This plant resembles the Plum mushroom, C. prunulus, very closely in appearance, taste and odor, but it is considerably smaller. It grows in wet weather, in open fields and lawns. It is quite widely distributed in our state, having found it in Salem, Bowling Green, Sidney, and Chillicothe. I frequently find it a.s.sociated with Marasmius oreades. The specimens in Figure 201 were found near Ashville, N. C., and were photographed by Prof. H. C. Beardslee. Found from July to October.
_c.l.i.topilus abortivus. B. and C._
THE ABORTIVE c.l.i.tOPILUS. EDIBLE.
[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 202.--c.l.i.topilus abortivus. Two-thirds natural size, showing the grayish-brown cap and solid stem.]
Abortivus means abortive or imperfectly developed; so called from its many irregular and undeveloped forms.
The pileus is fleshy, firm, convex, or nearly plane, regular or irregular, dry, clothed with a minute silky tomentum, becoming smoother with age, gray or grayish-brown, flesh white, taste and odor subfarinaceous.
The gills are slightly or deeply decurrent, at first whitish or pale gray, then flesh-colored. Spores irregular, 7.5-106.5.
The stem is nearly equal, solid, minutely flocculose, sometimes fibrous, striate, paler than the pileus. _Peck_, 42d Report N. Y.
There are often three forms of this plant; a perfect form, an imperfect form, and an abortive form as will be seen in Figure 203. The abortive forms seem to be more common, especially in this locality. They will be taken at first to be some form of puff-ball. They are found in open woods and in ravines. I found some very fine specimens under beech trees on Cemetery Hill. They are, however, widely distributed over the state and the United States. The specimens in Figure 203 were collected near Ashville and photographed by Prof. Beardslee.
[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 203.--c.l.i.topilus abortivus. Abortive forms.
Edible.]
_c.l.i.topilus subvilis. Pk._
THE SILKY-CAPPED c.l.i.tOPILUS. EDIBLE.
Subvilis means very cheap, insignificant.
The pileus is thin, centrally depressed or umbilicate, with the margin decurved, hygropha.n.u.s, dark-brown, striate on the margin when moist, taste farinaceous.
The gills are subdistant, adnate, or slightly decurrent, whitish when young, then flesh-colored.
The stem is slender, brittle, rather long, stuffed or hollow, glabrous, colored like the pileus or a little paler.
The spores are angular, 7.5-10. _Peck_, 42d Rept.
This plant is distinguished from c.l.i.topilus villis by its shining pileus, widely separated gills, and farinaceous taste. Found on Ralston"s Run and in Haynes" Hollow, near Chillicothe, from July to October.
_c.l.i.topilus Noveboracensis. Pk._
[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 204.--c.l.i.topilus Noveboracensis. Two-thirds natural size.]
Noveboracensis, the New York c.l.i.topilus. Pileus thin, convex, then expanded or slightly depressed; dingy-white, cracked in areas or concentrically rivulose, sometimes obscurely zonate; odor farinaceous, taste bitter.
Gills narrow, close, deeply decurrent, some of them forked, white, becoming dingy, tinged with yellow or flesh-color.
Stem equal, solid, colored like the pileus, the mycelium white, often forming white, branching, root-like fibers. Spores globose.
Prof. Beardslee thinks that this species is doubtless identical with _C.
popinalis_ of Europe. He has submitted specimens and photographs to European mycologists, who hold to this view.
I found this plant quite abundant on the Huntington Hills after heavy rains in August. Their season is from August to October. The specimens in Figure 204 were found growing among leaves after a heavy rain October 10th. The plants have a tendency to turn blackish if they are bruised in handling them.
Var. brevis. This is so called from its short stem. The margin of the pileus is pure white when moist. Gills attached to the stem or slightly decurrent.
_Eccilia. Fr._
Eccilia is from a Greek verb which means "I hollow out"; so called because the hollow cartilaginous stem expands upward into a membranaceous pileus, whose margin at first is incurved. Gills decurrent, attenuated behind.
This genus corresponds with Omphalia and is separated from c.l.i.topilus by the cartilaginous, smooth stem.
_Eccilia carneo-grisea. B. & Br._
THE FLESH-GRAY ECCILIA. EDIBLE.
[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 205.--Eccilia carneo-grisea. Caps dark-gray or slate color. Gills rosy.]
Carneo-grisea means fleshy-gray.
The pileus is one inch or more broad, umbilicate, dark-gray or grayish flesh color, finely striate, margin darkened with micaceous particles.
The gills are distant, adnate, decurrent, rosy, slightly undulate, margin irregularly darkened.
The stem is one to two inches long, slender, smooth, hollow, wavy, same color as the pileus, white tomentose at the base.
Spores irregularly oblong, rough, 75.
It is found from Nova Scotia through the Middle West. It is commonly reported in fir and pine woods but I find it on the hillsides about Chillicothe in mixed woods. It is frequently found here a.s.sociated with Boletinus porosus.
Found in July, August, and September.
_Eccilia polita. Pers._
[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 206.--Eccilia polita. Natural size. Caps hair-brown to olive, umbilicate.]
Polita means having been furbished.
The pileus is one inch or more broad, convex, umbilicate, somewhat membranaceous, watery, livid or hair-brown to olive, smooth, shining when dry, finely striate on the margin.
The gills are slightly decurrent, crowded, irregular or uneven, flesh color.
The stem is cartilaginous, stuffed or hollow, lighter in color than the pileus, equal or sometimes slightly enlarged at the base, polished from which the specific name is derived.
This is a larger plant than E. carneo-grisea; and it differs materially in the character of its spores, which are strongly angled and some of them square, 10-12 in diameter, with a prominent mucro at one angle.
It is found in the woods from September to frost.