Chapter 12

A.Cuticle Viscid. Neither Scaly nor Warty.

L. delica´taFr.—delicatus, delicate. Up to 1½ in. across, reddish, becoming yellowish toward margin. Flesh well proportioned to cap,convex, obscurely umbonate, glabrous, slightly viscid.Stem1½-2 in. long, very thin, but covered with dense downy scales, equal, lighter than cap.Ringusually entire, membranaceous, fluffy from scales.Gillsfree, crowded, ventricose, white.

Haddonfield, N.J., January, 1896–97, in hot-houses.McIlvaine.

A delicate, delicious Lepiota. Though small, it is meaty. Its appearance in hot-houses (it is found in woods) insures a crop at a time of year when other species are not plentiful, and when anything edible in the toadstool line is most welcome to their lovers.

L. lenticula´risLasch.—lenticula, a lentil.Pileusat first globose, then convex, even, naked, pinkish-tan color.Fleshthick, spongy, white.Gillsclose to stem, but free from it, ventricose, crowded, whitish.Stem4–6 in. high, thick, equal or swollen at base, solid but spongy, more or less covered with scales; above the ring it is frequently covered with drops of water more or less green, which leave spots when they dry.Veilsuperior and very large.

Pileus3–4 in. across.Stem4–6 in. long, ½ in. and more thick. In damp woods.

Redman’s Woods, Haddonfield, N.J. September, 1894.McIlvaine.

This species is included in Amanita by Fries and Stevenson. Massee places it in Lepiota. In the dozen or more specimens I have found, there was no trace of a volva, even when very young. I tested it carefully and at one time ate three good-sized caps without experiencing any indications of poison. I have seen it during but one season and not then (at one time) in sufficient quantity to make a meal off it. Cooked it has a slight cheesy flavor which is pleasant.

L. illi´nitaFr.—illino, to smear over.Pileusrather thin, soft, at first ovate, then campanulate or expanded, subumbonate, smooth, white, very viscid or glutinous, even or striate on the margin.Gillsclose, free, white.Stemequal or slightly tapering upward, stuffed or hollow, viscid, white.Sporesbroadly elliptical, 5×4µ broad.

Plant2–4 in. high.Pileus1–2.5 in. broad.Stem2–3 lines thick.

Thin or open woods. Adirondack mountains. July to September.

This is a smooth white species with the stem and pileus clothed with a clear viscid or glutinous veil. The margin of the pileus is often even, but the typical form of the species has it striate. The flesh is soft andwhite. The species may be distinguished from the viscid white species of Hygrophorus by the free, not adnate nor decurrent lamellæ.Peck, 35th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Springton and Mt. Gretna, Pa., 1887–1897.McIlvaine.

Not yet found by me in quantity. Several specimens eaten were of good flavor.

L. rugulo´saPk.Pileusthin, submembranaceous, broadly convex or nearly plane, umbonate, rugulose, widely striate on the margin, whitish.Lamellæthin, narrow, close, free, whitish.Stemshort, equal, slightly silky, whitish, the annulus thin, persistent, white.Sporeselliptic, 7.5µ long, 4µ broad.

Pileus12–20 mm. broad.Stemabout 2.5 cm. long, 2 mm. thick.

Moist grassy places under trees. Washington, D.C. July.Mrs. E.M. Williams.Perhaps in the fresh state the pileus is not as distinctly rugulose as when dry.Peck, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club, Vol. 27, January, 1900.

Armilla, a ring.

(Plate XVII.)Armillaria mellea.

(Plate XVII.)

Armillaria mellea.

PileusandStemcontinuous.Veilpartial, sometimes only indicated by the scales which clothe the stem terminating in the form of a ring.Sporeswhite. On the ground or on stumps.

In the young plant the veil extends from the stem to the pileus, sometimes forming scaly patches upon it; below the ring it is attached to the stem often in scales.

But for the presence of the ring the species of this genus could be distributed in Tricholoma, Clitocybe and Collybia, with which they agree in all other characters.

In Amanita and Lepiota, the other ringed genera of the white-spored series, the flesh of the stem and pileus is not continuous; and their stems are therefore easily separated. Amanita is also distinguished by its volva.

ANALYSIS OF TRIBES.

Tricholomata.Page52.

