Figure 150.Figure 150.—Russula virescens. Two-thirds natural size. Caps pale-green. Gills white.
Figure 150.—Russula virescens. Two-thirds natural size. Caps pale-green. Gills white.
Virescens, being green. The Pileus is grayish-green; at first globose, then expanded, convex, at last depressed at the center; firm, adorned with flaky greenish or yellow patches, produced by the cracking of the skin; two to four inches broad, margin striate, often white.
The gills are white, moderately close, free or nearly so, narrow as they approach the stem, some being forked, others not; very brittle, breaking to pieces at the slightest touch.
The stem is shorter than the diameter of the cap, smooth, white, and solid or spongy. The spores are white, rough, and nearly globose.
This plant is especially sweet and nutty to the taste when young and unwilted. All Russulas should be eaten when fresh. I have found the plant over the state quite generally. It is a prime favorite with the squirrels. You will often find them half eaten by these little nibblers. Found in open woods from July to September. It is one of the best mushrooms to eat and one that is very easily identified. It is quite common about Chillicothe, Ohio. Its mouldy color is not as prepossessing as the brighter hues of many far less delicious fungi, but it stands the test of use.
Variable Russula. Edible.
Pileus is firm, convex becoming centrally depressed or somewhat funnel-form, viscid, even on the thin margin, reddish-purple, often variegated with green, pea-green sometimes varied with purple, flesh white, taste acrid or tardily acrid.
The gills are thin, narrow, close, often forked, tapering toward each end, adnate or slightly decurrent, white.
The stem is equal or nearly so, solid, sometimes cavernous, white. The spores are white, subglobose, .0003 to .0004 of an inch long, .0003 broad.Peck, Rep. State Bot., 1905.
This plant grows in open beech woods, rather damp, and appears in July and August. The caps are often dark purple, often tinged with red, and sometimes the caps contains shades of green. I found the plants plentifully in Woodland Park, near Newtonville, Ohio, in July, 1907. We ate them on several occasions and found them very good. The greenish margin and purplish center will mark the plant.
The Entire Russula. Edible.
Integra, whole or entire. The pileus is three or four inches in diameter, fleshy; typically red, but changing color; expanded, depressed, with a viscid cuticle, growing pale. Margin thin, furrowed and tuberculate. Flesh white, sometimes yellowish above.
The stem is at first short and conical, then club-shaped or ventricose, sometimes three inches long and up to one inch thick; spongy, stuffed, commonly striate; even, and shining white.
The gills are somewhat free, very broad, sometimes three-fourths of an inch; equal or bifid at the stem, rather distant and connected by veins; pallid or white, at length light yellow, being powdered yellow with the spores.
Although the taste is mild it is often astringent. One of the most changeable of all species, especially in the color of the pileus, which, though typically red, is often found inclining to azure-blue, bay-brown, olivaceous, etc. It occasionally happens that the gills are sterile and remain white.Fries.
The spores are spheroid, spiny, pale ochraceous.
R. integra so closely resembles R. alutacea that to distinguish them requires a knowledge of both plants, and even then one may not feel quite sure; however, it matters little as they are equally good. Its powdery gills will help to distinguish R. integra from R. alutacea. Found from July to October.
The Rosy-Stemmed Russula. Edible.
Figure 151.Figure 151.—Russula roseipes. Natural size.
Figure 151.—Russula roseipes. Natural size.
Roseipes is fromrosa, a rose;pes, a foot; so called because of its rose-colored or pinkish stem.
The pileus is two to three inches broad, convex, becoming nearly plane, or slightly depressed; at first viscid, soon dry, becoming slightly striate on the margin;rosy-red variously modified by pink, orange or ochraceous hues, sometimes becoming paler with age; taste mild.
The gills are moderately close, nearly entire, rounded behind and slightly adnexed, ventricose, whitish becoming yellow.
The stem is one to three inches long, slightly tapering upward, stuffed or somewhat cavernous, white tinged with red. The spores are yellow, round.Peck, 51 R.
