Part 26
=P. pelli´tus= Fr. =Pileus= 1–2 in. across. =Flesh= thin, soft, white, convex then plane, somewhat umbonate, regular, silky-fibrous, dry, white. =Gills= free, rounded behind, crowded, 1½ line broad, ventricose, white then flesh-color, margin slightly toothed. =Stem= about 2 in. long, 2–3 lines thick, slightly thickened at the base, even, glabrous, shining, white, stuffed. =Spores= elliptical, smooth, 10×6µ.
Among grass at the roots of trees, etc.
Our only Pluteus with a pure white, even pileus and stem. Superficially resembling Entoloma prunuloides, which differs in the broadly emarginate—not free—gills, and in the strong smell of new meal. _Massee._
Mt. Gretna, Pa., October, 1898. _McIlvaine._
=Pileus= up to 3 in. across. =Gills= ¼ in. broad, free, moist, imbricated. =Stem= up to 5 in. long, easily detachable from cap, solid, juicy, solitary and cespitose. On very old sawdust, upon which grass was growing.
Tender, excellent.
** _Pileus frosted, etc._
=P. granula´ris= Pk.—sprinkled with grains. =Pileus= convex or nearly plane, subumbonate, _rugose-wrinkled, granulose or granulose-villose_, varying in color from yellow to brown. =Lamellæ= rather broad, crowded, ventricose, whitish, then flesh colored. =Stem= equal, solid, colored like the pileus, often paler at the top, _velvety-pubescent_, rarely scaly. =Spores= subglobose or broadly elliptical, 6.5–8×5–6.5µ.
=Plant= 1.5–3 in. high. =Pileus= 1–2 in. broad. =Stem= 1–2 lines thick.
Decaying wood and prostrate trunks in woods. Hilly and mountainous districts. June to September.
The species is closely related to P. cervinus and P. umbrosus, but is readily distinguished from them by the peculiar vesture of the pileus and stem. The granules are so minute and so close that they form a sort of plush on the pileus, more dense on the disk and radiating wrinkles than elsewhere. The clothing of the stem is finer, and has a velvety-pubescent appearance, but in some instances it breaks up into small scales or squamules. The color of the pileus and stem is usually some shade of yellow or brown, but occasionally a grayish hue predominates. The darker color of the granules imparts a dingy or smoky tinge to the general color. The disk is often darker than the rest of the pileus. _Peck_, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.
West Virginia mountains. Eagle’s Mere and Springton Hills, Pa.
Frequent. July to October, on decaying wood. _McIlvaine._
P. granularis is a much smaller species than P. cervinus and its allies. At Eagle’s Mere, Pa., August, 1898, it was quite plentiful in mixed woods. Its caps are excellent.
*** _Pileus naked._
=P. admira´bilis= Pk.—admirable. =Pileus= thin, convex or expanded, generally broadly umbonate, glabrous, _rugose-reticulated_, moist or hygrophanous, striatulate on the margin when moist, often obscurely striate when dry, yellow or brown. =Lamellæ= close, broad, rounded behind, ventricose, whitish or yellowish, then flesh-colored. =Stem= slender, glabrous, _hollow_, equal or slightly thickened at the base, yellow or yellowish white, with a white mycelium. =Spores= subglobose or broadly elliptical, 6.5–8×6.5µ.
Var. _fus´cus_. =Pileus= brown or yellowish-brown.
=Plant= 1–2 in. high. =Pileus= 6–10 lines broad. =Stem= .5–1 line thick.
Decaying wood and prostrate trunks in forests. Common in hilly and mountainous districts. July to September.
This beautiful Pluteus is closely related to P. chrysophlebius B. and R., a southern species, which, according to the description, has the veins of the pileus darker colored than the rest of the surface and the stem enlarged above and hairy at the base, characters not shown by our plant.
In our plant small young specimens sometimes have the stem solid, but when fully developed it is hollow, though the cavity is small. This character, with its small size, distinguishes it from P. leoninus. _Peck_, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.