Gills sinuately adnexed, stem fleshy, ring often evanescent. (Like Tricholoma.)

Clitocybæ.Page55.

Gills not sinuate, more or less decurrent, narrowed behind; ring permanent. (Resembling Clitocybe.)

Collyblæ.Page58.

Gills adnate, equal behind; stem somewhat cartilaginous outside; ring permanent. (Resembling Collybia.)

Grouped by F.D. Briscoe—Studies by C. McIlvaine and Val Starnes.Plate XVI.Fig.Page.Fig.Page.1. Armillaria mellea,553–4. Lentinus lepideus,2302. Armillaria mellea var. exannulata,56

Grouped by F.D. Briscoe—Studies by C. McIlvaine and Val Starnes.Plate XVI.

I.—Tricholomata.Gills sinuately adnexed, etc.

A. robus´taA. and S.—robustus, robust, sturdy. Substance of entire plant compact.Pileus2–3 in. across, varying in shades of gray andbrown, scaly, fibrillose on margin, decreasing toward center or smooth, convex or top-shaped and margin involute at first, expanding.Fleshfirm, very thick.Gillsbroad, emarginate, nearly free, crowded, whitish, up to ½ in. broad.Veillarge, membranaceous, sometimes floccose, remaining adherent to the stem.Stem1–2 in. long, obese, solid, tapering at the base, brownish-white and fibrillose below veil, white and flocculose above, flesh of stem continuous with that of the cap.

Stevenson gives var.minorwith even cap with both gills and ring very narrow.

Sporesovoid-spherical. 7µ.Q.

Edible,Curtis; District Columbia,Mrs. M. Fuller.

In mixed woods. Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New Jersey,McIlvaine.

The substance of A. robusta differs from all other Armillaria in being very compact. It is not acrid but has a marked flavor. Cut into small pieces and well cooked it makes an acceptable dish. It is best in croquettes and patties, or served with meats.

A. viscid´ipesPk.—viscidus, sticky;pes, a foot.Pileusfleshy, compact, convex or nearly plane, glabrous, whitish with a slight yellowish or reddish-yellow tint.Fleshwhite, odor peculiar, penetrating, sub-alkaline.Gillsnarrow, crowded, sinuate or subdecurrent, whitish.Stemequal, solid, viscid and slightly tinged with yellow below the narrow membranous ring, whitish above.Sporeselliptical, 8×5µ.

Pileus3–6 in. broad.Stem3–4 in. long, 6–12 lines thick.

In mixed woods. Rock City, Dutchess county. October.

It is a large fine fungus, easily known by its white and yellowish hues, its crowded gills, viscid stem and peculiar penetrating almost alkaline odor. The cuticle of the pileus is thin and soft to the touch, but it sometimes cracks longitudinally and is sometimes slightly adorned with innate fibrils. A. dehiscens is said to have a viscid stem, but it is also squamose and the pileus is yellowish-ochraceous.Peck, 44th Rep N.Y. State Bot.

Quite common in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.McIlvaine.

It loses its strong odor when cooked and is equal to other Armillaria in edibility. Unless well cooked it has a slight saponaceous flavor. This is easily overcome by a few drops of lemon juice or sherry.

A. appendicula´taPk.—bearing an appendicula or small appendage.Pileusbroadly convex, glabrous, whitish, often tinged with rust color or brownish rust color on the disk.Fleshwhite or whitish.Gillsclose, rounded behind, whitish.Stemequal or slightly tapering upward, solid, bulbous, whitish, the veil either membranous or webby, white, commonly adhering in fragments to the margin of the pileus.Sporessubelliptical, 8×5µ.

Pileus2–4 in. broad.Stem1.5–3.5 in. long; 5–10 lines thick.

Auburn, Ala. October.C.F. Baker.

The general appearance of this species is suggestive of Tricholoma album, but the presence of a veil separates it from that fungus and places it in the genus Armillaria. The veil, however, is often slightly lacerated or webby and adherent to the margin of the pileus.Peck, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club, Vol. 24.

Mt. Gretna, Pa., Angora, Pa. On decaying roots in ground. August to November. Found plentifully in resorts of other Armillaria. Edibility the same.McIlvaine.