This plant is widely distributed from Maine to the West. It grows best in pine and hemlock woods, but sometimes found in mixed woods. It is found in July and August.
The Tender Russula.
Figure 152.Figure 152.—Russula fragilis.
Figure 152.—Russula fragilis.
Fragilis means fragile.
The pileus is rather small, flesh-color or red, or reddish; thin, fleshy only at the disk; at first convex and often umbonate, then plane, depressed; cuticle thin, becoming pale, viscid in wet weather, margin tuberculate-striate.
The gills are thin, ventricose, white, slightly adnexed, equal, crowded, sometimes slightly eroded at the edge. The spores are minutelyechinulate, 8–10×8µ.
The stem is stuffed, hollow, shining white.
Quite as acrid as R. emetica, which it resembles in many ways, especially the smaller plants. It can be distinguished by its thinner caps, thinner and crowded gills, more ventricose and often slightly eroded at the edge. It is generally classed among poisonous mushrooms; but Captain Charles McIlvaine in his book says: "Though one of the peppery kind, I have not, after fifteen years of eating it, had reason to question its edibility." I should advise caution. Eat of it sparingly till sure of its effects. Found in woods from July to October.
The Emetic Russula.
Figure 153.Figure 153.—Russula emetica. Two-thirds natural size. Caps rose-red to yellow-red. Gills white.
Figure 153.—Russula emetica. Two-thirds natural size. Caps rose-red to yellow-red. Gills white.
Emetica means making sick, inciting to vomit. The pileus is fleshy, quite viscid, expanded, polished, shining, oval, or bell-shaped when young; its color is very variable from rose-red to a yellow-red or even purple; margin furrowed, flesh white.
The gills are free, equal, broad, distant, white. The spores are round, 8µ.
The stem is stout, solid, though sometimes spongy stuffed, even, white or reddish. The spores are white, round, and spiny.
This species is recognized by its very acrid taste and free gills. A distinct channel will be seen between the gills and the stem. This very pretty mushroomis quite common in most parts of Ohio. I found it in abundance about Salem, Bowling Green, Sidney, and Chillicothe—all in this state.
Captain McIlvaine states that he has repeatedly eaten it and cites a number of others who ate it without bad results, although weight of authority would band it a reprobate. I am glad to report something in its favor, for it is a beautiful plant, yet I should advise caution in its use.
It is found in open woods or in pastures under trees, from July to October. Its viscid cap will distinguish it.
The Forked Gilled Russula. Edible.
Figure 154.Figure 154.—Russula furcata. Two-thirds natural size. Caps greenish-umber to reddish.
Figure 154.—Russula furcata. Two-thirds natural size. Caps greenish-umber to reddish.
Furca, a fork, so called from the forking of the gills. This is not peculiar, however, to this species. The pileus is two to three inches broad; greenish, usually greenish-umber, sometimes reddish; fleshy; compact; nearly round, then expanded, depressed in the center; even; smooth; often sprinkled with a silky luster, pellicle separable, margin at first inflexed, then expanded, always even, sometimes turned upward. The flesh is firm, white, dry, somewhat cheesy.
The gills are adnate or slightly decurrent, somewhat crowded, broad, narrowed at both ends, many forked, shining white. The spores, 7–8×9µ.
The stem is two to three inches long, solid, white, rather firm, even, equal or tapering downward. The spores are round and spiny.
I have found it frequently on the wooded hillsides of the state. The taste when raw is mild at first, but soon develops a slight bitterness which, however, is lost in cooking. Fried in butter they are excellent. July to October.
The Red Russula.
Figure 155.Figure 155.—Russula rubra. Two-thirds natural size. Caps bright-vermilion. Gills forked and tinged with red.
Figure 155.—Russula rubra. Two-thirds natural size. Caps bright-vermilion. Gills forked and tinged with red.
