The Mushroom, Edible and Otherwise - Miron Elisha Hard

Скачать книгу

of Contents

      Tricholoma is from two Greek words meaning hair and fringe. This genus is known by its stout, fleshy stem, without any evidence of a ring, and by the gills being attached to the stem and having a notch in their edges near or at the extremity. The veil is absent, or, if present, it is downy and adherent to the margin of the cap. The cap is generally quite fleshy; the stem is homogeneous and confluent with the pileus, central and nearly fleshy, without either ring or volva, and with no distinct bark-like coat. The spores are white or grayish-white.

      The distinguishing features are the fleshy stem, continuous with the flesh of the pileus, and the sinuate or notched gills. This is quite a universal genus. All the species grow on the ground, so far as I know them.

      There are many edible species under this genus, there being only two, so far as I know, not edible; and no one is likely to touch those on account of their strong odor. They are T. sulphureum and T. saponaceum.

       Table of Contents

      The Changing Tricholoma. Edible.

      Transmutans means changing, from changes of color in both stem and gills in different stages of the plant. This species has a cap two to four inches broad, viscid or sticky when moist. It is at first tawny-brown, especially with advancing age. The flesh is white and has a decided farinaceous odor and taste.

      The gills are crowded, rather narrow, sometimes branched, becoming reddish-spotted with age.

      The stem is equal or slightly tapering upward; bare, or slightly silky-fibrillose; stuffed or hollow; whitish, often marked with reddish stains or becoming reddish-brown toward the base, white within. Spores subglobose, 5µ.

      The species grows in woods and open places, also in clover pastures, either singly or in tufts. I have seen large tufts of them, and in that case the caps are more or less irregular on account of their crowded condition. I found it frequently about Salem, and this fall, 1905, I found it quite plentiful in a clover pasture near Chillicothe. Found in wet weather from August to September.

       Table of Contents

      The Knightly Tricholoma. Edible.

Figure 43.

      Figure 43.—Tricholoma equestre.

      Equestre means belonging to a horseman; so called from its distinguished appearance in the woods.

      The pileus is three to five inches broad, fleshy, compact, convex, expanded, obtuse, viscid, scaly, margin incurved at first, pale yellowish, with sometimes a slight tinge of green in both cap and gills. Flesh white or tinged with yellow.

      The gills are free, crowded, rounded behind, yellow.

      The stem is stout, solid, pale yellow or white, white within. The spores are 7–8×5µ.

      It differs from T. coryphæum in having gills entirely yellow, while the edges only of the latter are yellow. It differs from T. sejunctum in the latter having pure white gills and a more slender stem.

      It is found but occasionally here, and then only a specimen or two. It is an attractive plant and no one would pass it in the woods without admiring it. Found from August to October.

       Table of Contents

Figure 44.

      Figure 44.—Tricholoma sordidum.

      Sordidum means dingy, dirty.

      The pileus is two to three inches broad, rather tough, fleshy, convex, bell-shaped, then depressed, subumbonate, smooth, hygrophanous, margin slightly striate, brownish lilac, then dusky.

      The gills are rounded, rather crowded, dingy violet then dusky, notched with a decurrent tooth.

      The stem is colored like the pileus, fibrillose striate, usually slightly curved, stuffed, short, often thickened at the base.

      The spores are 7–8×3–4, minutely rugulose.

      This species differs from T. nudum in being smaller, tougher, and often hygrophanous.

      It is found in richly manured gardens, about manure piles, and in hot-houses. The specimens in Figure 44 were found in a hot-house near Boston, Mass., and sent to me by Mrs. E. Blackford. They are found in September and October.

       Table of Contents

      The Grooved Stem Tricholoma. Edible.

Figure 45.

      Figure 45.—Tricholoma grammopodium. Natural size.

      Grammopodium is from two Greek words meaning line and foot.

      The pileus is three to six inches broad, flesh thick at the center, thin at the margin, solid yet tender; brownish, blackish-umber, almost a dingy-lavender when moist, whitish when dry; at first bell-shaped, then convex, sometimes slightly wavy, obtusely umbonate; margin at first inclined to be involute, and extending beyond the gills.

      The gills are attached to the stem, broadly notched as will be seen in the specimen, closely crowded, quite entire, shorter ones numerous, a few branched, white or whitish.

      The stem is three to four inches long, thickened at the base, smooth, firm, longitudinally grooved from which it gets its specific name, whitish.

      The spores are nearly round, 5–6µ.

      It closely resembles T. fuligineum but can be distinguished by the grooved stem and crowded gills. The specimens in Figure 45 were found near Boston, and were sent to me by Mrs. Blackford. The plants keep well and are easily dried. They were found the first of June. They have an excellent flavor.

       Table of Contents

      Paedidum means nasty, stinking.

      The pileus is small, about one and a half inches broad, rather fleshy, tough; convex, then flattened, soon depressed around the conical umbo; fibrillose, becoming smooth; smoky gray, somewhat streaked; moist; margin involute, naked.

      The gills are adnexed, crowded, narrow, white, then grayish, somewhat sinuate with a slight decurrent tooth.

      The stem is short, slightly striate, dingy gray, thickened at the base. The spores are elliptical or fusiform, 10–11×5–6µ.

      The specific name, "nasty" or "stinking," has really no application to the plant. It is said to be very good when cooked. It is found in well manured gardens and fields, or about manure piles.

      It differs from T. sordidum in having no trace of violet color. T. lixivium differs in the free truncate gills.

       Скачать книгу