The Mushroom, Edible and Otherwise Part 99

_Spathularia flavida. Pers._

THE YELLOW SPATHULARIA. EDIBLE.

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

Figure 424.--Spathularia flavida.]

The spore body is a clear yellow, sometimes tinged with red, shaped like a spathula, the apex blunt, sometimes slightly cleft, the surface wavy, somewhat crisp, growing down the stem on opposite sides further than V.

velutipes.

The stem is thick, hollow, white, then tinged with yellow, slightly compressed; asci clavate, apex somewhat pointed, 8-spored; spores arranged in parallel fascicles, hyaline, linear-clavate, usually very slightly bent, 50-603.5-4; paraphyses filiform, septate, often branched, tips not thickened, wavy. While this is a beautiful plant it is not common. Found in August and September.

_Spathularia velutipes. C. & F._

VELVET-FOOT SPATHULARIA. EDIBLE.

Velutipes is from _velutum_, velvet; _pes_, foot.

The spore body is flattened, shaped like a spathula, spore surface wavy, growing on the opposite sides of the upper part of the stem, tawny-yellow. The stem is hollow, minutely downy or velvety, dark brown tinged with yellow. It will dry quite as well as Morch.e.l.la. It is found in damp woods on mossy logs. It is not a common plant. Found in August and September.

_Leotia. Hill._

Receptacle pileate. Pileus...o...b..cular, margin involute, free from the stem, smooth, hymenium covering upper surface.

The stem is hollow, central, rather long, continuous with pileus; the whole plant greenish-yellow.

Asci club-shaped, pointed, 8-spored. The spores are elliptical and hyaline. The paraphyses are present, usually slender and round.

_Leotia lubrica. Pers._

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 425.--Leotia lubrica.]

Lubrica means slippery; so called because the plants are usually slimy.

The pileus is irregularly hemispherical, somewhat wrinkled, inflated, wavy, margin obtuse, free from the stem, yellowish olive-green, tremelloid.

The stem is one to three inches long, nearly equal, hollow, and continuous with the cap; greenish-yellow, covered with small white granules.

The asci are cylindrical, slightly pointed at the apex, 8-spored. The spores are oblong, hyaline, smooth, sometimes slightly curved, 22-255. The paraphyses are slender, round, hyaline.

The plants are gregarious and grow among moss or among leaves in the woods. This species is quite plentiful about Chillicothe. It is distinguished from Leotia chlorocephala by the color of its stem and cap. The color of the latter is green or dark green. They are found from July to frost. They are edible but not choice.

_Leotia chlorocephala. Schw._

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 426.--Leotia chlorocephala.]

Chlorocephala means green head. However, the entire plant is green.

They grow in cl.u.s.ters, pileus round, depressed, somewhat translucent, more or less waxy, margin incurved, dark-verdigris-green, sometimes rather dark-green.

The stem is rather short, almost equal; green, but often paler than the cap, covered with fine powdery dust, often twisted.

Asci cylindric-clavate, apex rather narrowed, 8-spored, spores smooth, hyaline, ends acute, often slightly curved, 17-205.

The specimens in Figure 426 were found in Purgatory Swamp, near Boston, by Mrs. Blackford. Both cap and stem were a deep verdigris-green. They were sent to me during the warm weather of August.

_Peziza. Linn._

Peziza means stalkless mushroom. This is a large genus of discomycetous fungi in which the hymenium lines the cavity of a fleshy membranous or waxy cup. They are attached to the ground, decaying wood, or other substances, by the center, though sometimes they are distinctly stalked.

They are often beautifully colored and are called fairy cups, blood cups, and cup fungi. They are all cup-or saucer-shaped; externally warted, scurvy or smooth; asci cylindrical, 8-spored. The genus is large. Prof. Peck reports 150 species. Found early in spring till early winter.

_Peziza acetabulum. Linn._

RETICULATED PEZIZA. EDIBLE.

Acetabulum, a small cup or vinegar cup. The spore-bearing body stipitate, cup-shaped, dingy, ribbed externally with branching veins, which run up from the short, pitted and hollow stem; mouth somewhat contracted; light umber without and darker within. Found on the ground in the spring.

_Peziza badia. Pers._

LARGE BROWN PEZIZA. EDIBLE.

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

Figure 427.--Peziza badia.]

Gregarious in its habits; sessile, or narrowed into a very short stout stem, more or less pitted; nearly round and closed at first, then expanded until cup-shaped; margin at first involute; externally covered with a frost-like bloom; disk darker than the external surface, very changeable in color; lobes more or less split and wavy, somewhat thick; spore-sacs cylindrical, apex truncante, sporidia oblong-ovate, epispore rough, 8-spored. Found on the ground in the gra.s.s or by the roadside in open woods. I found my first specimens in a clearing at Salem, but I have since found it at several points in the state. It should be fresh when eaten.

_Peziza coccinea. Jacq._

THE CARMINE PEZIZA.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 428.--Peziza coccinea. One-third natural size.]

Coccinea means scarlet or crimson. Usually growing two or three on the same stick, the color is a very pure and beautiful scarlet, attractive to children; school children frequently bring me specimens, curious to know what they are. Specimens not large, disk clear and pure carmine within, externally white, as is the stem; tomentose, with short, adpressed down; sporidia oblong, 8-spored. It is readily recognized by the pure carmine disk and whitish tomentose exterior. It is found in damp woods on decayed sticks, being very common all over the state.

_Peziza odorata. Pk._

THE ODOROUS PEZIZA. EDIBLE.

Gregarious in its habits. Cup yellowish, sessile, translucent, becoming dull brown when old, brittle when fresh, flesh moist and watery; the frame of the cup is separable into two layers; the outer one is rough, while the inner one is smooth. The disk is yellowish-brown. The asci are cylindrical, opening by a lid. On ground in cellars, about barns and outbuildings. A very beautiful cl.u.s.ter grew upon a water-bucket in my stable. The cups were quite large, two and a half to three inches across. Its odor is distinctive. It is very similar to Peziza Petersii from which it is distinguished by its larger spores and peculiar odor.