Among the Mushrooms: A Guide For Beginners

Chapter IX: Appendix

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A GUIDE FOR THE IDENTIFICATION AND DIFFERENTIATION OF AGARICS, COMPRISED IN FOUR TABLES, ARRANGED WITH REFERENCE TO THE COLORS OF THE SPORES, VIZ.:

Table I. White spores. Table II. Red and pink spores. Table III. Ochraceous spores. Table IV. Dark purple and black spores.

NOTE.

In using this table the student should first ascertain the color of the spores of the specimen under investigation. This will determine the particular table to be applied to its further examination. If, for instance, he finds its spores to be white, he will know that Table I. is the one to be consulted. Turning to that table, he should recall the place of its growth, its habitat. Now, suppose it to have been found growing on a stump, he will, by looking at the first column, Habitat, of Table I., be informed that it must be one of the four genera named in the column with the heading “On Stumps.” Let him then examine its “gills.” If he finds them to be “adnate,” he will be assured that it must be an “Armillaria,” as no other genus is shown in the column as growing “on stumps” and which has gills that are adnate. But to make assurance doubly sure, he may proceed further to discover whether the specimen has also the ring called for in column headed “Ring.” If it has, and was found growing in the summer, he may feel quite safe in classifying it as Armillaria. Sometimes the same genus will be found in more than one column. This ought not to mislead or confuse the beginner. In Table I., column headed “Volva,” Amanita is mentioned, and also in the column headed “Ring,” but this indicates that an Amanita has both the Volva (the universal veil) and the Ring. So in the columns headed by “Stem,” Pleurotus is represented as having a lateral or eccentric stem, and also as having no stem. The meaning is, that some species of the genus have no stem, while there are others in which the stem is lateral or eccentric.

[Transcriber’s Note:
In this e-text, empty categories have been omitted from each table.
Variations in spelling and phrasing are as in the original. The
complete structure, with all options included, would be:

Size of plants, small.
Plants deliquescent.
Time of growth,
summer.
autumn.
Habitat
In woods, in uncultivated places, on ground.
In grass and fields, on ground.
On other plants--epiphytal.
On stumps.
On wood.
On manure.
Gills,
free.
adnate.
decurrent.
sinuous.
serrated.
distant.
in folds.
Volva.
Veil adhering to margin of cap.
Ring.
Stem,
cartilaginous.
lateral, or eccentric.
none.
brittle.
Pileus,
scaly or warted.
campanulate.
silky, cracked or fibrillose.
umbonate.
umbilicate.
striate.
Pileus and Gills milky.]

Table I.--White Spores.

[Footnote 1: Some small.]
[Footnote 2: In late summer.]
[Footnote 3: Generally in autumn.]
[Footnote 4: Large species.]
[Footnote 5: Few.]
[Footnote 6: Some.]
[Footnote 7: Small species.]
[Footnote 8: Sometimes on rotten wood.]
[Footnote 9: Some on rotten wood.]
[Footnote 10: Adnato decurrent.]
[Footnote 11: Becomes depressed in centre.]

Table II.--Red and Pink Spores.

[Footnote 1: Damp ground.]
[Footnote 2: Dry hills.]
[Footnote 3: Wet places in woods.]
[Footnote 4. On or close to stumps.]
[Footnote 5: On rotten wood.]
[Footnote 6: Almost free.]
[Footnote 7: Often fibrillose or floccose.]
[Footnote 8: Somewhat.]

Table III.--Ochraceous Spores.

[Footnote 1: Damp ground.]
[Footnote 2: Somewhat free.]
[Footnote 3: Some with rings.]

Table IV.--Dark Purple and Black Spores.

[Footnote 1: On rotten wood.]
[Footnote 2: A floccose ring.]
[Footnote 3: At first, adpressed to stem.]
[Footnote 4: Top shaped.]

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Among the Mushrooms: A Guide For BeginnersChapter IX: Appendix

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