Springton Hills, Chester county, Pa., Mt. Gretna, Pa. Frequent. June to frost. _McIlvaine._
Possesses the same rare edible qualities as P. cervinus, P. umbrosus. The caps, only, are tender.
=P. chrysophæ´us= Schaeff. _Gr_—gold. =Pileus= 1–2½ in. across. =Flesh= very thin except at the disk, bell-shaped then expanded, glabrous, naked, slightly wrinkled, margin striate, cinnamon-color. =Gills= free, 2–3 lines broad, whitish then pale salmon-color. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, 2–3 lines thick, whitish, glabrous, equal, more or less hollow.
On beech trunks, etc.
Resembling P. leoninus in size, but differing in the cinnamon color of the pileus, which is often obtusely umbonate. _Massee._
=Spores= 5µ _W.P._
Haddonfield, N.J. June to October, beech roots and trunks. _McIlvaine._
Excellent.
=ENTOLO´MA= Fr.
_Gr_—within; _Gr_—a fringe. (Probably referring to the innate character of the pseudo veil.)
=Pileus= rather fleshy, margin incurved, without a distinct veil. =Stem= fleshy or fibrous, soft, sometimes waxy, continuous with the flesh of the pileus. =Gills= _sinuate_, adnexed, often separating from the stem. =Spores= rosy, elliptical, smooth or subglobose and coarsely warted.
Corresponding in structure with Tricholoma, Hebeloma and Hypholoma; separated from other rosy-spored genera by the sinuate gills.
About twenty species of Entoloma are given in the states; of them seventeen are described by Professor Peck, as found in New York. I have not found a single species in sufficient quantity to test its edibility.
Two of the European species, E. sinuata Fr. and E. livida Bull., are reputed to be very poisonous, producing headache, dizziness, vomiting, etc. Worthington Smith ate ¼ oz., which nearly proved fatal.
Professor Peck reports a species, E. grande Pk., which he considers suspicious.
Even the reported poisonous species have a pleasant odor corresponding to those of the esculent species. This makes them the more deceptive and dangerous. The pinkish or flesh-colored spores and gills distinguish Entoloma from Hebeloma, which has brown spores, and Tricholoma, which has white. Pluteus, which has pink spores and gills, is readily separated from it.
Great caution should be observed. Entolomas should be thrown away or carefully tested.
ANALYSIS OF TRIBES.
GENUI´NI (genuine, typical species). Page 251.
Pileus smooth, moist or viscid; not hygrophanous.
LEPTONI´DEI (inclining to Leptonia).
Pileus flocculose or squamulose; absolutely dry.
NOLANI´DEI (inclining to Nolanea). Page 252.
Pileus thin, hygrophanous, somewhat silky when dry.
I.—GENUI´NI.
=E. gran´de= Pk.—=Pileus= fleshy, thin toward the margin, glabrous, nearly plane when mature, commonly broadly umbonate and rugosely wrinkled about the umbo, moist in wet weather, dingy yellowish-white verging to brownish or grayish-brown. =Flesh= white, odor and flavor farinaceous. =Lamellæ= broad, subdistant, slightly adnexed, becoming free or nearly so, often wavy or uneven on the edge, whitish becoming flesh-colored with maturity. =Stem= equal or nearly so, solid, somewhat fibrous externally, mealy at the top, white. =Spores= angular, 3–10µ.
=Pileus= 4–6 in. broad. =Stem= 4–6 in. long, 8–12 lines thick.
Thin mixed woods. Menands. August.
The flavor of this mushroom is not at first disagreeable, but an unpleasant burning sensation is left in the mouth for a considerable time after tasting. It is therefore to be regarded with suspicion. _Peck_, 50th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.
SUSPICIOUS. I have not seen this species. It is given that it may be guarded against until tested for edibility.
(Plate LXII.)
=E. sinua´tum= Fr.—waved. =Pileus= 6 in. broad, _becoming yellow-white_, very fleshy, _convex then expanded_, at first gibbous, at length depressed, repand and sinuate at the margin. =Stem= 3–6 in. long, 1 in. thick, _solid_, firm, stout, equal, compact, _at first fibrillose_, then smooth, naked, shining white. =Gills= _emarginate_, slightly adnexed, ½-¾ in. broad, crowded, distinct, pale yellowish-red. _Fries._
Gregarious, compact, handsome.
