The Mushroom, Edible and Otherwise Part 9

THE AMERICAN LEPIOTA. EDIBLE.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 34.--Lepiota americana. Center of disk red or reddish-brown, stem frequently swollen. Plant turning red when drying.]

This plant is quite common about Chillicothe, especially upon sawdust piles. It grows both singly and in cl.u.s.ters. The umbonate cap is adorned with reddish or reddish-brown scales except on the center where the color is uniformly reddish or reddish-brown because the surface is not broken up into scales; gills close, free, white, ventricose; stem smooth, enlarged at the base. In some plants the base of the stem is abnormally large; ring white, inclined to be delicate.

Wounds and bruises are apt to a.s.sume brownish-red hues. Dr. Herbst says: "This is truly an American plant, not being found in any other country.

This is the pride of the family. There is nothing more beautiful than a cl.u.s.ter of this fungi. To look over the beautiful scaly pileus is a sight equally as fascinating as a covey of quail."

Found in gra.s.sy lawns and on old sawdust piles, in common with Pluteus cervinus. It is found almost all over the state. It is quite equal to the Parasol mushroom in flavor. It has a tendency to turn the milk or cream in which it is cooked to a reddish color. It is found from June to October. Mr. Lloyd suggests the name Lepiota Bodhami. It is the same as the European plant L. haematosperma. Bull.

_Lepiota Morgani. Pk._

IN HONOR OF PROF. MORGAN.

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

Plate VII. Figure 35.--Lepiota morgani.

Entire plant white or brownish-white. Gills white at first then greenish.]

Pileus fleshy, soft, at first subglobose, then expanded or even depressed, white, the brownish or yellowish cuticule breaking up into scales on the disk; gills close, lanceolate, remote, white, then green; stem firm, equal or tapering upward, subbulbous, smooth, webby-stuffed, whitish tinged with brown; ring rather large, movable as you will observe in Figure 35. Flesh of both pileus and stem white, changing to a reddish, then to yellowish hue when cut or bruised. Spores ovate or subelliptical, mostly uninucleate, sordid green. 10-137-8. Peck.

This plant is very abundant about Chillicothe and I found it equally so at Sidney. I have known several families to eat of it, making about half of the children in each family sick. I regard it as a dangerous plant to eat. It grows very large and I have seen it growing in well marked rings a rod in diameter. If you are in doubt whether the plant you have is Morgani or not, let it remain in the basket over night and you will plainly see that the gills are turning green. The gills are white until the spores begin to fall. The plant is found in pastures and sometimes in pasture woods. June to October.

_Lepiota granulosa. Batsch._

GRAINY LEPIOTA. EDIBLE.

Granulosa--from granosus, full of grains. Pileus thin, convex or nearly plain, sometimes almost umbonate, rough, with numerous granular scales, often radiately wrinkled, rusty-yellow or reddish-yellow, often growing paler with age. Flesh white or reddish tinged. Gills close, rounded behind and usually slightly adnexed, white. Stem equal or slightly thickened at the base, stuffed or hollow, white above the ring, colored and adorned like the pileus below it. Ring slight and evanescent. Spores elliptical, .00016 to .0002 inch long, .00012 to .00014 inch broad.

Plant one to two and one-fifth inches high; pileus one to two and one-fifth inches broad; stem one to three lines thick. Common in woods, copses, and waste places. August to October.

"This is a small species with a short stem and granular reddish-yellow pileus, and gills slightly attached to the stem. The annulus is very small and fugacious, being little more than the abrupt termination to the coating of the stem. The species was formerly made to include several varieties which are now regarded as distinct."--Peck's Report.

Found in the open woods about Salem, Ohio. The plant is small but quite meaty and of a pleasing quality.

_Lepiota cristatella. Pk._

Pileus thin, convex, sub.u.mbonate, minutely mealy, especially on the margin, white disk slightly tinged with pink.

Gills close, rounded behind, free, white; stem slender, whitish, hollow; spores subelliptical, .0002 inch long.

Mossy places in woods. October.--_Peck's Report_. No one will fail to recognize the crested Lepiota the moment he sees it. It has many of the ear marks of the Lepiota family.

_Lepiota granosa. Morg._

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

Plate VIII. Figure 36.--Lepiota granosa.]

Granosa means covered with granules.

The pileus is convex, obtuse or umbonate, even, radiately rugose-wrinkled, generally even and regular on the margin, reddish-yellow or light bay.

The gills are attached to the stem, slightly decurrent, somewhat crowded, whitish, then reddish-yellow.

The stem is thickened at the base, tapering toward the cap, flesh of the stem is yellow. The veil is membranous and forms a persistent ring on the stem.

It grows on decayed wood. I found it in large quant.i.ties, and tried to make it L. granulosa, but I found it fit better L. amianthinus, which it resembles very closely, but it is much larger and its habit is not the same. I was not satisfied with this description and sent the specimens to Prof. Atkinson, who set me right. It is a beautiful plant found on decayed wood in September and October.

_Lepiota cepaestipes. Sow._

THE ONION STEMMED LEPIOTA. EDIBLE.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 37.--Lepiota cepaestipes. Pileus thin, white or yellowish.]

Cepaestipes is from cepa, an onion and stipes, a stem, Pileus is thin at first ovate, then bell-shaped or expanded, umbonate, soon adorned with numerous minute brownish scales, which are often granular or mealy, folded into lines on the margin, white or yellow, the umbo darker.

The gills are thin, close, free, white, becoming dingy with age or drying.

The stem is rather long, tapering toward the apex, generally enlarged in the middle or near the base, hollow. The ring is thin and subpersistent.

The spores are subelliptical, with a single nucleus, 8-105-8.

The plants often cespitose, two to four inches high. Pileus is one to two inches broad. It is found in rich ground and decomposing vegetable matter. It is also found in graperies and conservatories. _Peck._

This plant derives its specific name from the resemblance of its stem to that of the seed-stalk of an onion. One form has a yellow or yellowish cap, while the other has a white or fair cap. It seems to delight to grow in well rotted sawdust piles and hot houses. The specimens represented in Figure 37 were collected in Cleveland and photographed by Prof. H. C. Beardslee.

_Lepiota acutesquamosa. Wein._

THE SQUARROSE LEPIOTA. EDIBLE.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 38.--Lepiota acutesquamosa. Two-thirds natural size, showing small pointed scales.]

Acutesquamosa is from _acutus_, sharp, and _squama_, a scale; so called from the many bristling, erect scales on the pileus. The pileus is two to three inches broad, fleshy, convex, obtuse, or broadly umbonate; pale rusty with numerous small pointed scales, which are usually larger and more numerous at the disk.

The gills are free, crowded, simple, white or yellowish.

The stem is two to three inches or more long; stuffed or hollow, tapering upward slightly from a swollen base; below the ring rough or silky, pruinose above, ring large. The spores are 7-84.

They are found in the woods, in gardens, and frequently in greenhouses.

There is a slight difference between the specimens growing in the woods and those in the greenhouse. In the latter the p.u.b.escent covering is less dense and the erect scales are more numerous than in the former. In older specimens these scales fall off and leave small scars on the cap where they were attached. The specimens in Figure 38 were gathered in Michigan and were photographed by Dr. Fisher of Detroit.