The Mushroom, Edible and Otherwise Part 105

THE STEMMED CALVATIA. EDIBLE.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 462.--Calvatia elata.]

Elata means tall; so called from its long stem.

The peridium is round, often slightly depressed above, plicate below, where it is abruptly contracted into a long stem-like base. The base is slender, round, and frequently pitted; mycelium rather plentiful, fibrous and thread-like. When in good condition it is a rich cream color. The cortex consists of a coat of minute persistent granules or spinules. The inner peridium is white or cream-colored, becoming brown or olivaceous, quite thin and fragile, the upper part at maturity breaking up and falling away. The subgleba occupies the stem. The ma.s.s of spores and capillitium is usually brown or greenish-brown. The threads are very long, branched, branches slender. Spores round, even, sometimes slightly warted, 4-5, with a slight pedicel.

The plant grows on low mossy grounds among bushes, especially where it is inclined to be swampy. The plant in Figure 462 was found in a sphagnum swamp near Akron and was photographed by Prof. G. D. Smith. I am inclined to think it the same as Calvatia saccata, Fr.

_Lycoperdon. Tourn._

Mycelium fibrous, rooting from the base. Peridium small, globose, obovoid or turbinate, with a more or less thickened base; cortex a subpersistent coat of soft spines, scales, warts or granules; inner peridium thin, membranaceous, becoming papyraceous, dehiscent by a regular apical mouth. _Morgan._

This genus includes puffb.a.l.l.s with apical openings and is divided into two series, a purple-spored and an olive-spored series. The microscope shows that the gleba is composed of a great number of spores mixed with simple or branched threads. There are two sets of threads; one set arises from the peridial wall and the other from the subgleba or columella.

PURPLE-SPORED SERIES.

_Lycoperdon pulcherrimum. B. & C._

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PUFFBALL. EDIBLE.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Specimen from A. P. Morgan._

_Photo by C. G. Lloyd_

Figure 463.--Lycoperdon pulcherrimum.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 464.--Lycoperdon pulcherrimum.]

Pulcherrimum, most beautiful. The peridium is obovoid, with a short base, the mycelium forming a cord like a root. The cortex is covered with long white spines, converging at the apex, as will be seen in Figure 463. The spines soon fall from the upper part of the peridium, leaving the inner peridium with a smooth purplish-brown surface, often slightly scarred by the base of the spine. The subgleba occupies at least a third of the peridium. The spores and the capillitium are at first olivaceous, then brownish-purple, the spores rough and minutely warted. The plant is one to two inches in diameter. It is found in low, rich ground, in fields and wood margins. Only young and fresh plants are good.

The lower plant in Figure 463 shows where the spines have begun to fall, also the strong mycelial cord referred to in the description. I am indebted to Mr. Lloyd for the photograph. Found in September and October.

_Lycoperdon umbrinum. Pers._

THE SMOOTH PUFFBALL. EDIBLE.

Umbrinum, dingy umber. Peridium obovate, nearly sub-turbinate, with a soft, delicate, velvety bark; yellowish; inner peridium smooth and glossy, opening by a small aperture. The spores and capillitium, olivaceous, then purplish-brown. The capillitium with a central columella. A very attractive little plant, not frequently found. This plant is also called L. glabellum. In woods, September and October.

OLIVE-SPORED SERIES.

_Lycoperdon gemmatum. Batsch._

THE GEMMED PUFFBALL. EDIBLE.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Photo by C. G. Lloyd._

Plate LXI. Figure 465.--Lycoperdon gemmatum.

Natural size. Entirely white when young. From the young to the matured dehiscing plant.]

The peridium is turbinate, depressed above; the base short and obconic, or more elongated and tapering, or subcylindric, arising from a fibrous mycelium. The cortex consists of long, thick, erect spines or warts of irregular shape, with intervening smaller ones, whitish or gray in color, sometimes with a tinge of red or brown; the larger spines first fall away, leaving pale spots on the surface, and giving it a reticulate appearance. The subgleba is variable in amount, usually more than half the peridium; ma.s.s of spores and capillitium greenish-yellow, then pale-brown; threads simple or scarcely branched, about as thick as the spores. Spores globose, even, or very minutely warted. _Morgan._

The species is readily recognized by the large erect spines which, because of their peculiar form and color, have given the notion of gems, whence the name of the species. These and the reticulations can be seen in Figure 465 by the aid of a gla.s.s. They are frequently found about Chillicothe.

_Lycoperdon subincarnatum. Pk._

THE PINKISH PUFFBALL. EDIBLE.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Photo by C. G. Lloyd._

Figure 466.--Lycoperdon subincarnatum.]

Subincarnatum means pale flesh-color. The peridium is globe-shaped, sessile, without a stem-like base. Not large, rarely over one inch in diameter. The subgleba is present but small. The outer peridium is pinkish-brown, with minute short, stout spinules, which fall away at maturity, leaving the inner ash-colored peridium neatly pitted by the falling off of the spinules of the outer coat, the pits not being surrounded by dotted lines. The capillitium and spores are first greenish-yellow, then brownish-olive. The threads are long, simple, and transparent. The columella is present and the spores are round and minutely warted.

They are often found in abundance on decayed logs, old stumps, and on the ground about stumps where the ground is especially full of decayed wood. They are found from August to October.

_Lycoperdon cruciatum. Roth._

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Photo by C. G. Lloyd._

Figure 467.--Lycoperdon cruciatum.]

Peridium broadly ovate, often much depressed, plicate underneath, with a cord-like root; cortex a dense white coat of convergent spines, which at maturity peel off in flakes, as can be seen in the photograph, revealing a thin furfuraceous layer of minute yellowish scales covering the inner peridium. The subgleba broad, occupying about one-third of the cavity.

The spores and capillitium are dark-brown. This species is very hard to distinguish from Wrightii. It was once called _separans_ because of the fact that the outer coat separates, or peels off, so readily from the inner peridium. Found in open woods, or along paths in open woods or pastures.

From July to October.

_Lycoperdon Wrightii. B. & C._

EDIBLE.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 468.--Lycoperdon Wrightii. Natural size.]

The specific name is in honor of Charles Wright. The peridium is globe-like, sessile, white, minutely spinulose, often converging at the apex; when denuded, smooth or minutely velvety.

The spores and capillitium greenish-yellow, then brown-olive; the columella present, but very small. Spores small, smooth, 3-4.

The plants are very small, scarcely more than two cm. in diameter. They are generally caespitose in short gra.s.s, along paths, and in sandy places.

I have frequently seen the ground white with them on Cemetery Hill where the specimens in Figure 468 were found. They were photographed by Dr.

Kellerman. Found from July to the last of October.