color. INDEX TO DESCRIPTIONS OF FUNGI. GENUS. ENGLISH OR COMMON NAMES. GREEK OR PAGE. LATIN NAMES. Agaricus. The flat-capped mushroom, A. Placomyces. 104Agaricus. The common or edible mushroom, A. Campestris. 103Amanita. The death cup, A. Phalloides. 108Amanita. The fly Amanita, A. Muscaria. 89Amanita. Frost’s Amanita, A. Frostiana. 90Amanita. The poisonous Amanita, A. Virosa. 107Amanita. The shining Amanita, A. Nitida. 109Amanita. The sheathed Amanita, A. Vaginata. 101Amanita. The warted Amanita, A. Strobiliformis. 100 Boletus. The bitter Boletus, B. Felleus. 102Boletus. The bluing Boletus, B. Cyanescens. 96Boletus. The chestnut Boletus, B. Castaneus. 123Boletus. The chrome-footed Boletus, B. Chromapes. 85Boletus. The dingy Boletus, B. Sordidus. 126Boletus. The edible Boletus, B. Edulis. 121Boletus. The golden Boletus, B. Chrysenteron. 123Boletus. The granulated Boletus, B. Granulatus. 96Boletus. The gray Boletus, B. Griseus. 103Boletus. The half-golden Boletus, B. Hemichrysus. 95Boletus. Murray’s Boletus, B. Murrayi. 85Boletus. The ornate stemmed Boletus, B. Ornatipes. 119Boletus. The peppery Boletus, B. Piperatus. 126Boletus. The deceiving Boletus, B. Illudens. 124Boletus. The yellow-cracked Boletus, B. Subtomentosus. 125Boletus. The related Boletus, B. Affinis. 128Boletus. The rough Boletus, B. Scaber. 122Boletus. The short-stemmed Boletus, B. Brevipes. 120Boletus. The small yellowish Boletus, B. Subluteus. 127Boletus. The thick-stemmed Boletus, B. Pachypus. 124Boletus. The white Boletus, B. Albus. 113 Cantharellus. The Chantarelle, C. Cibarius. 88Cantharellus. The funnel-shaped Chantarelle, C. Infundibuliformis. 94Cantharellus. The golden Chantarelle, C. Aurantiacus. 94Clitocybe. The waxy Clitocybe, C. Laccata. 83Clavaria. The club-shaped Clavaria, C. Pistillaris. 138Clavaria. The constricted Clavaria, C. Stricta. 137Clavaria. The pale yellow Clavaria, C. Flava. 138Clavaria. The unequal Clavaria, C. Inequalis. 139Collybia. The oak-loving Collybia, C. Dryophila. 118Collybia. The tufted Collybia, C. Acervata. 115Coprinus. The inky Coprinus, C. Atramentarius. 105Coprinus. The glistening Coprinus, C. Micaceous. 100Cortinarius. The cinnamon-colored Cortinarius, C. Cinnamomeus. 115Cortinarius. The violet-colored Cortinarius, C. Albo violaceous. 129Cortinarius. The wrinkled Cortinarius, C. Corrugatus. 102Cortinarius. The zoned Cortinarius, C. Armillatus. 82Crucibulum. The common crucible, C. Vulgare. 141Cyathus. The varnished cup, C. Vernicosus. 142 Fistulina. The beefsteak mushroom, F. Hepatica. 131 Geaster. The wandering earth star, G. Hygrometricus. 143 Helvella. The cap-shaped Helvella, H. Infula. 146Hirneola. The Jew’s ear, H. Auricula Judae. 140Hygrophorus. The blood-red Hygrophorus, H. Puniceus. 87Hygrophorus. The scarlet color Hygrophorus, H. Coccineus. 87Hygrophorus. The vermilion Hygrophorus, H. Mineatus. 86Hypholoma. The gray-gilled mushroom, H. Capnoides. 117Hypholoma. The perplexing mushroom, H. Perplexum. 118Hypholoma. The tufted mushroom, H. Fasciculare. 89 Lactarius. The delicious Lactarius, L. Deliciosus. 92Lactarius. The colorless Lactarius, L. Ichoratus. 81Lactarius. The fleecy Lactarius, L. Vellereus. 112Lactarius. The mild Lactarius, L. Mitissimus. 82Lactarius. The orange brown Lactarius, L. Volemus. 80Lactarius. The peppery Lactarius, L. Piperatus. 111Lepiota. The smooth Lepiota, L. Naucinoides. 110Lepiota. The tall Lepiota, L. Procera. 120Lycoperdon. The cup-shaped puff-ball, L. Cyathiforme. 142Lycoperdon. The pear-shaped puff-ball, L. Pyriforme. 143 Marasmius. The fairy ring mushroom, M. Oreades. 99Morchella. The edible Morel, M. Esculenta. 146 Paxillus. The thin stemmed Paxillus, P. Leptopus. 128Peziza. The golden cup-shaped mushroom, P. Aurantia. 145Phallus. The fetid wood witch, P. Impudicus. 144Pholiota. The fat Pholiota, P. Adiposa. 97Pholiota. The showy Pholiota, P. Spectabilis. 98Pleurotus. The elm Pleurotus, P. Ulmarius. 113Pleurotus. The palatable Pleurotus, P. Sapidus. 114Pluteus. The fawn-colored Pluteus, P. Cervinus. 105Polyporus. The birch Polyporus, P. Betulinus. 