Toadstools, mushrooms, fungi, edible and poisonous; one thousand American fungi

=C. cornucopoi´des= Pers.—_cornu_ and _copiæ_, horn of plenty. (Plate CXXXVI, fig. 8, p. 508.) =Cap= dark sooty shades of gray or brown—shades of well-worn velveteen—1–2 in. across, whole plant from 2–4 in. high, trumpet-shaped, or like a funnel with its open mouth, plane, wavy, split or in folds. Substance very thin and either brittle or tough. The inside is sometimes minutely scaly, the opening extending to the base; outside, where the spores are borne, it has neither gills, pores nor protuberances, but a slightly uneven surface varying little in color. =Stem= obsolete or seldom noticeable. =Odor= slight. =Spores= pointed, 11–12×7–8µ _Massee_. Grows single, clustered or in troops along shaded roads, or from leaf mold and ground in woods. July to frost. Large patches, clustered, grow near stumps in moist places on Botanic Creek, West Philadelphia. It is plentiful near Haddonfield, N. J., at Mt. Gretna, Pa., and many other places in the United States. It is not pleasant to look upon, because of its peculiar color, but when one gets used to it it has an attractiveness of its own. Its graceful shape, even its funereal hue and name—Trompet du Morte—are alluring. It dries well, and when moistened expands to its normal size. It is a first-class edible fungus. It should be stewed slowly until tender. =C. clava´tus= Fr.—_clava_, a club. =Pileus= 2 in. broad, somewhat light-yellowish, fleshy, _top-shape, truncate_ or depressed, flexuous, unpolished, _attenuated into the solid stem_. =Flesh= thick, white. =Hymenium= even, then corrugated, purplish then changing color. _Fries._ =Spores= elliptical, pale-yellow, 10–12×4–5µ _Massee_. Professor Peck notes that the species so closely resembles Cantharellus cibarius that it might easily be mistaken for a deformed condition of it. The resemblance to the yellow forms of Clavaria pistillaria is marked. Massachusetts, _Sprague_, _Farlow_; New York, _Peck_, Rep. 32; West Virginia, Pennsylvania, _McIlvaine_. An excellent species. Its scarcity is regrettable. =C. du´bius= Pk. =Pileus= infundibuliform, subfibrillose, lurid-brown, pervious to the base, the margin generally wavy and lobed. =Hymenium= dark cinereous, rugose when moist, the minute crowded irregular folds abundantly anastomosing, nearly even when dry. =Stem= short. =Spores= broadly elliptical or subglobose, 6–7.5µ long. =Plant= simple or cespitose, 2–3 in. high. =Pileus= 1–2 in. broad. Ground under spruce trees. Adirondack mountains. August. In color this species bears some resemblance to Cantharellus cinereus. From Craterellus sinuosus it is separated by its pervious stem, and from C. cornucopoides by its more cespitose habit, paler color and smaller spores. _Peck_, 31st Rep. N.Y. State Bot. West Virginia, Pennsylvania, _McIlvaine_. Its edible qualities are in every way equal to those of C. cornucopoides. =C. sinuo´sus= Fr.—_sinus_, a curve. Strong scented. =Pileus= funnel-shaped, downy, grayish-brown, margin undulated. =Stem= pale yellow, elongated, stuffed. =Hymenium= with anastomosing ribs, grayish. =Spores= elliptical, pale yellow, 8–9×5µ. In woods. =Pileus= ½-1 in. high and broad. =Stem= about 1 in. high, sometimes very short. =Smell= strong, musky. =Hymenium= becoming tan-color when dry. =Pileus= more or less villose. _Massee._ The above description is given so that Var. crispus which follows may be compared with it. Fries considered var. crispus a good species. Var. _cris´pus_—_crispus_, curled. (Plate CXXXVI, fig. 7, p. 508.) Margin of hymenium sinuous and crisped. =Pileus= pervious. =Stem= stuffed at base only. =Hymenium= almost even. _Massee._ Solitary and cespitose in mixed woods. Found by _Dr. S.C. Schmucker_ near West Chester, Pa., 1896; _Wm. H. Rorer_, Mt. Gretna, Pa., August, 1897. =Cap= varies in color from dark to light brownish-gray. =Gills= brownish-gray, almost even. =Stem= hollow, dark yellow. =Smell= strong, musky, much like A. silvicola. Substance tender and of markedly high and pleasant flavor. [Illustration] FAMILY V.—=CLAVARIA´CEÆ.= =Hymenium= not distinct from the hymenophore, covering entire outer surface. Somewhat fleshy, not coriaceous, vertical, simple or branched. _Fries._ For the most part growing upon the ground. In this family there is no separation into stem and pileus, with the spore-bearing surface restricted to gills or tubes, but the substance of the plant is continuous, and the spores are produced on the clubs or branches. But three genera—Clavaria, Sparassis and Pistillaria—include species of food value. They are easily recognized. The genus Calcocera resembles Clavaria in form, but is very different in material, being a jelly-like viscid, cartilaginous substance, horny when dry, resembling that of Tremella. SYNOPSIS OF GENERA. SPARASSIS. Page 512. Very much branched, branches compressed, plate-like, crisped. TYPHULA. Simple or club-shaped, with a thread-like