Rubra means red, so called from the cap being concolorous, bright vermillion; showy, becoming pale with age, center of the cap usually darker; compact, hard, fragile, convex, expanded, somewhat depressed, dry, no pellicle, often cracked when old. The flesh is white, often reddish under the cuticle.
The gills are adnate, rather crowded, white at first, then yellowish, many forked and with some short ones intermixed, frequently tinged with red at the edge. Spores 8–10µ, cystidia pointed.
The stem is two to three inches long, solid, even, white, often with a faint reddish hue. The spores are nearly round and white.
It is very acrid to the taste, and because of this acridity it is usually thought to be poisonous, but Captain McIlvaine says he does not hesitate to cook it either by itself or with other Russulæ. It is found very generally in the state and is quite plentiful in the woods about Chillicothe, from July to October.
The Purple Russula. Edible.
Figure 156.Figure 156.—Russula purpurina. Two-thirds natural size. Caps rosy-pink to light-yellow. Gills yellowish in age.
Figure 156.—Russula purpurina. Two-thirds natural size. Caps rosy-pink to light-yellow. Gills yellowish in age.
Purpurina means purple. The pileus is fleshy, margin acute, subglobose, then plane, at length depressed in the center, slightly viscid in wet weather, not striate, often split, pellicle separable, rosy-pink, paling to light-yellow.
Gills are crowded in youth, afterward subdistant, white, in age yellowish, reaching the stem, not greatly narrowed behind, almost equal, not forked.
The stem is stuffed, spongy, very variable, cylindrical, attenuated above,rosy-pink, becoming paler toward the base, color obscure in age. The flesh is fragile, white, reddish under the skin; odor slight and taste mild. The spores white, globose, sometimes subelliptical, 4–8µ long, minutely warted.Peck, 42 Rept., N. Y. State Bot.
This is not a large plant, but it can be readily determined by its red or reddish stem, mild taste and white spores. Found in open woods in July and August.
Figure 157.Figure 157.—Russula densifolia. Two-thirds natural size. Caps whitish, becoming fuliginous gray. Flesh turning red when exposed to the air.
Figure 157.—Russula densifolia. Two-thirds natural size. Caps whitish, becoming fuliginous gray. Flesh turning red when exposed to the air.
Densifolia has reference to the crowded condition of the gills.
The pileus is from three to four inches broad, fleshy, quite compact, convex, expanded, then depressed, margin inflexed, smooth, not striate, white or whitish, becoming fuliginous, gray, or brownish, quite black in center, flesh red when broken.
The gills are attached to the stem, somewhat decurrent, unequal, thin, crowded, white or whitish, with a rosy tint. Spores, 7–8µ.
The stem is short, slightly mealy, white, then gray, at length blackish, smooth, round, turning red or brown on being handled.
It differs fromR. nigricansin being much smaller, and in its crowded gills. It differs fromR. adustain flesh turning red when broken. The flesh or substance is white at first, turning red when exposed to the air, then blackish. This plant is not abundant in this state. I found a number of plants on Cemetery Hill, where some shale had been dumped under a large beech tree. Found in July and August.
Cantharellus means a diminutive drinking-cup or vase. This genus can be distinguished from all other genera by the character of its gills which are quite blunt on the edge, like folds, polished, and are mostly forked or branched. In some species the gills vary in thickness and number. They are decurrent, folded, more or less thick and swollen. The spores are white. They grow on the ground, on rotten wood, and among moss. They seem to delight in damp shady places.
The Edible Cantharellus.
Figure 158.Plate XXII. Figure 158.—Cantharellus cibarius.Natural size. Entire plant egg-yellow.
Plate XXII. Figure 158.—Cantharellus cibarius.Natural size. Entire plant egg-yellow.
Cibarius means pertaining to food. This plant is frequently spoken of as the Chanterelle. The entire plant is a rich egg-yellow. The pileus is fleshy, at first convex, later flat, three to five inches broad, depressed in the center, finally funnel-shaped; bright to deep yellow; firm, smooth, but often irregular, its margin often wavy; flesh white, the cap has the appearance of an inverted cone.