A. pondero´saPk.—ponderosus, weighty, ponderous.Pileusthick, compact, convex or subcampanulate, smooth, white or yellowish, the naked margin strongly involute beneath the slightly viscid, persistent veil.Gillscrowded, narrow, slightly emarginate, white inclining to cream color.Stemstout, subequal, firm, solid, coated by the veil, colored like the pileus, white and furfuraceous above the ring.Fleshwhite.Sporesnearly globose, 4µ in diameter.

Plant4–6 in. high.Pileus4–6 in. broad.Stemabout 1 in. thick.

Ground in woods. Copake, Columbia county. October.

The veil for a long time conceals the gills, and finally becomes lacerated and adheres in shreds or fragments to the stem and margin of the pileus.Peck, 26th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

New England,Frost; New York,Peck, Repts. 26, 29, 41. West Virginia and Pennsylvania. Ground in woods. September to November.McIlvaine.

Professor Peck says in 26th Report: “This species has not been found since its discovery in 1872.”

Where the Armillaria mellea frequents I have often found A. ponderosa. It was plentiful at Mt. Gretna, Pa., in September, 1898.Young specimens are quite as edible as A. mellea, and rather more juicy.

II.—Clitocybæ.Gills not sinuate, etc.

A. mel´leaVahl.—melleus, of the color of honey. (PlateXVI, fig. 1, p. 52.)Pileusadorned with minute tufts of brown or blackish hairs, sometimes glabrous, even or when old slightly striate on the margin.Gillsadnate or slightly decurrent, white or whitish, becoming sordid with age and sometimes variegated with reddish-brown spots.Stemringed, at length brownish toward the base.Sporeselliptical, white, 8–10µ long.Peck, 48th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Spores9×5–6µW.G.S.; 10×8µB.; 8–10µPeck.

The A. mellea is unusually prolific and is common over the United States and Europe. Specimens may be found in the spring-time, but in middle latitudes it is common from August until after light frosts. It is usually in tufts, some of which contain scores of plants and are showy over ground filled with roots, or on stumps or boles of decaying trees. It frequents dense woods and open clearings. I have seen acres of dense woodland at Mt. Gretna, Pa., so covered with it and its varieties that but few square yards were unoccupied.

A description of the typical A. mellea will rarely apply to any one plant. A combination of its variable features in one description would include something of nearly every white-spored Agaric under the sun. Yet there is something indescribable about it which once learned will unerringly betray it.

ItsCapsvary from perfectly smooth, through tufts of scales and hairs, more or less dense, to matted woolliness. It may show any one of these conditions in youth and be bald in age. Some shade of yellow is the prevailing color, but this will vary from whitish to dark-purplish or reddish-brown. When water-soaked it is one color, when dry, another. Commonly the margins of theCapsare striated, sometimes they are smooth as a cymbal, and not unlike one, have a raised place or umbo in the center.Fleshwhite or whitish.Gillswhen young are white or creamy, usually running down the stem, sometimes slightly notched at attachment. They freckle in age and lose their fair complexion. TheVeilor collar about the stem is as variable as fashion—thick and closely woven or flimsy as gossamer, or vanishing as the plant grows old. TheStemsmay be even as a lead pencil, or swollen like a pen-holder, or bulbous toward the base, or distorted by pressure in the tufts. It is as variable in color as the cap, usually darkening downward in hues of brown. The outside is firm and fibrous, sometimes furrowed, inside soft or hollow.

Cap1–6 in. across.Stem1–6 in. long, ¼-¾ in. thick.

Var.obscu´rahas the cap covered with numerous small blackish scales.

Var.fla´vahas the cap yellow or reddish-yellow, but in other respects it is like the type.

Var.gla´brahas the cap smooth, otherwise like the type.

Var.radica´tahas a tapering, root-like prolongation of the stem, which penetrates the earth deeply.

Var.bulbo´sahas a distinctly bulbous base to the stem, and in this respect is the reverse of var. radicata.

Professor Peck writes: “Var.exannulata(PlateXVI, fig. 2, p. 52) has the cap smooth and even on the margin, and the stem tapering at the base. The annulus is very slight and evanescent or wholly wanting. The cap is usually about an inch broad, or a little more, and the plants grow in clusters, which sometimes contain forty or fifty individuals. It is more common farther south than it is in our state (N.Y.), and is reported to be the most common form in Maryland. This I call var. exannulata.” FromDr. Taylor, Washington, D.C.; Indiana,H.I. Miller.