stem. CLAVARIA. Page 513. Fleshy, simple or branched, branches typically round, some forms club-shaped. PISTILLARIA. Club-shaped, simple, rigid when dry; usually minute. PTERULA. Branches numerous, slender, forming a tuft, or single, leathery, round or compressed. =SPARAS´SIS= Fr. _Gr_—to tear in pieces. Fleshy, branched, with flat leaf-like branches, composed of two plates, fertile on both sides, with four-spored sporophores. _Fries._ Very beautiful plants of striking appearance. Unfortunately they are not common, although they generally occur yearly in the same locality. =S. Herb´stii= Pk. Plants much branched, forming tufts 4–5 in. high and 5–6 in. broad, whitish, inclining to creamy-yellow, tough, moist, the branches numerous, thin, flattened, concrescent, dilated above and spatulate or fan-shaped, often somewhat longitudinally curved or wavy, mostly uniformly colored, rarely with a few indistinct, nearly concolorous, transverse zones near the broad, entire apices. =Spores= subglobose or broadly elliptical, 5–6×4–5µ. Trexlertown. August. Closely allied to S. spathulata Schw., but differs in its paler color with no rufescent hues, more branching habit and absence of any distinct zones. Four specimens were found at Mt. Gretna, Pa., during August, 1898. These were not as symmetrical as S. crispa, which they closely resembled in fold and texture. They were of equal excellence cooked. =S. lamino´sa= Fr.—a thin plate. =Base= branching, straw-color. =Branches= erect, crowded, growing together, straight at the top, zoneless, entire. North Carolina, _Curtis_. On oak log. Edible, _Curtis_. “Deliciosa,” _Fries_. [Illustration: Photographed by Luther G. Harpel, Lebanon, Pa. PLATE CXXXVII. SPARASSIS CRISPA. ] =S. cris´pa= Fr.—_crispus_, curly. (Plate CXXXVII.) =Height= 3–12 in., width 4–24 in. Tufts very handsome, whitish, oyster color or pale-yellow, very much branched. =Branches= flat, leaf-like. Spore surface on both sides, sometimes crimped on edges. Compacted into a round mass, ending below in a solid rooting base. =Spores= pale-ochraceous, 5–6×3–4µ _Massee_. Very variable in size. On ground in woods and grassy places in open woods. Summer, autumn. North Carolina, _Curtis_; West Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, _McIlvaine_. Have seen it 2 ft. across. “Delicosissima.” _Fries._ A perfect specimen of S. crispa resembles a huge rosette, round and many-folded in tortuous design. The folds are wide, flattened branches springing from a common base, thin, semi-transparent, not unlike damp sheets of gelatine although thicker. Surfaces of the leaves are dull, like the flattened seaweeds and the light-colored sea-rock mosses. S. crispa may be easily dried, and though shrinking much in size, retains its shape, forming a very pretty ornament for the desk of the mycologist. It is not common. Where it has chosen a habitat several tufts may be found during the moderate season. The writer found three specimens ranging from 6–12 in. in diameter near Haddonfield, N.J., others, not as large, in West Virginia and in Chester county, Pa. It has long been known as edible. It makes an ever-to-be-remembered dish. =CLAVA´RIA= L. _Clava_, a club. Fleshy, branched or simple, somewhat round, without a distinct stem. =Hymenium= continuous, dry, homogeneous. _For the most part growing on ground._ _Fries._ The members of this genus vary greatly in form, which in some is that of a club growing singly or cespitose, while others present a more or less bush-like appearance, being slightly or excessively branched. The color of the plant covers a wide range, as it may be white, red, yellow, violet or their various shades, and to be in harmony the spores do not confine themselves to one color, but are white, ochraceous or cinnamon. In cases where the plant is not otherwise well defined the spore colors will be found a valuable aid in placing it. ANALYSIS OF TRIBES. RAMARIA (_ramus_, a branch). Page 514. Branched, branches attenuated upward. _A._ SPORES WHITE OR PALLID. * Plant, color bright, red, yellow or violet. ** Plant white, gray or yellowish. _B._ SPORES OCHRACEOUS OR CINNAMON. * Plant yellow or dingy ochraceous. ** Growing on wood. SYNCORYNE (_Gr_—together; a club). Page 523. Clubs almost simple, tufted at the base. HOLOCORYNE (_Gr_—entire; a club). Page 524. Clubs almost simple, distinct at the base. Excepting to toadstool hunters the Clavaria, though numerous, are not known to those who “Know a toadstool when they see it.” They bear no semblance to the stereotyped toadstool. They seem to possess an imitative faculty. Those growing among grasses harmonize with the faded stalks under debris or the bleached surfaces of blades famishing for sunlight; those of the woods take on the color of the leaf mat or of the lichens, and shapes of club and deer-horn mosses, or assemble in groves as pigmy trees, boled and sturdy-branched in mimicry of their giant protectors towering above them. In their