Odor _strong, pleasant, almost like that of burnt sugar_, not of new meal. The pileus becomes broken into squamules when dry. There is a variety with a shorter stem.
In mixed woods. Uncommon. July to October.
The gills are often irregular in their attachment. Very poisonous; producing headache, swimming of the brain, stomach pains, vomiting, etc. Worthington Smith, who first experimented with it, ate about ¼ oz., which very nearly proved fatal. _Stevenson._
=Spores= 9µ _W.G.S._
Rhode Island, _Olney_ (Curtis Am. Jour.); Massachusetts, _Sprague_; Connecticut, _Wright_; Minnesota, _Johnson_; New York, _Peck_, Rep. 35.
“This and E. fertilis, which are closely allied, are deserving of more than suspicion, for they are veritably dangerous.” _Cooke._
“Wholesome and very good to eat.” _Cordier._
In the presence of such opposite opinions it is better to choose the safer. Do not eat it.
=E. prunulo´ides= Fr.—_prunus_, a plum. =Pileus= 2 in. and more broad, whitish, becoming yellow or livid, fleshy, _bell-shaped then convex_, at length flattened, somewhat umbonate, unequal (but not repand), even, _viscid_, smooth, at length longitudinally cracked, at length slightly striate at margin. =Stem= 3 in. long, 3–4 lines thick, fibrous-fleshy, solid, equal, even or slightly striate, smooth, naked, white. =Gills= somewhat free, emarginate, rarely rounded, at first only slightly adnexed, 3–4 lines broad, crowded, ventricose, white then flesh-color. _Fries._
_Odor strong of new meal_, wholly that of A. prunulus. Very scattered in growth. Like A. lividus, but very different, thrice as small. It differs entirely from A. cervinus.
On the ground in woods. Autumn. =Spores= subglobose, coarsely warted, 10µ _Massee_; regularly six-angled or one angle more marked, 8µ _B._; 9µ _W.P._
North Carolina, dry swamps, _Curtis_; Minnesota, _Johnson_.
POISONOUS. _Roze._
I have not seen this species. Do not eat it before carefully testing.
III.—NOLANI´DEI.
_Pileus thin, hygrophanous, repand, etc._
=E. clypea´tum= _Linn._—resembling a shield. =Pileus= as much as 3 in. broad, _lurid_ when moist, when dry gray and _variegated or streaked with darker spots or lines_, fleshy, _bell-shaped then flattened_, umbonate, smooth, fragile. =Flesh= thin, white when dry. =Stem= almost 3 in. long, 3–4 lines and more thick, stuffed, at length hollow, _wholly fibrous_, equal, round, fragile, _longitudinally fibrillose_, becoming ash-colored, pulverulent at the very apex. =Gills= _rounded-adnexed_, separating-free, 3–4 lines broad, ventricose, somewhat distant, dingy, then red-pulverulent with the spores, serrulated at the edge chiefly behind.
It has occurred in May cespitose; better developed and solitary in the end of August.
In woods, gardens and waste places. Frequent. Spring, autumn. _Stevenson._
North Carolina, _Schweinitz_, _Curtis_; Ohio, _Morgan_; New England, _Frost_; California, _H. and M._; Rhode Island, _Bennett_; New York, _Peck_, Rep. 23.
POISONOUS. _Leuba._
I have not seen this species. It should not be eaten before careful testing.