To these may be added also var.al´bidaPk. in which the pileus is white or whitish.

A variety, perhaps a variation of var. bulbosa was sent to me by E. B. Sterling, Trenton, N.J., and afterward found by myself at Mt. Gretna, Pa. TheCappurplish-brown, convex, striate and light on margin, edge irregular with parts of veil attached.Fleshwhite, very thin.Gillsdecurrent, arcuate, pinkish-gray.Stemstuffed, fibrous, white above, dense floccose veil, same color as cap below, swollen toward base which is pointed, sulcate, white inside, closely clustered and some of the stems distinctly bulbous.Tastedecidedly unpleasant. An intense acridity develops and increases when the juices of raw pieces are swallowed, and the salivary glands are much excited. The acridity is not lost in cooking. It simply can not be eaten. Specimens were sent by me to Professor Peck who referred it to A. mellea.

I have never seen the abortive form of Clitopilus abortivus, thoughfound in many places and in great quantity, showing any part or trace of the original plant. But that a similar monstrosity occurs upon A. mellea is shown by individuals and parts of individuals of a cluster being aborted. Without such positive proof, no one would suspect either of these odd formations to be abortive of either C. abortivus or A. mellea, or any other fungus. I consider the abortive form of A. mellea far superior in substance and flavor to it or any of its varieties.

The Armillaria can not be ranked among the tender or high-flavored toadstools, yet their abundance, meaty caps and nourishing qualities place them among our most valuable food species.

The caps when chopped into small pieces make good patties and croquettes. They have an impressive flavor of their own, and offer an esculent medium for seasoning and the gravies of various meats.

A. nardos´miaEllis—nardosmius, of the odor of nardus. (A name applied by the ancients to several plants, especiallyspica nardi—spikenard.)Pileusfleshy, firm, thick and compact on the disk, thin toward the margin, whitish, variegated with brown spots, with a thick, tough and separable cuticle.Fleshwhite.Gillscrowded, subventricose, slightly emarginate, whitish.Stemsolid, fibrous, not bulbous, sheathed below by the brown velvety veil, the ring narrow, spreading, uneven on the edge.Sporessubglobose, 6µ in diameter.

Pileusabout 3 in. broad.Stem1.5–3 in. long, 4–6 lines thick.

Ground in woods, Suffolk county. September.Peck, 43d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Several specimens from sandy grounds in pine woods, Haddonfield, N.J., were sent by me to Professor Peck and were identified by him. Plentiful at Mt. Gretna, Pa., September to frost, 1898. In mixed woods, on gravelly ground. Eaten in quantity by several persons.McIlvaine.

Cuticle of caps when dry breaking up into brownish, squamulose scales, margin involute.Gillssubdecurrent.Veilthick, persistent.Stemshort, subbulbous, solid.Fleshwhite. Very much resembles a short-stemmed Lepiota. Smell and taste strong, like almonds. Disappears in cooking.

III.—Collybiæ.Gills adnate, stem somewhat cartilaginous.

A. mu´cidaSchrad.—mucidus, slimy.Pileuscommonly shining white, thin, almost transparent, hemispherical then expanded, obtuse, more or less radiato-wrinkled, smeared over with a thick tenacious gluten; margin striate when thinner.Stem1½-3 in. long, 1–2 lines thick at the apex, thickened at the base, stuffed, thin, rigid, curved ascending, smooth, white, but sooty scaly at the base when most perfectly developed.Ringinserted at the apex of the stem, bent downward and glued close to the stem, furrowed, the white border again erect, with a swollen and entire margin, which sometimes becomes dingy brown.Gillsrounded behind, obtuse, adhering to the stem and striato-decurrent, distant, broad, lax, mucid, always shining white.

Very variable in stature, from 1 in. (when of this size the stem is almost equal) to as much as 6 in. broad. The color of the pileus varies gray, fuliginous, olivaceous. The gills sometimes become yellow, but only from disease. Sometimes solitary, sometimes a few are joined in a cespitose manner at the base.Stevenson.

Sporeselliptical, 15–16×8–9µMassee; 17×14µW.G.S.