forms many are delicate, graceful, beautiful, others are intricate. There is fascination for eye and brain in looking through the vistas and labyrinths of their branches. A few species are tough as shoe-strings; a few bitter; one, C. dichotoma, on the authority of Leuba, contains a minor poison. The genus is plentiful and reliable. Many individuals are of marked excellence. In soups, stews, patties, they remind one of noodles; sometimes of macaroni. The hard parts of the stem should be removed, the branches broken or cut in ½ in. lengths. If stewed, they require time and slow cooking; if fried in butter they are crisp, choice bits. RAMA´RIA—_ramus_, a branch. Branched, branches attenuated upward. _A._ SPORES WHITE OR PALLID. * _Plant, color bright, red, yellow or violet._ =C. fla´va= Schaeff.—yellow. Fragile, trunk thick, fleshy, white, very much branched. =Branches= even, round, fastigiate, obtuse, yellow. _Fries._ =Height= 2–4 in., 2–4 in. across; pale-yellow, dingy-yellow. =Stem= or trunk short, robust, whitish. =Branches= very numerous, dense, fragile, erect, straight, lighter than the yellow tips (fading with age) which are toothed. =Flesh= white. =Spores= white. Taste and odor pleasant. Woods and open places. June to frost. Indiana, _H.I. Miller_; West Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, _McIlvaine_. The C. flava and C. botrytes have long been noted edible species, liberally commended abroad and in the United States. Variations in their structure are interchangeable; variations in their quality are due to environment. There is a slight difference in the measurement of their spores, but the difference is not so great as between spores of the same specimen. Specific differences may exhibit themselves in young plants, yet disappear with age. Plants for the table should be young and fresh. When aged or when the ravages of insects appear, they should not be used, as they then have an unpleasant taste which will effect a whole dish. They should be cut into small pieces and stewed slowly for fully thirty minutes. They can be seasoned and eaten as a stew or made into patties. =C. botry´tes= Pers. _Gr_—a cluster of grapes (from shape). =Height= 3–4 in., 3–6 in. across, white, yellow, pinkish, dingy in shades of these colors. =Base= thick, short, fleshy, unequal. =Branches= many, swollen, thick, crowded, unequal, enlarged at the ends and divided into several small branchlets which are sometimes reddish at tips. =Flesh= white. =Spores= ellipsoid, sub-transparent, white, 8×5µ _Massee_. On wood earth. Common. New York, _Peck_, Rep. 24; West Virginia, New Jersey, _McIlvaine_. A general favorite and highly esteemed in Europe. Edible. _Curtis._ “When old the branches both of this species and of C. flava become elongated, obtuse, very fragile, and of a uniform color. The yellow tips of the latter and the red ones of the former species wholly disappear.” _Peck_, 32d Rep. Excepting when young (not always then) the red tips to the branchlets can not be relied upon as distinctive features of this species. The place of its growth and the character of the soil have very much to do with its size, and the color and quality of its flesh. A well-shaded thin-soiled spot will, after a rain, grow pale, spindling, tender bunches, having but a tinge of red upon the points; perhaps not any. A rich, better lighted spot will produce more robust and highly colored plants. The same can be said of C. flava. C. botrytes is plentiful in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia and like latitudes. It must be well cooked. =C. amethys´tina= Bull.—amethyst in color. (Plate CXXXIX, fig. 1, p. 516.) =Height= ½-3 in. =Color= violet, very much branched or almost simple. =Branches= round, even, fragile, smooth, obtuse, known by its color. =Spores= elliptical, pale ochraceous, sub-transparent, 10–12×6–7µ _Massee_. Common in open woods and grassy places. New York, _Peck_ 30th Rep.; West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, _McIlvaine_. August, September. Eaten in Europe, and by some preferred to any other. A handsome species, very brittle, and though large, delicate. =C. fastigia´ta=—_fastigium_, the top. =Height= 1–2 in., tufted, yellow. =Branches= numerous, flexible, tough, equal, fastigiate (branches pointing upward), sometimes short and simple, when higher very much branched. =Spores= white, irregularly globose, 4–6µ _Massee_. In pastures and grassy places, during warm months. North Carolina, _Curtis_; California, West Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, _McIlvaine_. Commonly eaten throughout Europe. In Germany they call it Ziegenbart—goat’s beard. This is one of the species that has to be looked for. Grass tufts hide it. Its yellowish stools are not unlike them in color. It is freely found, and, though not of the best, well rewards the seeker. [Illustration: Grouped by F.D. Briscoe—Studies by C. McIlvaine PLATE CXXXIX.] FIG. PAGE. FIG. PAGE.