The gills are decurrent, shallow and fluted, resembling swollen veins, branched, more or less interconnected and tapering downward on the stem, color the same as the pileus.
The stem is solid, variable in length, often curved, tapering towards the base, paler than the pileus and gills.
It grows in woods and rather open places. I found it in great abundance in Stanley's woods, near Damascus, Ohio. I have found it very often about Chillicothe. The plant has a strong prune-like odor; when tasted raw they are peppery and pungent but sweet and quite delicious when cooked. My friends and myself have eaten it and pronounced very good. The plants in Figure 158 were gathered near Columbus, Ohio, and photographed by Dr. Kellerman.
The species is quite common in the state, and is found from June to September.
False Chantarelle.
Figure 159.Photo by C. G. Lloyd.Figure 159.—Cantharellus aurantiacus. One-third natural size. Caps orange-yellow. Gills yellow and forked.
Photo by C. G. Lloyd.
Figure 159.—Cantharellus aurantiacus. One-third natural size. Caps orange-yellow. Gills yellow and forked.
Aurantiacus means orange-yellow. The pileus is fleshy, soft, depressed, downy, the margin strongly incurved when young, in mature plants it is wavy or lobed; color dull yellowish, usually brownish.
The gills are crowded, straight, dark-orange, branched, with a regular bifurcation.
The stem is lighter in color than the pileus, solid at first, spongy, stuffed, hollow, unequal, tapering upward, and somewhat curved.
It is generally labeled poisonous, but some good authorities say it is wholesome. I have never eaten it further than in its raw state. It is easily distinguished from the edible species by its dull orange cap and its orange gills, which are thinner and closer and more regularly forked than those of the Edible Chantarelle. It grows in woods and open places. Found from July to September.
The Woolly Cantharellus. Edible.
Figure 160.Photo by C. G. Lloyd.Plate XXIII. Figure 160.—Cantharellus floccosus.
Photo by C. G. Lloyd.
Plate XXIII. Figure 160.—Cantharellus floccosus.
Floccosus means floccose or woolly.
The pileus at the top is from one to two inches broad, fleshy, elongated funnel-form or trumpet-shape, floccose-squamose, ochraceous-yellow.
The gills are vein-like, close, much anastomosing above, long decurrent and subparallel below, concolorous.
The stem is very short, thick, rather deeply rooted. The spores are elliptical, 12.5–15×7.6µ.Peck, 23 Rep., N. Y.
This plant is funnel-shaped nearly to the base of the stem. It is a small plant, never more than four inches high. I found it in Haynes's Hollow, in rather open woods, on mossy hillsides. July and August.
The Short-Stemmed Cantharellus. Edible.
Brevipes is frombrevis, short;pes, foot; so called because of its short stem.
The pileus is fleshy, obconic, glabrous, alutaceous, or dingy cream-color, the thin margin erect, often irregular and lobed, tinged with lilac in the young plant; folds numerous, nearly straight in the margin, abundantly anastomosing below; pale umber, tinged with lilac.
The stem is short, tomentose-pubescent, ash-colored, solid, often tapering downward. Spores yellowish, oblong-elliptical, uninucleate, 10–12×5µ.Peck, 33d Rep., N. Y.
The plant is small; with us, not more than three inches high and the pileus not more than two inches broad at the top. It differs somewhat in color, in the character of the folds, and materially in the shape of the margin of the pileus. Found occasionally on the hillsides of Huntington Township, near Chillicothe, July to August.
The Cinnabar Cantharellus. Edible.
Figure 161.Figure 161.—Cantharellus cinnabarinus. Cap and stem cinnibar-red, flesh white. Natural size.
Figure 161.—Cantharellus cinnabarinus. Cap and stem cinnibar-red, flesh white. Natural size.
Cinnabarinus means cinnabar-red, from the color of the plant.