North Carolina,Schweinitz,Curtis; Pennsylvania,Schweinitz; Maryland,Miss Banning.

West Virginia mountains, 1882, Haddonfield, N.J., 1891–94, on beech trees and roots.McIlvaine.

Commonly considered esculent in Europe.

Dirt adheres so tenaciously to it that it is difficult to clean. This, however, occurs only when the fungus grows from roots and pushes its way up through covering earth. When growing from trees it is attractive and of good quality.

Should be chopped fine and well cooked.

Gr.—a hair, a fringe.

(Plate XIX.)Section of tricholoma.

(Plate XIX.)

Section of tricholoma.

Pileussymmetrical, generally fleshy, never truly umbilicate, seldom umbonate.Veilabsent or appearing only as fibrils or down on the margin of the pileus.Gillssinuate (the small sudden curve near the stem always apparent in the young plant), sometimes with a slightly decurrent tooth.Stemcentral, usually stout, fleshy-fibrous, without a bark-like skin.Fleshcontinuous with that of the pileus.RingandVolvaabsent.Sporeswhite or dingy.

But one is known to be poisonous. Some are acrid or unpleasant in flavor. With one exception all grow on the ground in pastures and woods, appearing from May to late in the autumn.

Gills generally white or dingy, frequently spotted or stained. The pileus may be smooth or adorned with fibrous or downy scales, dry, moist, viscid or water-soaked.

The distinguishing feature of Tricholoma is the sinuate gills. In Collybia the stem bears a distinct bark-like skin; in Clitocybe the gills are never sinuate; species of Pleurotus are distinguished by growing on wood only, and Paxillus by their strongly-incurved margin and anastomosing gills.

In cooking Tricholoma consistency must be the guide to plan and time. The tougher varieties require to be cut into small pieces and to be well cooked, while the brittle and delicate varieties will cook quickly. Many of them make excellent soups.

ANALYSIS OF TRIBES.

A.Pileus Viscid, Fibrillose, Scaly Or Downy, Not Water-Soaked.

Stem fibrillose from the remains of the adnate universal veil.

Limacina(limas, a slug or snail, slimy). Page61.

Cuticle of pileus viscid when moist, innately fibrillose or scaly, but not lacerated; flesh of pileus thick, firm; margin almost naked.

*Gills not discolored, nor becoming reddish.

**Gills discolored, usually spotted with reddish-brown.

Genuina.Page67.

Cuticle of the pileus never moist or viscid; torn into downy or floccose scales. Flesh soft, not water-soaked; margin involute and slightly downy at first.

*Gills not changing color, nor spotted with red or black.

**Gills becoming reddish or gray, the edge at last generally with reddish or black spots.

Rigida(rigeo, to be stiff). Page74.

Pileus rigid, hard, somewhat cartilaginous when fleshy, very fragile when thin, cuticle rigid, granulated or broken up when dry into smooth scales, not torn into fibrils. Young specimens occur which are fibrillose from the veil, not from laceration of the cuticle.

*Gills white or pallid, not becoming spotted with red or gray.

**Gills becoming reddish, grayish or spotted.

Sericella(sericeus, silky). Page74.

Pileus first slightly silky, soon becoming smooth, very dry, neither moist, viscid, water-soaked, nor distinctly scaly; rather thin, opaque, absorbing moisture, but is the same color as the gills. Stem fibrous, by which the smaller species resembling Collybia may be distinguished.

*Gills broad, rather thick, somewhat distant.

**:sericella2 Gills narrow, thin, crowded.

B. Pileus Even, Smooth, Not Downy Nor Scaly, Not Viscid.

In rainy weather moist; when very young pruinose (but rarely conspicuously) from the universal veil. Flesh soft and spongy or very thin when it is water-soaked.

Guttata(gutta, a drop). Page76.

Pileus fleshy, soft, fragile, marked with drop-like spots or rivulose. Appearing in spring, rarely in autumn.

Cespitose, in troops or often in rings.

*Gills whitish.

**Gills becoming reddish or smoky-gray.

Grouped by F.D. Briscoe—Studies by C. McIlvaine.Plate XVIII.Fig.Page.Fig.Page.1–2.Tricholoma personatum,795.Tricholoma columbetta,683.Tricholoma russula,656.Tricholoma humile,814.Tricholoma terreum,71

Grouped by F.D. Briscoe—Studies by C. McIlvaine.Plate XVIII.

