Studies of American Fungi. Mushrooms, Edible, Poisonous, etc. Part 11

[Ill.u.s.tration: PLATE 37, FIGURE 110.--Pleurotus dryinus, form corticatus. Entire plant white, scales cream or buff in age sometimes.

The ruptured veil shows in the small plant below (natural size).

Copyright.]

The =pileus= is nearly regular, fleshy, thin toward the margin, convex, umbonate, smooth or with a few small scales. The =gills= are rather crowded, broad, rounded or notched at the stem, pale yellow. The =spores= are elliptical, 7--9 5--6 . The =stem= is ascending and curved, nearly or quite central in some specimens in its attachment to the pileus, whitish or yellowish, mealy or slightly tomentose at the apex.

Figure 111 is from plants (No. 2953, C. U. herbarium) on rotting log, Ithaca Flats, October, 1898.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 111.--Pleurotus sulfureoides. Entire plant dull or pale yellow (natural size). Copyright.]

=Pleurotus petaloides= Bull. =Edible.=--The petal-like agaric is so called from the fancied resemblance of the plant to the petal of a flower. The plant usually grows in a nearly upright or more or less ascending position, or when it grows from the side of a trunk it is somewhat shelving. It is somewhat spathulate in form, i. e., broad at the free end and tapering downward into the short stem in a wedge-shaped manner, and varies from 2--10 cm. long and 1--5 cm. in breadth. It grows on fallen branches or trunks, on stumps, and often apparently from the ground, but in reality from underground roots or buried portions of decayed stumps, etc.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 112.--Pleurotus petaloides. Color pale reddish brown or brown, sometimes entirely white; gills white (natural size).

Copyright.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 113.--Pleurotus petaloides. More irregular form than that shown in figure 112; color same as there described (natural size). Copyright.]

The =pileus= varies from a regular wedge-shape to spathulate, or more or less irregularly petaloid, or conchoid forms, the extremes of size and form being shown in Figs. 112, 113. The margin is at first involute, finally fully expanded, and the upper surface is nearly plane or somewhat depressed. The color is often a pale reddish brown, or brown, and sometimes pure white. The margin is sometimes marked with fine striations when moist. The upper portion near the union with the stem is sometimes tomentose, sometimes smooth. The =gills= are narrow, white, or yellowish, crowded and strongly decurrent. While the plant varies greatly in form and size, it is easily recognized by the presence of numerous short whitish =cystidia= in the hymenium, which bristle over the surface of the hymenium and under a pocket lens present a "fuzzy"

appearance to the lamellae. They are 70--80 10--12 . The spores are white.

Figures 112, 113 are from plants collected at Ithaca.

=Pleurotus serotinus= Schrad. This is an interesting plant and occurs during the autumn on dead trunks, branches, etc., in the woods. The stem is wanting, and the cap is shelving, dimidiate, reniform or suborbicular. The plants occur singly or are cl.u.s.tered and overlapping, about the same size and position as _Claudopus nidulans_, from which it is readily told by its white gills and spores. The color varies from dull yellow to brownish, often with shades of olive or green.

=Pleurotus applicatus= Batsch.--This is a pretty little species and usually occurs on much decayed wood, lying close to the ground so that it is usually directly on the under side of the log or branch. It does occur, however, on the side of the log when it is more or less shelving, because of the tendency of the pileus always to be more or less horizontal.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 114.--Pleurotus applicatus. Color gray to dark bluish gray, or black with a bluish tinge (natural size). Copyright.]

The =pileus= is 4--6 mm. broad, its upper surface closely applied to the wood or bark on which it is growing when it appears directly on the under side. The margin is sometimes free and involute. Sometimes it is attached only by the center of the pileus. There is then often a short process. When it grows on the side of the log it is attached laterally, or on the upper side of one margin, while the greater portion of the pileus is free and shelving. The surface is smooth or somewhat hairy.

The color varies from gray to dark bluish gray, or black with a bluish tinge. The =gills= are thick, broad in proportion to the size of the cap, distant, and are said by some to be paler than the pileus. In plants collected at Ithaca, the gills are often as dark as the pileus.

The entire plant is rather tough, and revives after being dried if placed in water, resembling in this respect _Marasmius_, _Pa.n.u.s_, or _Trogia_, and it may be more nearly related to one of these. Figure 114 is from plants (No. 4599, C. U. herbarium) collected at Ithaca.

