The Mushroom, Edible and Otherwise Part 11

The species grows in woods and open places, also in clover pastures, either singly or in tufts. I have seen large tufts of them, and in that case the caps are more or less irregular on account of their crowded condition. I found it frequently about Salem, and this fall, 1905, I found it quite plentiful in a clover pasture near Chillicothe. Found in wet weather from August to September.

_Tricholoma equestre. Linn._

THE KNIGHTLY TRICHOLOMA. EDIBLE.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 43.--Tricholoma equestre.]

Equestre means belonging to a horseman; so called from its distinguished appearance in the woods.

The pileus is three to five inches broad, fleshy, compact, convex, expanded, obtuse, viscid, scaly, margin incurved at first, pale yellowish, with sometimes a slight tinge of green in both cap and gills.

Flesh white or tinged with yellow.

The gills are free, crowded, rounded behind, yellow.

The stem is stout, solid, pale yellow or white, white within. The spores are 7-85.

It differs from T. coryphaeum in having gills entirely yellow, while the edges only of the latter are yellow. It differs from T. sejunctum in the latter having pure white gills and a more slender stem.

It is found but occasionally here, and then only a specimen or two. It is an attractive plant and no one would pa.s.s it in the woods without admiring it. Found from August to October.

_Tricholoma sordidum. Fr._

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 44.--Tricholoma sordidum.]

Sordidum means dingy, dirty.

The pileus is two to three inches broad, rather tough, fleshy, convex, bell-shaped, then depressed, sub.u.mbonate, smooth, hygrophanous, margin slightly striate, brownish lilac, then dusky.

The gills are rounded, rather crowded, dingy violet then dusky, notched with a decurrent tooth.

The stem is colored like the pileus, fibrillose striate, usually slightly curved, stuffed, short, often thickened at the base.

The spores are 7-83-4, minutely rugulose.

This species differs from T. nudum in being smaller, tougher, and often hygrophanous.

It is found in richly manured gardens, about manure piles, and in hot-houses. The specimens in Figure 44 were found in a hot-house near Boston, Ma.s.s., and sent to me by Mrs. E. Blackford. They are found in September and October.

_Tricholoma grammopodium. Bull._

THE GROOVED STEM TRICHOLOMA. EDIBLE.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 45.--Tricholoma grammopodium. Natural size.]

Grammopodium is from two Greek words meaning _line_ and _foot_.

The pileus is three to six inches broad, flesh thick at the center, thin at the margin, solid yet tender; brownish, blackish-umber, almost a dingy-lavender when moist, whitish when dry; at first bell-shaped, then convex, sometimes slightly wavy, obtusely umbonate; margin at first inclined to be involute, and extending beyond the gills.

The gills are attached to the stem, broadly notched as will be seen in the specimen, closely crowded, quite entire, shorter ones numerous, a few branched, white or whitish.

The stem is three to four inches long, thickened at the base, smooth, firm, longitudinally grooved from which it gets its specific name, whitish.

The spores are nearly round, 5-6.

It closely resembles T. fuligineum but can be distinguished by the grooved stem and crowded gills. The specimens in Figure 45 were found near Boston, and were sent to me by Mrs. Blackford. The plants keep well and are easily dried. They were found the first of June. They have an excellent flavor.

_Tricholoma paedidum. Fr._

Paedidum means nasty, stinking.

The pileus is small, about one and a half inches broad, rather fleshy, tough; convex, then flattened, soon depressed around the conical umbo; fibrillose, becoming smooth; smoky gray, somewhat streaked; moist; margin involute, naked.

The gills are adnexed, crowded, narrow, white, then grayish, somewhat sinuate with a slight decurrent tooth.

The stem is short, slightly striate, dingy gray, thickened at the base.

The spores are elliptical or fusiform, 10-115-6.

The specific name, "nasty" or "stinking," has really no application to the plant. It is said to be very good when cooked. It is found in well manured gardens and fields, or about manure piles.

It differs from T. sordidum in having no trace of violet color. T.

lixivium differs in the free truncate gills.

_Tricholoma lixivium. Fr._

Lixivium means made into lye; hence, of the color of ashes and water.

The pileus is two to three inches broad; flesh thin; convex then plane; umbonate, never depressed; even; smooth; grayish-brown when moist, then umber; margin membranaceous, at length slightly striate, sometimes wavy.

The gills are rounded behind and adnexed, free, soft, distant, often crisped, gray.

The stem is about two inches long, fibrous, hollow, or stuffed, equal, at first covered with a white down, fragile, gray.

The spores are elliptical, 74-5.

The umbonate pileus and the nearly free, broad, gray gills will distinguish it. They are a late grower and are found under pine trees in November.

_Tricholoma sulphureum. Bull._

SULPHURY TRICHOLOMA. POISONOUS.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 46.--Tricholoma sulphureum.]