Spongiosa(spongia, a sponge). Page78.

Pileus compact, then spongy, obtuse, even, smooth, moist but not hygrophanous; firm, growing in troops late in the autumn. Stem stout, base usually thickened, spongy fibrous. Gills at length decurrent but sinuate, by which character they are distinguished from Clitocybe.

*Gills not discolored.

**Gills discolored.

Hygrophana(Gr., wet; to appear). Page80.

Pileus thin, somewhat umbonate; flesh at length soft, watery. Stem rootless, containing a pith, entirely fibrous.

Flesh not exceeding in depth the width of the not broad, thin gills; thinnest toward the margin, hence somewhat umbonate. Color of the pileus either moist or dry, very variable in the same species. Pileus sometimes pulverulent from the persistence of the veil in dry weather.

*Gills whitish, not spotted.

** Gills more or less violet, gray or smoky. Not represented.

Series A.

Pileus Viscid or Fibrillose, Downy Or Scaly.

I.—Lima´cina.Viscous when moist.

*Gills not becoming discolored, nor becoming reddish.

T. eques´treLinn.—equestre, belonging to a horseman or knight, from distinguished appearance.Pileusfleshy, compact, convex becoming expanded, obtuse, pale-yellowish, more or less reddish tinged, the disk and central scales often darker, the margin naked, often wavy.Fleshwhite or tinged with yellow.Gillsrounded behind, close, nearly free,sulphur-yellow.Stemstout, solid, pale-yellow or white, white within.Spores6.5–8×4–5µ.

Pileus3–5 in. broad.Stem1–2 in. long, 6–10 lines thick.

Pine woods, especially in sandy soil. Albany county. September to November.

This is a noble species but not plentiful in our state (N.Y.). The pileus is said to become greenish very late in the season. The stem, in the typical form, is described as sulphur-yellow in color, but with us it is more often white. The scales of the disk are sometimes wanting. In our plant the taste is slightly farinaceous at first, but it is soon unpleasant.

Var.pinastretiA. and S. is a slender form having a thin, even pileus, thinner and more narrow gills and a more slender stem. A. crassus Scop., A. aureus Schaeff., and A. flavovirens Pers. are recorded as synonyms of this species.Peck, 44th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Professor Peck later says in “Mushrooms and Their Use,” p. 52: “I confidently add it to the list of edible species.”

New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. In pine forests and groves. September to frost.McIlvaine.

I have eaten it since 1883. All disagreeable odor about T. equestre (which I have seldom noticed) disappears upon cooking. The substance is rather tough, but good.

T. coryphæ´umFr.—chief, leader. From its distinguished appearance.Pileusvery fleshy but not compact, convex then plane, obtuse, viscid, yellowish, streaked with small brownish scales.Stemsolid, attenuated upward.Gillsemarginate, crowded, white, edge yellow.

Large and of striking appearance. In shady beech woods.

Pronounced a good edible by the Boston Myc. Club.

The color of the plants is given as greenish-yellow. Bull. Boston Myc. Club, 1896.

T. ustaleFr.—uro, to burn.Pileusfleshy, convex, then plane, obtuse, even, smooth, viscid, bay-brownish.Stemstuffed, equal, dry, rufo-fibrillose, apex naked, silky, nearly smooth.Gillsemarginate, crowded, white, at length with reddish spots.Cooke.

Chiefly in pine woods.

Pileus3 in.Stem2–3 in. long, about ½ in. thick.

Spores5×8µW.G.S.; 7–8×5µMassee.

North Carolina,Curtis, pine woods,Schweinitz; Kansas,Cragin. Massachusetts. Edible. Boston Myc. Club, Bull. No. 5.

T. resplen´densFr.—shining brightly.Pileusfleshy, convex then nearly plane, even, bare,viscid, white, sometimes hyaline-spotted or yellowish on the disk, shining when dry, themargin straight.Fleshwhite, taste mild, odor pleasant.Gillsnearly free when young, then emarginate, somewhat crowded, rather thick, entire, white.Stemsolid, bare, subbulbous, even, dry, white.Spores8×4µ.