HYGROPHORUS Fries.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 115.--Hygrophorus chrysodon. Entirely white with golden yellow granules on cap and stem (natural size). Copyright.]

The genus _Hygrophorus_ is one which presents some difficulties in the case of some of the species, especially to beginners, and plants need to be studied in the fresh condition to understand the most important character which separates it from certain of the other white-spored agarics. The substance of the pileus is continuous with that of the stem, that is, the stem is not easily separated from the cap at the point of junction, but is more or less tenacious. The gills may be adnexed, adnate, sinuate, or decurrent, but what is important they are usually rather distant, the edge is acute or sharp, and gradually thickened toward the junction with the cap, so that a section of the gill is more or less triangular. This is brought about by the fact that the substance of the cap extends downward into the gill between the laminae or surfaces of the gill. But the most important character for determining the genus is the fact that the surfaces of the gills become rather of a waxy consistency at maturity, so that they appear to be full of a watery substance though they do not bleed, and the surface of the gill can be rather easily removed, leaving the projecting line of the _trama_. This is more marked in some species than in others. The waxy consistency of the gills then, with the gills acute at the edge, broad at the point of attachment to the pileus, and the gills being rather widely separated are the important characters in determining the species which belong to this genus. The nearest related genus is Cantharellus, which, however, has blunt and forked gills. A number of the plants are brilliantly colored.

[Ill.u.s.tration: PLATE 38, FIGURE 116.--Hygrophorus eburneus. Entirely white, slimy (natural size). Copyright.]

=Hygrophorus chrysodon= (Batsch.) Fries. =Edible.=--This plant has about the same range as _Hygrophorus eburneus_, though it is said to be rare.

It is a very pretty plant and one quite easily recognised because of the uniform white ground color of the entire plant when fresh, and the numerous golden floccules or squamules scattered over the cap and the stem. The name _chrysodon_ means golden tooth, and refers to these numerous golden flecks on the plant. A form of the plant, variety _leucodon_, is said to occur in which these granules are white. The plant is 4--7 cm. high, the cap 4--7 cm. broad, and the stem 6--10 mm.

in thickness. The plants grow on the ground in the woods, or rather open places, during late summer and autumn.

The =pileus= is convex, then expanded, the margin strongly involute when young, and unrolling as the cap expands, very viscid, so that particles of dirt and portions of leaves, etc., cling to it in drying. The golden or light yellow granules on the surface are rather numerous near the margin of the pileus, but are scattered over the entire surface. On the margin they sometimes stand in concentric rows close together. The =gills= are white, distant, decurrent, 3--6 mm. broad, white, somewhat yellowish in age and in drying, and connected by veins. The =spores= white, oval to ovate, the longer ones approaching elliptical, 6--10 5--6 .

The =stem= is soft, spongy within, nearly equal, white, the yellowish granules scattered over the surface, but more numerous toward the apex, where they are often arranged in the form of a ring. When the plant is young these yellow granules or squamules on the stem and the upper surface of the inrolled margin of the pileus meet, forming a continuous layer in the form of a veil, which becomes spread out in the form of separated granules as the pileus expands, and no free collar is left on the stem.

Figure 115 is from plants (No. 3108, C. U. herbarium) collected in October, 1898, in woods, and by roadsides, Ithaca, N. Y.

=Hygrophorus eburneus= (Bulliard) Fries. =Edible.=--This plant is widely distributed in Europe and America. It is entirely white, of medium size, very viscid or glutinous, being entirely covered with a coating of gluten, which makes it very slippery in handling. The odor is mild and not unpleasant like that of a closely related species, _H. cossus_. The plants are 6--15 cm. high, the cap is from 3--8 cm. broad, and the stem 3--8 mm. in thickness. It grows on the ground in woods, or in open gra.s.sy places.

The =pileus= is fleshy, moderately thick, sometimes thin, convex to expanded, the margin uneven or sometimes wavy, smooth, and shining. When young the margin of the cap is incurved. The =gills= are strongly decurrent, distant, with vein-like elevations near the stem. =Spores= rather long, oval, 6--10 5--6 , granular. The =stem= varies in length, it is spongy to stuffed within, sometimes hollow and tapers below. The slime which envelops the plant is sometimes so abundant as to form a veil covering the entire plant and extending across from the margin of the cap to the stem, covering the gills. As the plant dries this disappears, and does not leave an annulus on the stem.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 117.--Hygrophorus fuligineus. Cap and stem dull reddish brown or smoky brown, very viscid when moist; gills white (natural size). Copyright.]