The pileus is firm, convex, or slightly depressed in the center, often irregular with wavy or lobed margin; glabrous, cinnabar-red, flesh white.
The gills are narrow, distant, branched, decurrent, of the same color as the cap, dull on the edge.
The stem is equal or tapering downward, glabrous, solid, sometimes stuffed, cinnabar-red.
The spores are elliptical, 8–10µ long, 4–5µ broad.
No one will have any difficulty in identifying this plant, since its color suggests the name at once. It is quite common about Chillicothe and throughout the state. It is found frequently with Craterellus cantharellus. It is a very pretty plant, growing in open woods or along the roadside in woods. It will keep for some time after it is gathered. It is found from July to October.
Funnel-Shaped Cantharellus.
Infundibuliformis means shaped like a funnel.
The pileus is one to two and a half inches broad, somewhat membranaceous, umbilicate, then infundibuliform, usually perforated at the base, and opening into the cavity of the stem, floccosely rugose on the surface, yellowish-gray or smoky when moist, pale when dry, becoming wavy.
The gills are decurrent, thick, distant, regularly forked, straight, yellow or cenereous, at length pruinose.
The stem is two to three inches long, hollow, even, smooth, always yellow, slightly thickened at the base. The spores are elliptical, smooth, 9–10×6µ.
They grow on the ground, especially where wood has decayed and become a part of the ground. They also grow on decayed wood. They are found from July to October.
Nyctalis is from a Greek word meaning night.
Pileus symmetrical, in some species bearing large conidia upon its surface.
The gills are adnate or decurrent, thick, soft, margin obtuse.
The stem is central, its substance continuous with the flesh of the pileus. The spores are colorless, smooth, elliptical or globose.Fries.
Figure 162.Photo by C. G. Lloyd.Figure 162.—Nyctalis asterophora.
Photo by C. G. Lloyd.
Figure 162.—Nyctalis asterophora.
Asterophora means star-bearing.
The pileus is about one-half inch broad, fleshy; conical, then hemispherical; flocculose and rather mealy, owing to the large, stellate conidia; whitish, then tinged with fawn-color.
The gills are adnate, distant, narrow, somewhat forked, straight, dingy.
The stem is about one-half inch long, slender, twisted, stuffed, white then brownish, rather mealy. The spores are elliptical, smooth, 3×2µ.Fries, Hym.
I found, about the last of August, these plants growing on decaying specimens of Russula nigricans, along Ralston's Run, near Chillicothe.
Hygrophorus is from two Greek words meaning bearing moisture. So called because the members of this genus may be known from their moist caps and the waxy nature of the gills, which distinguish them from all others. As in thePleurotus, the gills of some of the species are rounded or notched at the end next to the stem, but of others they are decurrent on it; hence, in some species they are like the gills of Tricholoma in their attachment, in others they run down on the stem as in the Clitocybe. In many of them both cap and stem are very viscid, a characteristic not found in the Clitocybes; and the gills are generally thicker and much farther apart than in that genus. A number of the species are beautifully colored.
The Pasture Hygrophorus. Edible.
Figure 163.Plate XXIV. Figure 163.—Hygrophorus pratensis.
Plate XXIV. Figure 163.—Hygrophorus pratensis.
Pratensis, from pratum, a meadow. The pileus is one to two inches broad; when young almost hemispherical, then convex, turbinate or nearly flat, the center more or less convex, as if umbonate; margin often cracked, frequently contracted or lobed; white or various shades of yellow, buffish-reddish, or brownish. Flesh white, thick in the center, thin at the margin. The stem is stuffed, attenuated downwards. The gills are thick, distant, white or yellowish, bow-shaped, decurrent, and connected by vein-like folds. Spores are white, broadly elliptical, .00024 to .00028 inch long.
The pasture hygrophorus is a small but rather stout-appearing mushroom. It grows on the ground in pastures, waste places, clearings, and thin woods, from July to September. Sometimes all white or gray.
Var. cinereus, Fr. Pileus and gills gray. The stem whitish and slender.