=E. rhodopo´lium= Fr. _Gr_—rose; _Gr_—gray. =Pileus= 2–5 in. broad, hygrophanous, when moist dingy-brown (young) or livid, becoming pale (when full grown), _when dry isabelline-livid, silky-shining_, slightly-fleshy, bell-shaped when young, then expanded and somewhat umbonate or gibbous, at length rather plane and sometimes depressed, _fibrillose_ when young, _smooth when full grown_, margin at the first bent inwards and when larger undulated. =Flesh= white. =Stem= 2–4 in. long, 3–5 lines thick, _hollow_, equal when smaller, when larger attenuated upwards and _white-pruinate at the apex_, otherwise _smooth_, slightly striate, _white_. =Gills= adnate then separating, somewhat sinuate, slightly distant, 2–4 lines broad, _white then rose-color_. _Fries._
Fragile, commonly large and often handsome, almost inodorous.
In mixed woods. Frequent. August to October.
=Spores= pretty regular, 8–10×6–8µ _B._; 7µ _W.G.S._
New England, _Frost_; Minnesota, _Johnson_; Iowa, _Br[oe]ndle_; Rhode Island, _Bennett_; Ohio, _Morgan_; New York, _Peck_, Rep. 23d, 38th, A. rhodopolius, var. umbilicatus Pk., the same as Clitopilus subvilis Pk., Rep. 40.
Edible. _Paulet._ Edible. _Cooke._
FIG. PAGE. FIG. PAGE.
1. CLITOPILUS ABORTIVUS, 257 4. CLITOPILUS PRUNULUS, 255
2. CLITOPILUS ABORTIVUS 256 5. CLITOPILUS PRUNULUS 255 (ABORTED), (SECTION),
3. CLITOPILUS ABORTIVUS 258 (ABORTED) (SECTION),
=CLITOPI´LUS= Fr.
_Gr_—a declivity; _Gr_—a cap.
(Plate LXIV.)
=Pileus= more or less excentric or regular, margin at first involute. =Gills= more or less decurrent, never sinuate nor seceding from the stem, salmon-color. =Stem= fleshy or fibrous, not polished and cartilaginous externally, central, expanded upward into the flesh of the pileus. =Spores= smooth or warted.
Closely resembling Eccilia, differing mostly in the stem not being cartilaginous at the surface. Distinguished from Entoloma by the gills not being sinuate.
Agrees in structure with Clitocybe in the Leucosporæ. _Massee._
Growing on the ground, often strong smelling. Caps usually depressed or umbilicate and waved on margin.
Some of the best of edible kinds are within this genus; a few are unpleasant raw, none poisonous.
Most authors follow Fries in the arrangement of the species, dividing them into two groups, the Orcelli, distinguished by deeply decurrent gills and an irregular, scarcely hygrophanous pileus, with the margin at first flocculose; and Sericelli, distinguished by adnate or slightly decurrent gills and a regular silky or hygrophanous-silky pileus with a naked margin. This arrangement is not strictly applicable to some of our species. C. abortivus, C. erythrosporus and C. Noveaboracensis have the gills deeply decurrent in some individuals, adnate or slightly decurrent in others, and therefore the same species might be sought in both groups. For this reason the primary grouping of our species has been made to depend upon the variation in the spore colors. By far the greater number of our species appear to be peculiar to this country, only two of them occurring also in Europe.
ANALYSIS OF SPECIES.
Spores and mature gills flesh-colored 1
Spores and mature gills rosy-red 9
Spores very pale flesh-colored 10
1. Pileus hygrophanous 8
1. Pileus not hygrophanous 2
2. Pileus gray or grayish-brown 5
2. Pileus some other color 3
3. Pileus white or whitish 4
3. Pileus pale tan-color C. pascuensis
4. Pileus firm, dry, pruinate C. prunulus
4. Pileus soft, slightly viscid when moist C. Orcella
5. Pileus large, more than 1.5 in. broad C. abortivus
5. Pileus small, less than 1.5 in. broad 6
6. Spores even C. unitinctus
6. Spores angular 7
7. Stem longer than the width of the zoneless C. albogriseus pileus
7. Stem shorter than the width of the commonly C. micropus zonate pileus
8. Pileus brown or grayish-brown C. subvilis
8. Pileus white or yellowish-white C. Woodianus
9. Stem colored like the pileus C. erythrosporus
9. Stem white, paler than the pileus C. conissans
10. Pileus even 11
10. Pileus rivulose C. Noveboracensis
11. Stems cespitose, solid C. cæspitosus
11. Stems not cespitose, hollow C. Seymourianus
_Peck_, 42d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.
