Illustrations of Fungi—II

Abstract

Pileus 5-9 cm. broad, convex to expanded, dry, silky and whitish or floccose-squamulose and light reddish-brown, the color being chiefly in the scales; flesh white, thick, solid, of mild flavor, sometimes becoming reddish when broken; gills free, rounded behind, ventricose, crowded, white when young, becoming salmon-pink, and finally purplish-brown or blackish; spores ellipsoid, smooth, dark-brown, 10-I2 K long; ring delicate, inconspicuous, formed from a thin, white veil, which covers the gills in their younger stages; stem smooth, white, cylindrical, nearly equal, stuffed within, 3-6 cm. long, 1.5-2 cm. thick. The common mushroom occurs in low grass on meadows or on rich, moist upland pastures, being common after rains from August to October in this latitude. The spawn, or vegetative portion, is hidden in the soil and feeds upon the dead organic matter found therein. In the cultivation of this species, bricks of spawn are planted in suitable soil and the conditions of growth attended to with great care. This is the mushroom usually found in market, either in the fresh stage or in cans. Most persons