The Mushroom, Edible and Otherwise Part 44

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 174.--Hygrophorus ceraceus. Caps waxy yellow.]

Ceraceus is from _cera_, wax. The pileus is one inch and less broad, waxy-yellow, s.h.i.+ning, fragile, thin, occasionally sub.u.mbonate, slightly fleshy, slightly striate.

The gills are firmly attached to the stem, subdecurrent, distant, broad, ventricose often connected with veins, almost triangular, yellow.

The stem is one to two inches long, hollow, often unequal, flexuous, sometimes compressed, yellow, occasionally orange at the base, waxy. The spores 86.

This is a very beautiful, fragile plant, usually found growing in the gra.s.s. It is easily distinguished by its waxy yellow color. The plants photographed were found on the Cemetery Hill. They are found from August to October.

_Hygrophorus virgineus. Wulf._

THE IVORY-CAPPED HYGROPHORUS. EDIBLE.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 175.--Hygrophorus virgineus. Two-thirds natural size. Entire plant white.]

Virgineus, virgin; so called from its whiteness. The pileus is fleshy, convex, then plane, obtuse, at length depressed; moist, sometimes cracked into patches, floccose when dry.

The gills are decurrent, distant, rather thick, often forked.

The stem is curt, stuffed, firm, attenuated at the base, externally becoming even and naked. Spores 125-6. _Fries._

The plant is wholly white and never large. It is easily confounded with H. niveus and sometimes difficult to distinguish from the white forms of H. pratensis. This plant is quite common in pastures, both in the spring and in the fall. I found the specimens in Figure 175 on Cemetery Hill under the pine trees on November 11. They were photographed by Dr.

Kellerman.

_Hygrophorus niveus._

THE SNOW-WHITE HYGROPHORUS. EDIBLE.

Niveus, snow-white. The plant is wholly white. The pileus is scarcely one inch broad, somewhat membranaceous, bell-shaped, convex, then umbilicate, smooth, striate, viscid when moist, not cracked when dry, flesh thin, everywhere equal.

The gills are decurrent, thin, distant, acute, quite entire.

The stem is hollow, thin, equal, smooth. Spores 74. Found in pastures.

_Hygrophorus sordidus. Pk._

THE DINGY HYGROPHORUS. EDIBLE.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 176.--Hygrophorus sordidus.]

Sordidus means a dirty white, or dingy, referring to the color of the caps, so made by adhering earth.

The pileus is broadly convex or nearly plane, glabrous, slightly viscid, white, but usually defiled by adhering dirt; the margin at first strongly involute, then spreading or reflexed; flesh firm when young, tough when old.

The gills are subdistant, adnate, or decurrent, white or creamy-white.

The stem is five to ten Cm. long, firm, solid, white.

The spores are elliptical, 6.5-7.54-5. _Peck._

The specimens I found were clear white, growing among leaves and were especially free from soil. The stems were short and were inclined to be slightly ventricose. Dr. Peck says that this "species is distinguished from H. penarius by its clear white color, though this is commonly obscured by the adhering dirt that is carried up in the growth of the fungus." The young, growing plants were strongly involute but the older plants were reflexed, giving the plants a funnel-shaped appearance and giving the gills a much stronger decurrent appearance. Found October 26th.

_Hygrophorus serotinus. Pk._

LATE HYGROPHORUS.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 177.--Hygrophorus serotinus.]

Serotinus means late. So called because it is late in the season.

Pileus is fleshy but thin, convex or nearly plane, often with the thin margin curved upward, glabrous or with a few obscure innate fibrils, reddish in the center, whitish on the margin, flesh white, taste mild.

The gills are thin, subdistant, adnate or decurrent, white, the inters.p.a.ces slightly venose.

The stem is equal, stuffed or hollow, glabrous, whitish. The spores are white, elliptic, .0003 of an inch long, .0002 broad.

Pileus is 8-15 lines broad; stem about 1 inch long, 1.5-2.5 lines thick. _Peck._

Some specimens of this species were sent to me from Boston by Mrs.

Blackford, but after a careful study of them I was unable to place them.

She then sent them to Dr. Peck, who gave them their very appropriate name. Those in Figure 177 were sent me in December, 1907.

They grow a number in the same locality and frequently in close groups or tufts. They seem to delight in oak and pine woods. Dr. Peck observes that this species is similar to Hygrophorus queletii, Bres., both in size and color, but the general characteristics of the plants do not agree. He also says it is similar in size and color to H. subrufescens, Pk., but differs materially in the specific description.

_Pa.n.u.s. Fr._

Pa.n.u.s means swelling. The species under this genus are leathery plants, having the stems lateral and sometimes wanting. They dry up but revive with moisture. The gills are simple and thinner than the Lentinus, but with an entire, acute edge. There are a few species which give a phosph.o.r.escent light when growing on decayed logs. The genus closely resembles Lentinus but can be readily recognized on account of the smooth edged gills. A number of good authorities do not separate them but give both under the name Lentinus. This genus abounds wherever there are stumps and fallen timber.

_Pa.n.u.s stypticus. Fr._

THE STYPTIC Pa.n.u.s. POISONOUS.

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

Figure 178.--Pa.n.u.s stypticus. Two-thirds natural size. Cinnamon color.]

Stypticus means astringent, styptic. The pileus is coriaceous, kidney-shaped, cinnamon-color, growing pale, cuticle breaking up into scales, margin entire or lobed, surface nearly even, sometimes zoned.

The gills are thin, crowded, connected by veins, of same color as cap, determinate, quite narrow.

The stem is lateral, quite short, swollen above, solid, compressed, pruinose, paler than the gills.