SPORES FLESH-COLOR.
_A._ SPORES EVEN.
=C. pru´nulus= Scop.—_prunus_, plum. (Plate LXIII, fig. 4, 5, p. 254.) =Pileus= fleshy, _compact_, at first convex and regular, then repand, _dry_, _pruinate_, white or ashy-white. =Flesh= white, unchangeable, with a pleasant farinaceous odor. =Gills= deeply decurrent, subdistant, flesh-colored. =Stem= solid, naked, striate, white. =Spores= subelliptical, pointed at each end, 10–11×5–6µ.
=Pileus= 1.5–3 in. broad. =Stem= 1–2 in. long, 3–4 lines thick.
Woods.
Not abundant, but edible, and said to be delicious and one of the best of the esculent species. _Peck_, 42d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.
June to October. Most plentiful in August and September.
Very plentiful in oak woods at Angora, West Philadelphia, moderate crops at Mt. Gretna, Pa.
An abortive form (see Plate LXIII, fig. 2, 3, p. 254) occurs not distinguishable from that of Armillaria mellea. It grows singly and in tufts, very variable in shape, white, tinged with brown on ruptured surfaces. This form equals its original.
C. prunulus has a strong smell of fresh meal. It is a delicious species.
Stew. It is one of the very best in patties, croquettes, etc.
(Plate LXV.)
=C. Orcel´la= Bull.—=Pileus= fleshy, _soft_, plane or slightly depressed, often irregular, even when young, _slightly silky, somewhat viscid when moist_, white or yellowish-white. =Flesh= white, taste and odor farinaceous. =Gills= deeply decurrent, _close_, whitish then flesh-colored. =Stem= short, solid, flocculose, often eccentric, thickened above, white. =Spores= elliptical, 9–10×5µ.
Generally a little smaller than the preceding species, softer and more irregular, but so closely allied that by some it is considered a mere variety of it. It is said to be edible and of delicate flavor. It occurs in wet weather in pastures and open places. _Peck_, 42d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.
Grows in oak woods, Angora, West Philadelphia; Mt. Gretna, Pa.
Qualities same as C. prunulus. Delicious.
=C. pascuen´sis= Pk.—pasture. =Pileus= fleshy, compact, centrally depressed, _glabrous, reddish or pale yellowish_, the cuticle of the disk cracking into minute areas. =Gills= rather narrow, close, decurrent, whitish, becoming flesh-colored. =Stem= short, equal or tapering downward, solid, glabrous, colored like the pileus. =Spores= subelliptical, pale incarnate, 7.5–10×5–6µ.
=Pileus= 2–3 in. broad. =Stem= 8–18 lines long, 4–6 lines thick.
Pastures. Saratoga county.
The species is related to C. prunulus from which it is distinct by its shorter, paler spores, its glabrous pileus cracked in areas on the disk and tinged with red or yellowish and by its paler gills. From C. pseudo-orcella it differs in its glabrous pileus with no silky luster and in its closer gills. Its odor is obsolete but it has a farinaceous flavor. It is probably esculent, but has not been found in sufficient quantity to afford a test of qualities. _Peck_, 42d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.
=C. unitinct´us= Pk.—one-colored. =Pileus= thin, _submembranaceous_, flexible, convex or nearly plane, centrally depressed or umbilicate, glabrous, subshining, often concentrically rivulose, grayish or grayish-brown. =Flesh= whitish or grayish-white, odor obsolete, taste mild. =Gills= narrow, moderately close, _adnate or slightly decurrent_, colored like the pileus. =Stem= slender, straight or flexuous, subtenacious, equal, slightly pruinose, grayish-brown, with a close white myceloid tomentum at the base and white root-like fibers of mycelium permeating the soil. =Spores= elliptical, 7.5×5µ.
Var. _al´bidus_. Whitish or grayish-white, not rivulose. Gills broader. Spores brownish flesh-color.
