The Mushroom, Edible and Otherwise Part 56

It is found in woods or about old sawdust piles. The plants sometimes grow in rings. September to November.

_Hebeloma pascuense. Pk._

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 222.--Hebeloma pascuense. Natural size. Caps chestnut-color.]

Pascuense, pertaining to pastures; referring to its habitat.

The pileus is convex, becoming nearly plane, viscid when moist, obscurely innately fibrillose; brownish-clay, often darker or rufescent in the center, the margin in the young plant slightly whitened by the thin webby veil; the margin of the cap more or less irregular, flesh white, the taste mild, odor weak.

The gills are close, rounded behind, adnexed, whitish, becoming pale ochraceous.

The stem is short, firm, equal, solid, fibrillose, slightly mealy at the top, whitish or pallid.

The spores are pale ochraceous, subelliptical. I found the plants in Figure 222 on Cemetery Hill late in November. It is a very low plant, growing under the pine trees and keeping close to the walks. The whitened margin of the young plant is a very good ear-mark by which to know this species.

_Pluteolus. Fr._

Pluteolus means a small shed. It is the diminutive of _pluteus_, a shed or penthouse, from its conical cap.

The pileus is rather fleshy, viscid, conical or campanulate, then expanded; margin at first straight, adpressed to the stem. Stem somewhat cartilaginous, distinct from the hymenoph.o.r.e. Gills free, rounded behind.

_Pluteolus reticulatus. Pers._

Reticulatus means made like a net; from _rete_, a net, so called from the net-like appearance of veins on the cap.

The pileus is slightly fleshy, campanulate, then expanded, rugoso-reticulate, viscid, margin striate, pale violaceous.

The gills are free, ventricose, crowded, saffron-yellow, to ferruginous.

The stem is one to two inches long, hollow, fragile, fibrillose, inclined to be mealy at the top, white.

I have found only a few plants of this species in our state. It seems to be rare. The anastomosing veins on the cap and its pale violaceous color will mark the species. I have always found it on decayed wood. Captain McIlvaine speaks of finding it in quant.i.ties on the stems of fallen weeds and says it was tender and of fine flavor. September.

_Galera. Fr._

Galera means a small cap. The pileus is more or less bell-shaped, margin straight, at first depressed to the stem, hygrophanous, almost even, atomate when dry, more or less membranaceous.

The gills are attached to the stem or with a decurrent tooth, as in Mycena.

The stem is cartilaginous, hollow, confluent with, but different in texture from the cap. The veil is often wanting, but when present is fibrous and fugacious. The spores are ochraceous ferruginous.

_Galera hypnorum. Batsch._

THE MOSS-LOVING GALERA.

Hypnorum means of mosses; from _hypna_, moss.

The pileus is membranaceous, conic, campanulate, smooth, striate, watery when moist, pale when dry, cinnamon.

The gills are attached to the stem, broad, rather distant, cinnamon-colored, whitish on the edge.

The stem is slender, wavy, same color as the pileus, pruinose at the apex. This plant is very like G. tenera, only much smaller, and of a very different habitat. Found in mosses from June to October.

_Galera tenera. Schaeff._

THE SLENDER GALERA. EDIBLE.

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

Figure 223.--Galera tenera.]

Tenera is the feminine form of _tener_, slender, delicate.

The pileus is somewhat membranaceous, at first cone-shaped, partially expanded, bell-shaped, hygrophanous, ochraceous when dry.

The gills are attached to the stem, crowded, rather broad, ascending, cinnamon-brown, the edges whitish, sometimes slightly serrate.

The stem is straight, hollow, fragile, rather s.h.i.+ning; three to four inches long, equal or sometimes inclined to thicken downward, of nearly the same color as the pileus. The spores are elliptical and a dark rust-color, 12-137.

You will frequently meet a variety whose cap and stem are quite p.u.b.escent but whose other characteristics agree with G. tenera. Prof.

Peck calls it G. tenera var. pilosella.

Found in richly manured lawns and pastures. It is quite common. The caps, only, are good.

_Galera lateritia. Fr._

THE BRICK-RED GALERA. EDIBLE.

Lateritia means made of brick, from _later_, a brick; so called because the caps are brick-colored.

The pileus is somewhat membranaceous, cone-shaped, then bell-shaped, obtuse, even, hygrophanous, rather pale yellow when wet, ochraceous when dry.

The gills are almost free, adnexed to the top of the cone, linear, very narrow, tawny or ferruginous.

The stem is three to four inches long, hollow, slightly tapering upward, straight, fragile, white pruinose, whitish. Spores are elliptical, 11-125-6.

This plant resembles G. ovalis, from which it can be distinguished by its linear ascending gills and the absence of a veil.

Found on dung and in richly manured pastures, from July to frost.

_Galera Kellermani. Pk. sp. nov._