Figure 116 is from a photograph of plants (No. 2534, C. U. herbarium) collected in Enfield Gorge near Ithaca, N. Y., Nov. 5th, 1898.

=Hygrophorus fuligineus= Frost. =Edible.=--The smoky hygrophorus was described in the 35th Report of the N. Y. State Museum, p. 134. It is an American plant, and was first collected at West Albany, during the month of November. It is one of the largest species of the genus, and grows on the ground in woods, in late autumn. The plants are 5--10 cm. high, the cap from 3--10 cm. broad, and the stem 1--2 cm. in thickness. The large size of the plant together with the smoky, brown, viscid cap aid in the recognition of the plant.

The =pileus= is convex, becoming expanded, smooth, very viscid, dull reddish brown or smoky brown, darker on the center; the margin of the pileus is even in young specimens, becoming irregular in others; and in age often elevated more or less. The =gills= are broad, distant, usually decurrent, often connected by veins, white, with yellowish tinge in drying. The =spores= oval to elliptical, 8--12 5--7 . The =stem= is stout, sometimes ascending, equal, or enlarged in the middle, or tapering toward the base, solid, viscid like the pileus, usually white, sometimes tinged with the same color as pileus, somewhat yellowish tinged in drying.

Figure 117 is from plants (No. 2546, C. U. herbarium) collected in Enfield Gorge near Ithaca, Nov. 5, 1898.

=Hygrophorus pratensis= (Pers.) Fr. =Edible.=--This hygrophorus grows on the ground in pastures, old fields, or in waste places, or in thin and open woods, from mid-summer to late autumn. The plants are 3--5 cm.

high, the cap 2--5 cm. or more broad, and the stem 6--12 mm. in thickness. The cap being thick at the center, and the stem being usually stouter at the apex, often gives to the plant a shape like that of a top.

The =pileus= is hemispherical, then convex, then nearly or quite expanded, white, or with various shades of yellow or tawny, or buff, not viscid, often cracking in dry weather. Flesh very thick at the center, thinner at the margin. The flesh is firm and white. The =gills= are stout, distant, long decurrent, white or yellowish, and arcuate when the margin of the pileus is incurved in the young state, then ascending as the pileus takes the shape of an inverted cone. The =gills= are connected across the inters.p.a.ces by vein-like folds, or elevations. The =spores= are nearly globose to ovate or nearly elliptical, white, 6--8 5--6 . The =stem= is smooth, firm outside and spongy within, tapering downward.

=Hygrophorus miniatus= Fr. The vermilion hygrophorus is a very common plant in the woods during the summer. The cap and stem are bright red, sometimes vermilion. The gills are yellow and often tinged with red. The gills are adnate or sinuate. The plant is a small one but often abundant, and measures from 3--5 cm. high, and the cap 2--4 cm. broad.

=Hygrophorus coccineus= (Schaeff.) Fr., is a somewhat larger plant and with a scarlet cap, which becomes yellowish in age, and the gills are adnate. =Hygrophorus conicus= (Scop.) Fr., is another bright red plant with a remarkable conical pileus, and the gills are annexed to free.

=Hygrophorus psittacinus= Fr., is a remarkably pretty plant, the cap being from bell-shaped to expanded, umbilicate, striate, and covered with a greenish slime. It occurs in woods and open places. The prevailing color is yellow, tinged with green, but it varies greatly, sometimes yellow, red, white, etc., but nearly always is marked by the presence of the greenish slime, the color of this disappearing as the plant dries. It occurs in pastures, open woods, etc., from mid-summer to autumn.

=Hygrophorus hypothejus= Fr., is another very variable plant in color as well as in size, varying from yellow, orange, reddish, sometimes paler, usually first grayish when covered with the olive colored slime. The gills are decurrent, white, then yellow. It occurs in autumn.

LACTARIUS Fr.