=Pileus= 6–16 lines broad. Stem about 1 in. long, 1 line thick.
Woods of pine or balsam. Albany and Essex counties. Autumn.
The variety is a little paler than the typical form, with gills a little broader, but is probably not specifically distinct. _Peck_, 42d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.
I have not seen this species. Edibility not reported.
_B._ SPORES ANGULAR OR IRREGULAR.
1. _Pileus not hygrophanous._
=C. aborti´vus= B. and C.—abortive. (Plate LXIII, fig. 1, 2, 3, p. 254.) =Pileus= fleshy, firm, convex or nearly plane, regular or irregular, dry, _clothed with a minute silky tomentum_, becoming smooth with age, gray or grayish-brown. =Flesh= _white_, taste and odor subfarinaceous. =Gills= thin, close, slightly or deeply decurrent, at first whitish or pale gray, then flesh-colored. =Stem= nearly equal, solid, minutely flocculose, sometimes fibrous-striated, colored like or paler than the pileus. =Spores= irregular, 7.5–10×6.5µ.
=Pileus= 2–4 in. broad. =Stem= 1.5–3 in. long, 3–6 lines thick.
Ground and old prostrate trunks of trees in woods and open places. August and September.
Our species has been found to be edible, but its flavor is scarcely as agreeable as that of some other species. _Peck_, 42d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.
It requires longer cooking than C. prunulus, and is then quite equal in excellence.
The fungus is so named because of the abortive form of it frequently found associated with it. This is faithfully portrayed on Plate LXIII. This is in every way similar to the aborted forms of C. prunulus and Armillaria mellea.
Both forms plentiful near Philadelphia. The undeveloped masses are also similar to those of C. prunulus.
The abortive form is a superior edible to the original.
=C. popina´lis= Fr.—_popina_, a cook-shop. =Pileus= 1–2 in. across, flesh thin, flaccid, convex then depressed, somewhat wavy, glabrous, opaque, gray, spotted and marbled. =Flesh= grayish-white, unchangeable. =Gills= very decurrent, broader than the thickness of the flesh of the pileus, lanceolate, crowded, dark-gray, at length reddish from the spores. =Stem= stuffed, 1–2 in. long, 2 lines thick, equal, often flexuous, naked, paler than the pileus. =Spores= subglobose, slightly angular, 4–5µ _Massee_.
Solitary or gregarious, smell pleasant like new meal, entirely gray. _Fries._
Woods. Gansevoort. July. The whole plant is of a grayish color except the mature gills, which have a flesh-colored hue, and the base of the stem, which is clothed with a white tomentum. It has a farinaceous odor. _Peck_, 51st Rep. N.Y. State Bot.
Scattered. Mt. Gretna, Pa. September to November. _McIlvaine._
Edible, pleasant.
=C. carneo-al´bus= Wither.—light flesh color. =Pileus= up to 1 in. across, convex then expanded, center becoming depressed and the margin drooping, even, polished, white, the disk becoming usually tinged with red. =Flesh= thin. =Gills= slightly decurrent, 1 line broad, crowded, salmon color. =Stem= 1–1½ in. long, 1 line thick, about equal, solid, white. =Spores= globose, nodulose, 7–8µ diameter.
Inodorous; gregarious.
In the section given in Cke. Illustr., the stem is represented as being distinctly hollow. _Massee._
New York, shaded ground. June. _Peck_, 45th Rep.
=C. al´bogri´seus= Pk.—pale-gray. =Pileus= firm, convex or slightly depressed, _glabrous_, pale-gray, odor farinaceous. =Gills= moderately close, adnate or slightly decurrent, grayish then flesh-colored. =Stem= solid, colored like the pileus. =Spores= angular or irregular, 10–11×7.5µ.
=Pileus= 6–12 lines broad. =Stem= 1.5–2.5 in. long, 1–2 lines thick.
Woods. Adirondack mountains. August. _Peck_, 42d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.
Scattered. Mt. Gretna, Pa., woods. August to October. _McIlvaine._
Edible, pleasant.