The Mushroom, Edible and Otherwise. Miron Elisha Hard

stem is stuffed, ring descending, fugacious. Peck's 44th Report.

      This species differs from Amanita cæsarea in having an even margin and a white stem. It is only a form of the cæsarea. The white stem will attract the attention of the collector.

Amanita solitaria. Bull.

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      The Solitary Amanita.

      Figure 17.—Amanita solitaria. Two-thirds natural size, showing the peculiar veil.

      Figure 18.—Amanita solitaria. Two-thirds natural size, showing scaly cap and stem.

      Plate II. Figure 19.—Amanita solitaria.

       Natural size, showing scaly cap and stem, plant white.

      Solitary, growing alone. I have found this plant in various parts of the state and have always found them growing alone. In Poke Hollow, where I found the specimens in the illustrations, I found several on the hillside on different occasions, but I have never found them growing in groups. It is quite large in size, white or whitish, very woolly or floccose. Usually the cap, stem, and the gills are covered with a floccose substance which will serve to identify the species. This fluffy exterior adheres readily to your hands or clothing. The cap is sometimes tinged with brown, but the flesh is white and smells quite strong, not unlike chloride of lime. The annulus is frequently torn from the stem and is found adhering to the margin of the cap.

      The pileus is from three to five inches broad, or more, when fully expanded, at first globose to hemispherical, as will be seen in Figures 17 and 18, convex, or plane, warty, white or whitish, the pointed scales being easily rubbed off, or washed off by heavy rains, these scales varying in size from small granules to quite large conical flakes, and differing in condition and color in different plants.

      The gills are free, or are not attached by the upper part, the edges are frequently floccose where they are torn from the slight connection with the[Pg 30]

       [Pg 31] upper surface of the veil; white, or slightly tinged with cream-color, broad.

      The stem is four to eight inches high, solid, becoming stuffed when old, bulbous, rooting deep in the soil, very scaly, ventricose sometimes in young plants, white, very mealy. Volva friable. Ring, large, lacerated, usually hanging to the margin of the cap, but in Figure 19 it adheres to the stem.

      This is a large and beautiful plant in the woods, and easily identified because of its floccose nature and the large bulb at the base of the stem. It is not so warty and the odor is not nearly so strong as the Amanita strobiliformis. It is edible but very great caution should be used to be sure of your species. Found from July to October in woods and roadsides.

Amanita radicata. Pk.

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      Figure 20.—Amanita radicata. Two-thirds natural size, showing scaly cap, bulbous stem and root broken off and peculiar veil.

      Radicata means furnished with a root. The root of the specimen in Figure 20 was broken off in getting it out of the ground.

      The pileus is subglobose, becoming convex, dry, verrucose, white, margin even, flesh firm, white, odor resembling that of chloride of lime.

      The gills are close, free, white.

      The stem is solid, deeply radicating, swollen at the base or bulbous, floccose or mealy at the top, white; veil thin, floccose, or mealy, white, soon lacerated and attached in fragments to the margin of the pileus or evanescent. The spores are broadly elliptic, 7.5–10µ long, 6–7µ broad. Peck.

      This is quite a large and beautiful plant, very closely related to Amanita strobiliformis, but readily distinguished from it because of its white color, its clearly radiating stem, and small spores. The stem shows to be bulbous and the cap covered with warts. I found the plant frequently in Poke Hollow and on Ralston's Run. July and August.

      Figure 21.—Amanita radicata.

Amanita strobiliformis. Fr.

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      The Fir-cone Amanita.

      Plate III. Figure 22.—Amanita strobiliformis.

       Young plant showing veil covering the entire gill-surface of the plant. Cap covered with persistent warts, stem rough and rooting, odor strong of chloride of lime.

      Plate IV. Figure 23.—Amanita strobiliformis.

       Showing long root.

      Strobiliformis means fir-cone form; so called from the similarity of its undeveloped form to that of the strobile of the pine.

      The pileus is six to eight inches broad, when young, subglobose, then convex, expanded, nearly plane, with persistent warts, white, ash-color, sometimes yellow on the cap, the margin even and extending beyond the gills; warts hard, angular, pointed, white; flesh white, compact.

      The gills are free, crowded, rounded, white, becoming yellow.

      The stem is five to eight inches long, frequently longer, tapering upward, floccosely scaly, bulbous, rooting beyond the bulb; ring large, torn; volva forming concentric rings. The spores are 13–14×8–9µ.

      This is one of the most stately plants in the woods. It is said to be edible, but the strong pungent odor, like chloride of lime, has deterred me from eating it. This, however, is said to disappear in cooking. It grows to be very large. Dr. Kellerman and I found a specimen in Haynes's Hollow whose stem measured over eleven inches, and cap nine inches. It is found in open woods and wood margins. Great caution should be used before the plant is eaten to know it beyond doubt. Found July to October.

Amanita mappa. Fr.

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      The Delicate Amanita. Poisonous.

      Figure 24.—Amanita mappa. Natural size, showing long smooth stem, cap yellowish-white and ring.

      Mappa means a napkin, so called from the volva. The pileus is two to three inches broad, convex, then expanded, plane, obtuse or depressed, without separable cuticle; margin nearly even; white or yellowish, usually with patches of the volva dry.

      The gills are adnexed, close, narrow, shining, white.

      The stem is two to three inches long, stuffed, then hollow, cylindrical, nearly smooth, bulbous, nearly globose at the base, white, almost equal above the bulb.

      The volva with its free