The Mushroom, Edible and Otherwise Part 65

Dr. McIlvaine says: "This species is now cultivated and has manifest advantages over the market species--it is easier to cultivate, very productive, produces in less time after planting the sp.a.w.n, is free from attacks of insects, carries better and keeps longer."

Mushroom beds in cellars are becoming quite popular and many are having very good results.

_Agaricus halophilus. Pk._

SEA-LOVING AGARICUS EDIBLE.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Plate x.x.xVI. Figure 258.--Agaricus halophilus.

Showing the globose caps, narrow gills, solid stem, and the peculiar incurved margin. Natural size.]

Halophilus is from two Greek words meaning sea and loving, or fond of.

This is a large fleshy plant and does not readily decay. At first it is quite round, then becomes broadly convex. All specimens that I have examined were covered with adpressed scales of a reddish-brown color, becoming grayish-brown when old. The flesh is white, becoming pink or reddish when cut. The margin has a peculiar angular turn, often retaining portions of the rather fragile veil.

The taste is pleasant, and the odor is distinctly that of the seash.o.r.e.

The gills are quite narrow, as will be seen in Figure 258, much crowded, free, pinkish at first, becoming purplish-brown as the plant matures.

The edge of the gills is whitish.

The stem is short, stout, solid, firm, equal, or occasionally slightly bulbous. The ring is rather delicate and in older specimens it is frequently wanting. The spores are broadly elliptical and purplish-brown, 7-85-6.

The specimens in figure 258 were sent to me from Boston, Ma.s.s., by Mrs. Blackford, and on opening the box the odor of the seash.o.r.e was plainly noticed. The flesh when cut quickly turned to a pinkish or reddish hue and the water in which the plants were prepared for cooking was changed to a faintly pink tinge. These plants were sent me the first of June, but the stems were free from worms and were as easily cooked as the caps. I regard it as one of the very best mushrooms for table use, while also easy to distinguish.

It seems to delight in sandy soil near salt water. This was formerly called Agaricus maritimus.

_Pilosace. Fr._

Pilosace is from two Greek words, _pilos_, felt; _sakos_, garment.

Hymenoph.o.r.e is distinct from the stem. Gills are free, and at first remote, from the stem. The general and partial veil are both absent, hence it is without ring or volva. This genus seems to have the habit of Agaricus but no ring.

_Pilosace eximia. Pk._

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 259.--Pilosace eximia.]

Eximia means choice, distinguished.

The pileus is fleshy, thin, convex or broadly campanulate, at length expanded and sub.u.mbonate, smooth, dark sooty-brown.

The gills are close, broad, ventricose, rounded behind, free, dull-red, or brownish-pink, then brown.

The stem is slender, hollow, a little thicker at the base, dull-red. The spores are elliptical, .004 inch long.

These plants are small and quite rare, yet I have found the plants in Haynes' Hollow on three different occasions. Dr. Peck writes that it is a very rare plant. It grows on old stumps and decayed logs. The plants in figure [259?] were found in Haynes' Hollow and photographed by Dr.

Kellerman.

_Stropharia. Fr._

Stropharia is from the Greek, strophos, a sword belt. The spores are bright purple-brown, brown or slate color. The flesh of the stem and the pileus is continuous. The veil, when ruptured, forms a ring on the stem.

The gills are rounded and are not free.

The genus can be distinguished from all the genera of the purple-spored plants except the Agarics by the presence of a ring and by the united flesh of the stem and the cap and by the attachment of the gills. They grow on the ground or are elliptical.

_Stropharia semiglobata. Batsch._

THE SEMIGLOBOSE STROPHARIA. EDIBLE.

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

Figure 260.--Stropharia semiglobata.]

Semiglobata--semi, half; globus, a ball. The pileus is somewhat fleshy at the center, thin at the margin, hemispherical, not expanded, even, viscid when moist.

The stem is hollow, slender, straight, smooth, glutinous, yellowish, veil abrupt.

The gills are firmly attached to the stem, broad, plane, sometimes inclined to be ventricose, clouded with black.

This plant is very common on the Dunn farm on the Columbus Pike, north of Chillicothe, but is found everywhere in gra.s.sy places recently manured, or on dung.

This plant has been under the ban for a number of years, but like many others its bad reputation has been outlived. Found from May to November.

_Stropharia Hardii. Atkinson n. sp._

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 261.--Stropharia Hardii.]

Hardii is named for the collector and author of this book.

Plant 10 cm. high; pileus 9 cm. broad; stem 1 cm. thick.

Pileus pale bright ochraceous; gills brownish, near Prout's brown (R); stem pale-yellow tinge.

Pileus convex to expanded, thick at the center, thin toward the margin, smooth; flesh tinged yellow.

Gills subelliptical to subventricose behind, broadly emarginate, adnexed. Basidia 4-spored. Spores suboblong, smooth, 5-93-5, purple-brown under the microscope.

Cystidia not very numerous on side of gills, varying from clavate to subventricose and sublanceolate, the free end more or less irregular when narrow, rarely branching below the apex, and usually with a prominent broad apiculus or with two or several short processes. Similar cells on edge of gills, but somewhat smaller and more regular.

Stem even at the base, tapering to a short root, transversely floccose, scaly both above and below the ring. The ring membranaceous, not prominent but still evident, about 2 cm. from the apex. _Atkinson._

The specimens in Figure 261 are very old plants. While the plant was in season I did not photograph it, but when Prof. Atkinson named it I hastened to find some good specimens but only two had survived sufficiently to photograph. They were found October 15, 1906, on Mr.

Miller's farm in Poke Hollow near Chillicothe.