The Mushroom, Edible and Otherwise Part 78

Pallida means pale. Pileus kidney-shaped, pallid-red, fawn or clay-color, thick at the base and thinning toward the margin, which is often crenate and inflexed; pulverulent, firm, flexible, tough; flesh white.

The tubes are long and slender, mouths somewhat enlarged, whitish, the tube surface a pale cream-color and minutely mealy, pores not decurrent but ending with the beginning of the stem.

The stem is uniformly attached to the concave margin of the cap; attenuated downward; whitish below, but near the cap it changes to the same tint. The peculiar manner of attachment of the stem will serve to identify the species, which I have found several times near Chillicothe.

The specimen in the ill.u.s.tration was found on the State farm, and photographed by Dr. Kellerman.

_Polyporus. Fr._

Polyporus is from two Greek words meaning many and pores. In this genus the stratum of the pores is not easily separated from the cap. Most of the species under this genus are tough and corky. Many grow on decayed wood, a few on the ground, but even these are inclined to be tough. Very few of those growing on wood have a central stem and many have apparently no stem at all.

_Polyporus picipes. Fr._

THE BLACK-FOOTED POLYPORUS.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 319.--Polyporus picipes. Two-thirds natural size.

Note the black stem, which gives name to the species.]

Picipes is from _pix_, pitch or black, and _pes_, foot.

The pileus is fleshy, rigid, coriaceous, tough, even, smooth, depressed either behind or in the center; livid with a chestnut-colored disk.

The pores are decurrent, rounded, small, tender, white, finally reddish-gray.

The stem is eccentric and lateral, equal, firm; at first velvety, then naked; punctate with black dots, becoming black.

The stem at the base is pitch-black, as will be seen in Figure 319. The margin of the cap is very thin and the caps are irregularly funnel-form.

This plant is widely distributed over the United States and is quite common about Chillicothe. Found in damp woods on decayed logs from July to November. When very young and tender it can be eaten.

_Polyporus umbellatus. Fr._

THE SUN-SHADE POLYPORUS. EDIBLE.

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

Plate XLIV. Figure 320.--Polyporus umbellatus.]

Umbellatus is from _umbella_, a sun-shade. Very much branched, fibrous-fleshy, toughish. The pileoli are very numerous, one-half to one and a half inches broad, sooty, dull-red, united at the base. Pores are minute and white. White pileoli have sometimes occurred. _Fries._

The tufts, as will be observed from Figure 320, are very dense, and there seems to be no limit to their branching. Notice that every cap is depressed or umbilicate. The specimen in Figure 320 was collected near Mammoth Cave, Kentucky, by Mr. C. G. Lloyd, Cincinnati, and through his courtesy I have used his print. I have found the plant about Chillicothe and Sidney, Ohio. It is found on decayed roots on the ground, or on stumps. When the caps are fresh they are quite good.

May to November.

_Polyporus frondosus. Fr._

THE BRANCHED POLYPORUS. EDIBLE.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 321.--Polyporus frondosus. One-fifth natural size.]

Frondosus, full of leafy branches. The tufts are from six inches to over a foot broad, very much branched, fibrous-fleshy, toughish.

The pileoli are very numerous, one-half to two inches broad, sooty-gray, dimidiate, wrinkled, lobed, intricately recurved. Flesh white. Stems, growing into each other, white.

The pores are rather tender, very small, acute, white, commonly round, but in oblique position, gaping open and torn. _Fries._

The specimen in Figure 321 was found near Chillicothe. When tender it is very good. Found on stumps and roots from September till the coming of frost.

We are told that in the Roman markets this mushroom is frequently sold as an article of food.

_Polyporus leucomelas. Fr._

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 322.--Polyporus leucomelas.]

Leucomelas is from two Greek words, _leucos_, white, and _melas_, black.

The pileus is two to four inches broad, fleshy, somewhat fragile, irregularly shaped, silky, sooty-black; flesh soft, reddish when broken.

The pores are rather large, unequal, ashy or whitish, becoming black when drying.

The stem is one to three inches long, stout, unequal, somewhat tomentose, sooty-black, becoming black internally. The pileus and stem become black in places.

The spores are cylindric-fusoid, pale-brown, 10-124-5.

They are usually found in pine woods. The caps are often deformed and are easily broken. The pores resemble those of a Boletus. The plant is quite widely distributed. The one in Figure 322 was found in Ma.s.sachusetts by Mrs. Blackford, and I photographed it after it was partially dry. It is probably the same as P. griseus, P.

_Polyporus Berkeleyi. Fr._

BERKELEY'S POLYPORUS. EDIBLE.

The pileoli are fleshy, tough, becoming hard and corky, many times imbricated, sometimes growing very large, with many in a head; subzonate, finally tomentose; the plant very much branched, alutaceous.

The stem is short or entirely wanting, arising from a long and thick caudex.

The pore surface is very large, the pores are large and irregular, angular, pale-yellowish.

I have seen some very large specimens of this species. The natural size of the specimen in Figure 323 is two and one-fourth feet across. When young it is edible, but not equal to P. sulphureus. It is found growing on the ground near trees and stumps, and is a widely distributed plant.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 323.--Polyporus Berkeleyi. One-fifth natural size.]

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

Plate XLV. Figure 324.--Polyporus Berkeleyi.