Var. pallidus, B. & Br. Pileus depressed, edge wavy, entirely pale ochre.
This species differs mainly from H. leporinus in that the latter is quite floccose on the pileus.
Shining White Hygrophorus. Edible.
Figure 164.Photo by C. G. Lloyd.Figure 164.—Hygrophorus eburneus.
Photo by C. G. Lloyd.
Figure 164.—Hygrophorus eburneus.
Eburneus is fromebur, ivory. The pileus is two to four inches broad, sometimes thin, sometimes somewhat compact, white; very viscid or glutinous in wet weather, and slippery to the touch; margin uneven, sometimes wavy; smooth, and shining. When young, the margin is incurved.
The gills are firm, distant, straight, strongly decurrent, with vein-like elevations near the stem. The spores are white, rather long.
The stem is unequal, sometimes long and sometimes short; stuffed, then hollow, tapering downward, punctate above with granular scales. Odor and taste are rather pleasant. It is found in woods and pastures in all parts of Ohio, but it is not plentiful anywhere. I have found it only in damp woods about Chillicothe. August to October.
Cossus, because it smells like the caterpillar, Cossus ligniperda.
The pileus is small, quite viscid, shining when dry, white with a yellow tinge, edge naked, very strong-scented.
The gills are somewhat decurrent, thin, distant, straight, firm.
The stem is stuffed, nearly equal, scurvy-punctate upwards. Spores 8×4. Found in the woods. The strong smell will serve to identify the species.
The Greenish-yellow Hygrophorus.
Chlorophanus is from two Greek words, meaning appearing greenish-yellow.
The pileus is one inch broad, commonly bright sulphur-yellow, sometimes scarlet-tinted, not changing color; slightly membranaceous, very fragile, often irregular, with the margin split or lobed, at first convex, then expanded; smooth, viscid, margin striate.
The gills are emarginate, adnexed, quite ventricose, with a thin decurrent tooth, thin, subdistant, distinct, pale-yellow.
The stem is two to three inches long, hollow, equal, round, viscid when moist, shining when dry, wholly unicolorous, rich light-yellow.
The spores are slightly elliptical, 8×5µ.
This species resembles in appearance H. ceraceus, but it can be identified by its emarginate gills and somewhat larger form. The plant has a wide distribution, having been found from the New England States through the Middle West. It is found in damp, mossy places from August to October. I have no doubt of its edibility. It has a mild and agreeable taste when eaten in the raw state.
Figure 165.Figure 165.—Hygrophorus cantharellus. Natural size. Caps bright red.
Figure 165.—Hygrophorus cantharellus. Natural size. Caps bright red.
Cantharellus means a small vase.
The pileus is thin, convex, at length umbilicate, or centrally depressed, minutely squamulose, moist, bright red, becoming orange or yellow.
The gills are distant, subarcuate, decurrent, yellow, sometimes tinged with vermilion.
The stem is one to three inches long, smooth, equal, sub-solid, sometimes becoming hollow, concolorous, whitish within.Peck.
I have found about Chillicothe a number of the varieties given by Dr. Peck.
Var. flava. Pileus and stem pale yellow. Gills arcuate, strongly decurrent.
Var. flavipes. Pileus red or reddish. Stem yellow.
Var. flaviceps. Pileus yellow. Stem reddish or red.
Var. rosea. Has the pileus expanded and margin wavy scalloped.
Found from July to September.
The Scarlet Hygrophorus. Edible.
Coccineus, pertaining to scarlet. The pileus is thin, convex, obtuse, viscid, scarlet, growing pale, smooth, fragile.
The gills are attached to the stem, with a decurrent tooth, connected by veins, variously shaded.
The stem is hollow and compressed, rather even, not slippery, scarlet near the cap, yellow at the base.
This plant when young is of a bright scarlet, but it soon shades into a light-yellow with advancing age. It is quite fragile and varies very greatly in size in different localities. Found in woods and pastures from July to October.