Pileus2–4 in. broad.Stem2–3 in. long, 4–8 lines thick.

Thin woods. Catskill mountains. September.Peck, 44th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Mt. Gretna, Pa., in mixed woods. October and November.McIlvaine.

It is of excellent flavor, consistency and food value.

T. transmu´tansPk.—changing.Pileusconvex,nearly bare, viscid when moist, brownish, reddish-brown or tawny-red, usually paler on the margin.Fleshwhite, taste and odor farinaceous.Gillsnarrow, close, sometimes branched, whitish or pale yellowish, becoming dingy or reddish-spotted when old.Stemequal or slightly tapering upward,bareor slightly silky-fibrillose, stuffed or hollow, whitish, often marked with reddish stains or becoming reddish-brown toward the base, white within.Sporessubglobose, 5µ.

Pileus2–4 in. broad.Stem3–4 in. long, 3–6 lines thick.

Woods. The plants are often cespitose.

I suspect that Agaricus frumentaceus of Curtis’s catalogue belongs to this species. Both the pileus and stem, as well as the gills, are apt to assume darker hues with age or in drying, and this character suggested the specific name. The species is classed as edible.Peck, 44th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Curtis catalogues T. frumentaceum as edible.

T. transmutans is reported from many states. It has a mealy taste and odor. Wherever it is found it is a valuable food species.

T. sejunc´tumSow.—separated; from the peculiar manner in which the gills separate from the stem.Pileusfleshy, convex then expanded, umbonate, slightly viscid,streaked with innate brown or blackish fibrils, whitish or yellowish, sometimes greenish-yellow.Fleshwhite, fragile.Gillsbroad, subdistant, rounded behind or emarginate, white.Stemsolid, stout, often irregular, white.Sporessubglobose, 6.5µ.

Pileus1–3 in. broad.Stem1–3 in. long, 4–8 lines thick.

Mixed woods. Suffolk county, N.Y. September.

The plants referred to this species are not uncommon on Long Island, growing on sandy soil in woods of oak and pine. They are usually more or less irregular and the pileus becomes fragile. It is quite variable in color, sometimes approaching a smoky-brown hue, again being nearly white. The taste of the typical form is said to be bitter, but the flavor of our plant is scarcely bitter. In other respects, however, it agrees well with the description of the species.Peck, 44th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Spores6µ.W.G.S.

Flesh is tender. Cooked, of good body and peculiar but pleasant flavor. A valuable species, baked, scalloped, fried.

T. terri´ferumPk.—terra, earth;fero, to bear.Pileusbroadly convex or nearly plane, irregular, often wavy on the margin, glabrous, viscid,pale-yellow, generally soiled with adhering particles of earth carried up in its growth.Fleshwhite, with no decided odor.Gillsthin, crowded, slightly adnexed, white, not spotted or changeable.Stemequal, short, solid, white,floccose-squamulose at the apex.Sporesminute, subglobose, 3µ.

Pileus3–4 in. broad.Stem1–1.5 in. long, 6–8 lines thick.

Woods. Catskill mountains. September.Peck, 44th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Found in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey. August to frost.McIlvaine.

Not inviting, hard to clean, nevertheless edible and good.

T. portento´sumFr.—portentosus, strange, monstrous.Pileus3–5 in. broad,sooty, livid, sometimes violaceous, fleshy, but thin in comparison with the stoutness of the stem, convexo-plane, somewhat umbonate, unequal and turned up, viscid,streaked with black lines(innate fibrils), but otherwise even and smooth, the very thin margin naked.Fleshnot compact, white, fragile.Stemcommonly 3 in. often 4–6 in. long, 1 in. thick, stout,solid, the whole remarkably fibrous-fleshy, somewhat equal,naked, butfibrilloso-striate, white; the base, which is occasionally attenuato-rooted, villous.Gillsrounded, almost free, 3–4 lines to as much as 1 in. broad,distant, white, but varying, becoming pale-gray or yellow.Fries.

Spores4–5×4µK.; 5×4µW.G.S

West Virginia, 1882; New Jersey, Pennsylvania, in woods and open places. May to November.McIlvaine.

It is one of the first toadstools I experimented upon. I have been constant to it. Its caps fried in butter are unsurpassed.

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