The Mushroom, Edible and Otherwise Part 6

This species differs from Amanita caesarea in having an even margin and a white stem. It is only a form of the caesarea. The white stem will attract the attention of the collector.

_Amanita solitaria. Bull._

THE SOLITARY AMANITA.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 17.--Amanita solitaria. Two-thirds natural size, showing the peculiar veil.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 18.--Amanita solitaria. Two-thirds natural size, showing scaly cap and stem.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Plate II. Figure 19.--Amanita solitaria.

Natural size, showing scaly cap and stem, plant white.]

Solitary, growing alone. I have found this plant in various parts of the state and have always found them growing alone. In Poke Hollow, where I found the specimens in the ill.u.s.trations, I found several on the hillside on different occasions, but I have never found them growing in groups. It is quite large in size, white or whitish, very woolly or floccose. Usually the cap, stem, and the gills are covered with a floccose substance which will serve to identify the species. This fluffy exterior adheres readily to your hands or clothing. The cap is sometimes tinged with brown, but the flesh is white and smells quite strong, not unlike chloride of lime. The annulus is frequently torn from the stem and is found adhering to the margin of the cap.

The pileus is from three to five inches broad, or more, when fully expanded, at first globose to hemispherical, as will be seen in Figures 17 and 18, convex, or plane, warty, white or whitish, the pointed scales being easily rubbed off, or washed off by heavy rains, these scales varying in size from small granules to quite large conical flakes, and differing in condition and color in different plants.

The gills are free, or are not attached by the upper part, the edges are frequently floccose where they are torn from the slight connection with the upper surface of the veil; white, or slightly tinged with cream-color, broad.

The stem is four to eight inches high, solid, becoming stuffed when old, bulbous, rooting deep in the soil, very scaly, ventricose sometimes in young plants, white, very mealy. Volva friable. Ring, large, lacerated, usually hanging to the margin of the cap, but in Figure 19 it adheres to the stem.

This is a large and beautiful plant in the woods, and easily identified because of its floccose nature and the large bulb at the base of the stem. It is not so warty and the odor is not nearly so strong as the Amanita strobiliformis. It is edible but very great caution should be used to be sure of your species. Found from July to October in woods and roadsides.

_Amanita radicata. Pk._

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 20.--Amanita radicata. Two-thirds natural size, showing scaly cap, bulbous stem and root broken off and peculiar veil.]

Radicata means furnished with a root. The root of the specimen in Figure 20 was broken off in getting it out of the ground.

The pileus is subglobose, becoming convex, dry, verrucose, white, margin even, flesh firm, white, odor resembling that of chloride of lime.

The gills are close, free, white.

The stem is solid, deeply radicating, swollen at the base or bulbous, floccose or mealy at the top, white; veil thin, floccose, or mealy, white, soon lacerated and attached in fragments to the margin of the pileus or evanescent. The spores are broadly elliptic, 7.5-10 long, 6-7 broad. _Peck._

This is quite a large and beautiful plant, very closely related to Amanita strobiliformis, but readily distinguished from it because of its white color, its clearly radiating stem, and small spores. The stem shows to be bulbous and the cap covered with warts. I found the plant frequently in Poke Hollow and on Ralston's Run. July and August.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 21.--Amanita radicata.]

_Amanita strobiliformis. Fr._

THE FIR-CONE AMANITA.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Plate III. Figure 22.--Amanita strobiliformis.

Young plant showing veil covering the entire gill-surface of the plant.

Cap covered with persistent warts, stem rough and rooting, odor strong of chloride of lime.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Plate IV. Figure 23.--Amanita strobiliformis.

Showing long root.]

Strobiliformis means fir-cone form; so called from the similarity of its undeveloped form to that of the strobile of the pine.

The pileus is six to eight inches broad, when young, subglobose, then convex, expanded, nearly plane, with persistent warts, white, ash-color, sometimes yellow on the cap, the margin even and extending beyond the gills; warts hard, angular, pointed, white; flesh white, compact.

The gills are free, crowded, rounded, white, becoming yellow.

The stem is five to eight inches long, frequently longer, tapering upward, floccosely scaly, bulbous, rooting beyond the bulb; ring large, torn; volva forming concentric rings. The spores are 13-148-9.

This is one of the most stately plants in the woods. It is said to be edible, but the strong pungent odor, like chloride of lime, has deterred me from eating it. This, however, is said to disappear in cooking. It grows to be very large. Dr. Kellerman and I found a specimen in Haynes's Hollow whose stem measured over eleven inches, and cap nine inches. It is found in open woods and wood margins. Great caution should be used before the plant is eaten to know it beyond doubt. Found July to October.

_Amanita mappa. Fr._

THE DELICATE AMANITA. POISONOUS.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 24.--Amanita mappa. Natural size, showing long smooth stem, cap yellowish-white and ring.]

Mappa means a napkin, so called from the volva. The pileus is two to three inches broad, convex, then expanded, plane, obtuse or depressed, without separable cuticle; margin nearly even; white or yellowish, usually with patches of the volva dry.

The gills are adnexed, close, narrow, s.h.i.+ning, white.

The stem is two to three inches long, stuffed, then hollow, cylindrical, nearly smooth, bulbous, nearly globose at the base, white, almost equal above the bulb.

The volva with its free margin is acute and narrow. The ring is membranaceous, superior, soft, lax, ragged.

Its color is quite as variable and its habits are much like A.

phalloides, from which it can only be distinguished by its less developed volva, which, instead of being cup-shaped, is little more than a mere rim fringing the bulb. The odor at times is very strong. It is found in open woods and under brush. Label it poisonous.

_Amanita crenulata. Pk._

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 25.--Amanita crenulata.]

Crenulata means bearing notches, referring to the crenulate form of the gills, which are very distinct.

The pileus is thin, two to two and a half inches broad, broadly ovate, becoming convex, or nearly plane, somewhat striate on the margin, adorned with a few thin whitish floccose warts or with whitish flocculent patches, whitish or grayish, sometimes tinged with yellow.

The gills are close, reaching the stem, and sometimes forming decurrent lines upon it, floccose crenulate on the edge, the short ones truncate at the inner extremity, white.

The stem is equal, bulbous, floccose mealy above, stuffed or hollow, white, the annulus slight, evanescent. Spores broadly elliptic or subglobose, 7.5-10 long, nearly as broad, usually containing a single large nucleus. _Peck_, Bull. Tor. Bot. Club.

The stem is bulbous at the base but the volva is rarely seen upon it although slight patches are frequently seen on the pileus. The ring is very evanescent and soon disappears. The specimens I have received from Mrs. Blackford look good enough to eat and she speaks highly of the edible qualities of this species. So far as I know this plant is confined to the New England states. Found from September to November. It grows in low damp ground under trees.