The Conical Hygrophorus. Edible.
Figure 166.Figure 166.—Hygrophorus conicus.
Figure 166.—Hygrophorus conicus.
The pileus is one to two inches broad, acutely conical, submembranaceous, smooth, somewhat lobed, at length expanded, and rimose; turning black, as does the whole plant when broken or bruised; orange, yellow, scarlet, brown, dusky.
The gills are free or adnexed, thick, attenuated, ventricose, yellowish with frequently a cinereous tinge, wavy, rather crowded.
The stem is three to four inches long, hollow, cylindrical, fibrillose, striated, colored like the pileus, turning black when handled.
This plant is quite fragile. It can be identified by its turning black when bruised. It sometimes appears early in the spring and continues till late in the fall. It is not abundant but is only occasionally found on the ground in woods and open places.
Yellow-disked Hygrophorus. Edible.
Figure 167.Figure 167.—Hygrophorus flavodiscus. Natural size. The gluten is shown connecting the margin of the cap to their stem.
Figure 167.—Hygrophorus flavodiscus. Natural size. The gluten is shown connecting the margin of the cap to their stem.
Flavodiscus means yellow-disked.
The pileus is one-half to three inches broad, fleshy, convex or nearly plane, glabrous, very viscid or glutinous, white, pale-yellow or reddish-yellow in the center, flesh white.
The gills are adnate or decurrent, subdistant, white, sometimes with a slight flesh-colored tint, the interspaces sometimes venose.
The stem is one to three inches long, solid, subequal, very viscid, or glutinous, white at the top, white or yellowish elsewhere. The spores are elliptical, white, .00025 to .0003 of an inch long, .00016 to .0002 broad.
These mushrooms make a delicious dish. The specimens in the photograph were gathered at West Gloucester, Mass., by Mrs. E. B. Blackford, of Boston. I have found them about Chillicothe. They are very viscid, as the plants in Figure 167 will show. The caps are thick and the margin inrolled. They are found in October and November.
Showy Hygrophorus. Edible.
Figure 168.Figure 168.—Hygrophorus speciosus.
Figure 168.—Hygrophorus speciosus.
Speciosus means beautiful, showy; so called from the scarlet color of the umbo. The pileus is one to two inches in diameter, broadly convex, often with small central umbo; glabrous, very viscid or glutinous when moist; yellow, usually bright red or scarlet in the center; flesh white, yellow under the thin, separable pellicle.
The gills are distant, decurrent, white, or slightly tinged with yellow.
The stem is two to four inches long, nearly equal, solid, viscid, slightly fibrillose, whitish or yellowish. The spores are elliptic, .0003 of an inch long, .0002 broad.Peck.
This is a very beautiful and showy plant. It grows in swampy places and under tamarack trees. The specimens in Figure 168 were found in Massachusetts by Mrs. Blackford, and were photographed by Dr. Kellerman. It is found in September and August.
Sooty Hygrophorus. Edible.
Figure 169.Figure 169.—Hygrophorus fuligineus. Natural size. Specimen on the right is H. caprinus.
Figure 169.—Hygrophorus fuligineus. Natural size. Specimen on the right is H. caprinus.
Fuligineus means sooty or smoky.
The pileus is one to four inches broad, convex or nearly plane, glabrous, very viscid or glutinous, grayish-brown or fuliginous, the disk often darker or almost black.
The gills are subdistant, adnate or decurrent, white.
The stem is two to four inches long, solid, viscid or glutinous, white or whitish. The spores are elliptic, .0003 to .00035 of an inch long, .0002 broad.Peck, No. 4, Vol. 3.
This species is found frequently associated with H. flavodiscus, which it resembles very closely, save in color. When moist, the cap and stems are covered with a thick coating of gluten, and when the caps are dry this gives them a varnished appearance. I do not find them abundant here. The plants in Figure 169 were found by Mrs. Blackford near West Gloucester, Mass. They are found October and November.
The Goat Hygrophorus. Edible.