The genus _Lactarius_ is easily distinguished from nearly all the other agarics by the presence of a milky or colored juice which exudes from wounded, cut, or broken places on the fresh plant. There are a few of the species of the genus _Mycena_ which exude a watery or colored juice where wounded, but these are easily told from _Lactarius_ because of their small size, more slender habit, and bell-shaped cap. By careful observation of these characters it is quite an easy matter to tell whether or not the plant at hand is a _Lactarius_. In addition to the presence of this juice or milk as it is commonly termed, the entire plant while firm is quite brittle, especially the gills. There are groups of rounded or vesiculose cells intermingled with thread-like cells in the substance of the cap. This latter character can only be seen on examination with the microscope. The brittleness of the plant as well as the presence of these groups of vesiculose cells is shared by the genus _Russula_, which is at once separated from _Lactarius_ by the absence of a juice which exudes in drops.

In determining the species it is a very important thing to know the taste of the juice or of the fresh plant, whether it is peppery, or bitter, or mild, that is, tasteless. If one is careful not to swallow any of the juice or flesh of the plant no harm results from tasting any of the plants, provided they are not tasted too often during a short time, beyond the unpleasant sensation resulting from tasting some of the very "hot" kinds. It is important also to know the color of the milk when it first exudes from wounds and if it changes color on exposure to the air. These tests of the plant should be made of course while it is fresh. The spores are white, globose or nearly so in all species, and usually covered with minute spiny processes. There are a large number of species. Peck, 38th Report, N. Y. State Mus., pp. 111--133, describes 40 American species.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 118.--Lactarius corrugis. Showing corrugated cap, and white milk exuding. Dark tawny brown, gills orange brown (natural size, often larger). Copyright.]

=Lactarius volemus= Fr. =Edible.=--This species is by some termed the orange brown lactarius because of its usual color. It was probably termed _Lactarius volemus_ because of the voluminous quant.i.ty of milk which exudes where the plant is broken or bruised, though it is not the only species having this character. In fresh, young plants, a mere crack or bruise will set loose quant.i.ties of the milky juice which drops rapidly from the plant. The plant is about the size of _Lactarius deliciosus_ and occurs in damp woods, where it grows in considerable abundance from July to September, several usually growing near each other. The =pileus= is convex, then expanded, often with a small elevation (umbo) at the center, or sometimes plane, and when old a little depressed in the center, smooth or somewhat wrinkled. The cap is dull orange or tawny, the shade of color being lighter in some plants and darker in others. The flesh is white and quite firm. The =gills= are white, often tinged with the same color as the pileus, but much lighter; they are adnate or slightly decurrent. The =stem= is usually short, but varies from 3--10 1--2 cm. It is colored like the pileus, but a lighter shade.

The milk is white, abundant, mild, not unpleasant to the taste, but sticky as it dries. This plant has also long been known as one of the excellent mushrooms for food both in Europe and America. Peck states that there are several plants which resemble _Lactarius volemus_ in color and in the milk, but that no harm could come from eating them.

There is one with a more reddish brown pileus, _Lactarius rufus_, found sparingly in the woods, but which has a very peppery taste. It is said by some to be poisonous.

=Lactarius corrugis= Pk. =Edible.=--This species occurs with _Lactarius volemus_ and very closely resembles it, but it is of a darker color, and the pileus is more often marked by prominent wrinkles, from which character the plant has derived its specific name. It is perhaps a little stouter plant than _L. volemus_, and with a thicker cap. The surface of the =pileus= seems to be covered with a very fine velvety tomentum which glistens as the cap is turned in the light. The =gills= are much darker than in _L. volemus_. The plants are usually clearly separated on account of these characters, yet there are occasionally light colored forms of _L. corrugis_ which are difficult to distinguish from dark forms of _L. volemus_, and this fact has aroused the suspicion that _corrugis_ is only a form of _volemus_.

The milk is very abundant and in every respect agrees with that of _L.

volemus_. I do not know that any one has tested _L. corrugis_ for food.

But since it is so closely related to _L. volemus_ I tested it during the summer of 1899 in the North Carolina mountains. I consider it excellent. The methods of cooking there were rather primitive. It was sliced and fried with b.u.t.ter and salt. It should be well cooked, for when not well done the partially raw taste is not pleasant. The plant was very abundant in the woods, and for three weeks an abundance was served twice a day for a table of twelve persons. The only disagreeable feature about it is the sticky character of the milk, which adheres in quant.i.ty to the hands and becomes black. This makes the preparation of the plant for the broiler a rather unpleasant task.

Figure 118 is from plants (No. 3910, C. U. herbarium) collected in the woods at Blowing Rock, during September, 1899. Just before the exposure was made to get the photograph several of the plants were wounded with a pin to cause the drops of milk to exude, as is well shown in the ill.u.s.tration.