132Polyporus. The black-stemmed Polyporus, P. Picipes. 134Polyporus. The changeable Polyporus, P. Versicolor. 136Polyporus. The elegant Polyporus, P. Elegans. 136Polyporus. The perennial Polyporus, P. Perennis. 133Polyporus. The sulphury Polyporus, P. Sulphureus. 134Polyporus. The shining Polyporus, P. Lucidus. 135Psathyrella. The widely-spread Psathyrella, P. Disseminata. 116 Russula. The blood-red Russula, R. Sanguinea. 78Russula. The elegant Russula, R. Lepida. 80Russula. The forked Russula, R. Furcata. 107Russula. The green Russula, R. Virescens. 106Russula. The nauseating Russula, R. Emetica. 77Russula. The rosy-stemmed Russula, R. Roseipes. 79 Schizophyllum. The common Schizophyllum, S. Commune. 140Scleroderma. The hard-skinned mushroom, S. Vulgare. 141Stropharia. The dry Stropharia, S. Siccapes. 93 Tricholoma. The canary-colored Tricholoma, T. Equestre. 91Tricholoma. The imbricated Tricholoma, T. Imbricata. 119Tricholoma. The sulphury Tricholoma, T. Sulphureum. 91Typhula. The reed mace mushroom, T. Phacorrhiza. 139 APPENDIX. A GUIDE FOR THE IDENTIFICATION AND DIFFERENTIATION OF AGARICS, COMPRISED IN FOUR TABLES, ARRANGED WITH REFERENCE TO THE COLORSOF THE SPORES, VIZ. : Table I. White spores. Table II. Red and pink spores. Table III. Ochraceous spores. Table IV. Dark purple and black spores. NOTE. In using this table the student should first ascertain the color of thespores of the specimen under investigation. This will determine theparticular table to be applied to its further examination. If, forinstance, he finds its spores to be white, he will know that Table I. Is the one to be consulted. Turning to that table, he should recall theplace of its growth, its habitat. Now, suppose it to have been foundgrowing on a stump, he will, by looking at the first column, Habitat, of Table I. , be informed that it must be one of the four genera namedin the column with the heading “On Stumps. ” Let him then examine its“gills. ” If he finds them to be “adnate, ” he will be assured that itmust be an “Armillaria, ” as no other genus is shown in the column asgrowing “on stumps” and which has gills that are adnate. But to makeassurance doubly sure, he may proceed further to discover whether thespecimen has also the ring called for in column headed “Ring. ” If ithas, and was found growing in the summer, he may feel quite safe inclassifying it as Armillaria. Sometimes the same genus will be found inmore than one column. This ought not to mislead or confuse the beginner. In Table I. , column headed “Volva, ” Amanita is mentioned, and also inthe column headed “Ring, ” but this indicates that an Amanita has boththe Volva (the universal veil) and the Ring. So in the columns headed by“Stem, ” Pleurotus is represented as having a lateral or eccentric stem, and also as having no stem. The meaning is, that some species of thegenus have no stem, while there are others in which the stem is lateralor eccentric. [Transcriber’s Note: In this e-text, empty categories have been omitted from each table. Variations in spelling and phrasing are as in the original. The complete structure, with all options included, would be: Size of plants, small. Plants deliquescent. Time of growth, summer. Autumn. Habitat In woods, in uncultivated places, on ground. In grass and fields, on ground. On other plants--epiphytal. On stumps. On wood. On manure. Gills, free. Adnate. Decurrent. Sinuous. Serrated. Distant. In folds. Volva. Veil adhering to margin of cap. Ring. Stem, cartilaginous. Lateral, or eccentric. None. Brittle. Pileus, scaly or warted. Campanulate. Silky, cracked or fibrillose. Umbonate. Umbilicate. Striate. Pileus and Gills milky. ] Table I. --White Spores. +---------------------------------------+-------------------+ | Size of plants, small. | Collybia, [1] | | | Mycena, | | | Omphalia, | | | Marasmius. | +-----------------+---------------------+-------------------+ | Time of growth, | summer. | Amanita, | | | | Collybia, | | | | Mycena, | | | | Omphalia, | | | | Lepiota, | | | | Pleurotus, | | | | Russula, [2] | | | | Lactarius. | | +---------------------+-------------------+ | | autumn. | Amanita, | | | | Clitocybe, | | | | Collybia, | | | | Mycena, | | | | Omphalia, | | | | Hygrophorus, | | | | Lepiota, | | | | Marasmius, | | | | Armillaria, | | | | Pleurotus, | | | | Tricholoma, | | | | Russula, | | | | Cantharellus, | | | | Lactarius. [3] | +---------+-------+---------------------+-------------------+ | Habitat | In woods, in uncultivated | Amanita, | | | places, on ground. | Armillaria, | | | | Tricholoma, [4] | | | | Clitocybe, | | | | Collybia, [5] | | | | Hygrophorus, | | | | Lactarius, | | | | Russula, | | | | Cantharellus. [6] | | +-----------------------------+-------------------+ | | In grass and fields, | Lepiota, | | | on ground. | Tricholoma. [7] | | +-----------------------------+-------------------+ | | On other plants--epiphytal. | Mycena, | | | | Omphalia, | | | | Marasmius, | | | | Collybia. | | +-----------------------------+-------------------+ | | On stumps. | Panus, | | | | Armillaria, | | | | Lenzites, | | | | Lentinus. | | +-----------------------------+-------------------+ | | On wood. | Trogia, | | | | Pleurotus, | | | | Schizophyllum, [8] | | | | Cantharellus. [9] | +---------+-----------------------------+-------------------+ | Gills, | free. | Amanita, | | | | Lepiota. | | +-----------------------------+-------------------+ | | adnate. | Armillaria, | | | | Clitocybe, | | | | Collybia. | | +-----------------------------+-------------------+ | | decurrent. | Omphalia, | | | | Clitocybe, | | | | Cantharellus, | | | | Hygrophorus, | | | | Lactarius. [10] | | +-----------------------------+-------------------+ | | serrated. | Lentinus. | | +-----------------------------+-------------------+ | | sinuous. | Tricholoma, | | | | Pleurotus. | | +-----------------------------+-------------------+ | | distant. | Marasmius, | | | | Clitocybe. | | +-----------------------------+-------------------+ | | in folds. | Cantharellus, | | | | Trogia. | +---------+-----------------------------+-------------------+ | Volva. | Amanita. | +---------------------------------------+-------------------+ | Veil adhering to margin of cap. | Tricholoma. | +---------------------------------------+-------------------+ | Ring. | Amanita, | | | Armillaria, | | | Lepiota. | +---------+-----------------------------+-------------------+ | Stem, | cartilaginous. | Marasmius, | | | | Mycena, | | | | Omphalia, | | | | Collybia. | | +-----------------------------+-------------------+ | | lateral, or eccentric. | Pleurotus, | | | | Panus. | | +-----------------------------+-------------------+ | | none. | Lenzites, | | | | Pleurotus, | | | | Trogia, | | | | Schizophyllum, | | | | Panus. | | +-----------------------------+-------------------+ | | brittle. | Russula. | +---------+-----------------------------+-------------------+ | Pileus, | scaly or warted. | Amanita, | | | | Lepiota. | | +-----------------------------+-------------------+ | | campanulate. | Mycena. | | +-----------------------------+-------------------+ | | silky, cracked or | Tricholoma, | | | fibrillose. | Clitocybe, | | | | Pleurotus. | | +-----------------------------+-------------------+ | | umbonate. | Mycena. | | +-----------------------------+-------------------+ | | umbilicate. | Omphalia, | | | | Lactarius. [11] | | +-----------------------------+-------------------+ | | striate. | Omphalia, | | | | Mycena. | +---------+-----------------------------+-------------------+ | Pileus and Gills milky. | Lactarius. | +---------------------------------------+-------------------+ [Footnote 1: Some small. ] [Footnote 2: In late summer. ] [Footnote 3: Generally in autumn. ] [Footnote 4: Large species. ] [Footnote 5: Few. ] [Footnote 6: Some. ] [Footnote 7: Small species. ] [Footnote 8: Sometimes on rotten wood. ] [Footnote 9: Some on rotten wood. ] [Footnote 10: Adnato decurrent. ] [Footnote 11: Becomes depressed in centre. ] Table II. --Red and Pink Spores. +---------------------------------------+-------------------+ | Size of plants, small. | Leptonia. | +-----------------+---------------------+-------------------+ | Time of growth, | summer. | Volvaria, | | | | Pluteus, | | | | Enteloma, | | | | Leptonia, | | | | Nolanea, | | | | Eccilia. | | +---------------------+-------------------+ | | autumn. | Volvaria, | | | | Pluteus, | | | | Nolanea, | +---------+-------+---------------------+-------------------+ | Habitat | In woods, in uncultivated | Volvaria, [1] | | | places, on ground. | Enteloma, | | | | Clitopilus, | | | | Leptonia, [2] | | | | Nolanea, [3] | | | | Claudopus. | | +-----------------------------+-------------------+ | | In grass and fields, | Nolanea. | | | on ground. | | | +-----------------------------+-------------------+ | | On stumps. | Pluteus. [4] | | +-----------------------------+-------------------+ | | On wood. | Volvaria, [5] | | | | Claudopus. | +---------+-----------------------------+-------------------+ | Gills, | free. | Nolanea, | | | | Pluteus, | | | | Annularia, | | | | Volvaria. | | +-----------------------------+-------------------+ | | adnate. | Nolanea, | | | | Enteloma. [6] | | +-----------------------------+-------------------+ | | decurrent. | Eccilia, | | | | Clitopilus, | | | | Claudopus. | | +-----------------------------+-------------------+ | | sinuous. | Enteloma, | | | | Claudopus. | +---------+-----------------------------+-------------------+ | Volva. | Volvaria. | +---------------------------------------+-------------------+ | Veil adhering to margin of cap. | Enteloma. | +---------------------------------------+-------------------+ | Ring. | Annularia. | +---------+-----------------------------+-------------------+ | Stem, | cartilaginous. | Nolanea, | | | | Leptonia. | | +-----------------------------+-------------------+ | | lateral, or eccentric. | Claudopus. | | +-----------------------------+-------------------+ | | none. | Claudopus. | +---------+-----------------------------+-------------------+ | Pileus, | scaly or warted. | Leptonia. | | +-----------------------------+-------------------+ | | campanulate. | Leptonia, | | | | Nolanea. | | +-----------------------------+-------------------+ | | silky, cracked or | Entoloma, | | | fibrillose. | Pluteus. [7] | | +-----------------------------+-------------------+ | | umbonate. | Pluteus. [8] | | +-----------------------------+-------------------+ | | umbilicate. | Leptonia, | | | | Eccilia. | | +-----------------------------+-------------------+ | | striate. | Nolanea. | +---------+-----------------------------+-------------------+ [Footnote 1: Damp ground. ] [Footnote 2: Dry hills. ] [Footnote 3: Wet places in woods. ] [Footnote 4. On or close to stumps. ] [Footnote 5: On rotten wood. ] [Footnote 6: Almost free. ] [Footnote 7: Often fibrillose or floccose. ] [Footnote 8: Somewhat. ] Table III. --Ochraceous Spores. +-----------------+---------------------+-------------------+ | Time of growth, | summer. | Pholiota, | | | | Inocybe, | | | | Naucoria. | | +---------------------+-------------------+ | | autumn. | Inocybe, | | | | Flammula, | | | | Pholiota, | | | | Galera, | | | | Hebeloma, | | | | Crepedotus, | | | | Naucoria, | | | | Cortinarius. | +---------+-------+---------------------+-------------------+ | Habitat | In woods, in uncultivated | Inocybe, | | | places, on ground. | Pholiota, [1] | | | | Hebeloma, | | | | Flammula, | | | | Paxillus, | | | | Cortinarius, | | | | Naucoria, | | | | Galera. | | +-----------------------------+-------------------+ | | In grass and fields, | Cortinarius. | | | on ground. | | | +-----------------------------+-------------------+ | | On other plants--epiphytal. | Naucoria. | | +-----------------------------+-------------------+ | | On stumps. | Pholiota, | | | | Paxillus. | | +-----------------------------+-------------------+ | | On wood. | Claudopus, | | | | Flammula, | | | | Crepidotus, | | | | Naucoria. | +---------+-----------------------------+-------------------+ | Gills, | free. | Naucoria. | | +-----------------------------+-------------------+ | | adnate. | Naucoria, | | | | Pholiota, [2] | | | | Flammula, | | | | Cortinarius, | | | | Hebeloma. | | +-----------------------------+-------------------+ | | decurrent. | Flammula, | | | | Paxillus. | | +-----------------------------+-------------------+ | | sinuous. | Hebeloma. | +---------+-----------------------------+-------------------+ | Veil adhering to margin of cap. | Hebeloma, | | | Cortinarius, | | | Inocybe. | +---------------------------------------+-------------------+ | Ring. | Pholiota, | | | Cortinarius. [3] | +---------+-----------------------------+-------------------+ | Stem, | cartilaginous. | Tubaria, | | | | Naucoria, | | | | Galera. | | +-----------------------------+-------------------+ | | lateral, or excentric. | Crepidotus. | | +-----------------------------+-------------------+ | | none. | Crepidotus. | +---------+-----------------------------+-------------------+ | Pileus, | scaly or warted. | Flammula, | | | | Inocybe. | | +-----------------------------+-------------------+ | | campanulate. | Galera, | | | | Pluteolus. | | +-----------------------------+-------------------+ | | silky, cracked or | Inocybe. | | | fibrillose. | | | +-----------------------------+-------------------+ | | umbonate. | Inocybe. | | +-----------------------------+-------------------+ | | striate. | Pluteolus, | | | | Galera. | +---------+-----------------------------+-------------------+ [Footnote 1: Damp ground. ] [Footnote 2: Somewhat free. ] [Footnote 3: Some with rings. ] Table IV. --Dark Purple and Black Spores. +---------------------------------------+-------------------+ | Size of plants, small. | Psathyrella. | +---------------------------------------+-------------------+ | Plants deliquescent. | Coprinus, | | | Bolbitius. | +-----------------+---------------------+-------------------+ | Time of growth, | summer. | Coprinus, | | | | Stropharia, | | | | Panaeolus. | | +---------------------+-------------------+ | | autumn. | Coprinus, | | | | Psaliota, | | | | Panaeolus, | | | | Hypholoma. | +---------+-------+---------------------+-------------------+ | Habitat | In woods, in uncultivated | Stropharia, | | | places, on ground. | Psathyra. | | +-----------------------------+-------------------+ | | In grass and fields, | Psaliota. | | | on ground. | | | +-----------------------------+-------------------+ | | On other plants--epiphytal. | Stropharia. | | +-----------------------------+-------------------+ | | On stumps. | Hypholoma, | | | | Psathyra. | | +-----------------------------+-------------------+ | | On wood. | Psathyra, [1] | | | | Hypholoma. | | +-----------------------------+-------------------+ | | On manure. | Stropharia, | | | | Panaeolus, | | | | Psathyrella, | | | | Coprinus, | | | | Bolbitius. | +---------+-----------------------------+-------------------+ | Gills, | free. | Chetonia, | | | | Psalliota, | | | | Psathyrella, | | | | Coprinus, | | | | Bolbitius. | | +-----------------------------+-------------------+ | | adnate. | Stropharia, | | | | Hypholoma, | | | | Psathyrella. | | +-----------------------------+-------------------+ | | decurrent. | Gomphidius. | | +-----------------------------+-------------------+ | | sinuous. | Hypholoma. | +---------+-----------------------------+-------------------+ | Veil adhering to margin. | Hypholoma. | +---------------------------------------+-------------------+ | Ring. | Stropharia | | | Psalliota, | | | Gomphidius. [2] | +---------+-----------------------------+-------------------+ | Stem, | cartilaginous. | Psathyra, | | | | Psilocybe. | +---------+-----------------------------+-------------------+ | Pileus, | campanulate. | Psathyra, | | | | Psathyrella, [3] | | | | Coprinus, | | | | Gomphidius. [4] | | +-----------------------------+-------------------+ | | striate. | Psathyra, | | | | Psathyrella. | +---------+-----------------------------+-------------------+ [Footnote 1: On rotten wood. ] [Footnote 2: A floccose ring. ] [Footnote 3: At first, adpressed to stem. ] [Footnote 4: Top shaped. ]