The Mushroom, Edible and Otherwise Part 39

The gills are free, equal, broad, distant, white. The spores are round, 8.

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 mushroom is 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.

_Russula furcata. Fr._

THE FORKED GILLED RUSSULA. EDIBLE.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 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 l.u.s.ter, 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, s.h.i.+ning white. The spores, 7-89.

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 b.u.t.ter they are excellent.

July to October.

_Russula rubra, Fr._

THE RED RUSSULA.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 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 8-10, 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 Russulae. It is found very generally in the state and is quite plentiful in the woods about Chillicothe, from July to October.

_Russula purpurina. Quel & Schulz._

THE PURPLE RUSSULA. EDIBLE.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 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, 4-8 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.

_Russula densifolia. Gillet._

[Ill.u.s.tration: 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, 7-8.

The stem is short, slightly mealy, white, then gray, at length blackish, smooth, round, turning red or brown on being handled.

It differs from _R. nigricans_ in being much smaller, and in its crowded gills. It differs from _R. adusta_ in 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. Adanson._

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.

_Cantharellus cibarius. Fr._

THE EDIBLE CANTHARELLUS.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 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 p.r.o.nounced very good.

The plants in Figure 158 were gathered near Columbus, Ohio, and photographed by Dr. Kellerman.