Caprinus means belonging to a goat; it is so called from the fibrils resembling goat's hair.
The pileus is two to three inches broad, fleshy, fragile, conical, then flattened and umbonate, rather wavy, sooty, fibrillose.
The gills are very broad, quite distant, deeply decurrent, white, then glaucous.
The stem is two to four inches long, solid, fibrillose, sooty, often streaked or striate, as will be seen in Figure 169, page 212.
The spores are 10×7–8µ.
These plants grow in pine woods in company with H. fuligineus and H. flavodiscus. The specimen on the right in Figure 169 was found near West Gloucester, Mass., by Mrs. Blackford. It is found from September till hard frost.
Figure 170.Figure 170.—Hygrophorus Lauræ.
Figure 170.—Hygrophorus Lauræ.
This is a beautiful plant, found among leaves, and so completely covered with particles of leaves and soil that it is hard to clean them off. They are very viscid, both stem and cap. They are only occasionally found in our state.
The pileus is two to three inches broad; reddish-brown in the center, shading to a very light tan on the edges; very viscid; convex; margin at first slightly incurved, then expanded.
The gills are adnate, slightly decurrent, not crowded, unequal, yellowish.
The stem is stuffed, tapering downward, whitish, furfuraceous near the cap.
I have found this plant in Poke Hollow, near Chillicothe, on several occasions, also in Gallia county, Ohio. I have not found it elsewhere in this vicinity. While I have not found it in sufficient quantity to try it I have no doubt of its edible qualities. I have found it only about the last of September and the first of October. It grows in rather dense woods on the north sides of the hills, where it is constantly shaded and damp. Named in honor of Prof. Morgan's wife.
Short-stemmed Hygrophorus. Edible.
Micropus means short-stemmed. The pileus is thin, fragile, convex or centrally depressed, umbilicate; silky, gray, often with one or two narrow zones on the margin; taste and odor farinaceous.
The gills are narrow, close, adnate or slightly decurrent, gray, becoming salmon color with age.
The stem is short, solid or with a slight cavity, often slightly thickened at the top, pruinose, gray, with a white, mycelioid tomentum at the base. The spores are angular, uninucleate, salmon color, .0003–.0004 of an inch long, .00025–.0003 broad.Peck.
This is a very small plant and not frequently found, but widely distributed. I have always found it in open grassy places during damp weather. The caps are thin, often markedly depressed. Its silky appearance and narrow zones on the margin of the cap, together with its rather close gills, broadly attached to the stem, gray at first, then salmon color, will identify the species. July to September.
The Vermilion Hygrophorus. Edible.
Figure 171.Figure 171.—Hygrophorus miniatus. Cap and stems vermilion-red. Gills yellowish and tinged with bright-red.
Figure 171.—Hygrophorus miniatus. Cap and stems vermilion-red. Gills yellowish and tinged with bright-red.
Miniatus is from minium, red lead.
This is a small but a very common species, highly colored and very attractive. The pileus and the stem are bright red and often vermilion. The pileus is at first convex, but, when fully expanded, it is nearly or quite flat, and in wet weather it is even concave by the elevation of the margin, smooth or minutely scaly, often umbilicate. Its color varies from a bright red or vermilion or blood-red to pale orange hues.
The gills are yellow and frequently strongly tinged with red, distant, attached to the stem, and sometimes notched.
The stem is usually short and slender, colored like, or a little paler, than the cap; solid, when young, but becoming stuffed or hollow with age. The spores are elliptical, white, 8µ long.
The Vermilion mushroom grows in woods and in open fields. It is more plentiful in wet weather. It seems to grow best where chestnut logs have decayed. It can be found in such places in sufficient quantities to eat. Few mushrooms are more tender or have a more delicate flavor. There are two other species having red caps, Hygrophorus coccineus and H. puniceus, but both are edible and no harm could come from any mistake. They are found from June to October. Those in Figure 171 were found in Poke Hollow September 29.