The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-05-02
MUSHROOMS.
SOME POINTS As TO EDIBLE AND
LNEDIBLE FUNGI.

GrOWth-The MOST POISONOUS T0ndRtOols.
From the american Druggist and Pharmaceutical
Record.
Tho usual Sunday evening lecture at The
Metropolitan Museum Of Art was given on
March ~ by Prof. Smith Ely Jellifre of the
College OF Phar macy OF tho City of New York.
The subject was, Our Common Edible and
Poisonous Mushrooms and Tondstools." In
introducing his subject. DR.. JelliGe observed
that tie newly awakened interest to find out
what fungi are good, had come rather latc In
the day, for during the last few million years
the fungi have been discovering that every
created thing was good for some one OF them to
cat. and since man came upon the scene they
have been finding one way after another 10
prey uron him. 1T is, therefore,. only fair"
said DR.. JelliGc. "tha, we should devote our
attention to turning the tables upon our para
site friends, and try to discover how best we
may prey upon them. without endangering
either our digestion or our lives"
The lecturer then pro ,ecded to give a popu-
lar exposition of the different types of fungi.
Ho said:
All the fungi are beasts Of prey. speaking
from a vegetable standpoint. The germs of
cholera, typhoid fever. consumption. diphthe-
ria, ring worm. and the disease Of fungus foot,
known IN India, present types of the fungi
that live upon the human body. Ycast lives
upon the flour and sugar in tho pro-
cess of bread making. Moulds live upon bread
and cheese and preserves. while tho higher
fungi, which we call mushrooms or tcadstools in
Discriminatory, draw their life In a more
harmless way from decayed animal matter.
or from manure. or dead wood. There is some
thing very wonderful in the way tho mush-
rooms spring up over night.
Apparently 1t Is only necessary for some
aAR tea g. -----
which raised Aladd'n's palace. and the UNI
brellas appear already formed. Tho growth
is not SO sudden after all. for long before any
thing appears above ground. the fungi are be-
Ing slowly formed underground. The myce-
linm. which corresponds to the root, stem, and
leaves Of q higher plant, Is slowly pushing its
way through the crevices of decayed wood. or
sucking the heterogeneous food out of old and
exposed manure Here and there on the
masses Of mycelium tubes. which appear like
bundles Of tangled white threads. which
tho cnltivators call spawn. there will appear
which will afterward become the umbrella.
Little by little the cap or umbrella Is formed.
but tightly. compressed. until in a small space
everything is perfected.
brellas literally lie low" but as soon as the
they absorb the moisture as a sponge would.
and swell In a few hour to heir full size. 1t
i tion a d Uns lh. ,nins , %., TrtSh I the ri trn nj mIrS,
to time the growth of a fungus that was nearly
ripe. and just before dawn he was rewarded by
utes. When the umbrella swells. the covering
which has bound the cap down to the stalk
ont to its full size; The covering originally
over the mushroom IL called the veil. and when
It leaves n tattered fragment clinGinG to the
stem after breaking. the remains are known as
the ring. When the Gills are finally spread
out straight the fungus Is ripe and ready TO
.1-I to. -.1-An -Itr III 1-. L.s-
edges. Not all OF the higher fungi have c,lis.
however. and ono of the first points to he no
under :" surface. In s. some e species the Eli. be
come irregular ribs. and in Others they form
short spines on which the spores are horne.
over with minute pores. ont of which le
spores drop when the fungus is ripe.
spores by the simnle pro ,ess OF droppinc them
on the ground. The puff ball IL an example Of
IN, This; .n 1t Is wholly ,Is Eo sgrr1 Inside oh by tb " sEin' and ard
when the pun ball "a ripe, the skin cracks and
the spores escape like a cloud Of dust. In still
inclosed in \ lot Of small snc.. each Of which
holds a certain number, These fungi have to
trufle Of England and France belongs to this
class: The trufiie is round. and is buried sew
dig for It. and often depend on dogs TO scent 1t
ont. The morel or American trutfc. as It Is
, SON i'm called ai, has It's !, sp Sns: inn im'edasd i, In
ist foreign cousin. for 1t grows above ground.
Although NOT so great a dclicacy as the trutfie,
The pun ball is well marked and easily recog-
MED species. AMI grows ahundantly In some
and May. and is fond o: grassy place. near
streams. There is, no danger in irving IL II ono
Is fortunate enough to he where IT grows; for
il has no dangerous relatives that parade in
sheep's clothing irving TO pass Themselves. off
ms the genuine article. There is n very palat-
some species OF the pu N ball group Of fungi. All
the species Of pun balls or LycoDerdons are
some are not Very naiatablc: Tor instance.
those a, With w%rty: y Gi skins, and those that
cred when the insides are white and feshy.
for when they have yellow stains inside they
dusty It shows that the spores are 70 med on
their threads and they are too old to be good:
are unsavory., though. non. poisonous. The
Clavarins, or club fungi. said he. are ms unsav-
9ry as corks. but there are some delicat" coral
The whole family Of fungi that have pores
are called Poly 2orii. brt from the cdibl and
is of special interest known as Boletus. These
all have n stem md n more or less regular cap.
woody. and quite solid In appearance. II the
cap be cut OIL and Eiheniled; the under sur
%Sfch T Il d present tn the 4 s@ oneninr of a., GpOS sore. or
tubes in which the spores are contained. There
nre altogethe' about forty edible. species in
at least: very fiery nnd n1eppery - the taste.
DR.. Jellifc remarked that 1t was pretty safe AS
n rule. to try n mild colored Boletus. such as
p. cdulis. which is brown on top. and yellow
ish underneath. or b. iwtcus. which Is yellow.
Those with white or yellow or greenish tubes
are generally safe TO cat, but n ,wi.e rule for
the. inexperienced wac to AVOID all lurid or
high colored Boleti. Ono called SdfonuS or
Satan's Boletus IS amber colored on ton and
deep crimson below, and is quito p0iso nous:
so also is n. airCo!atus, whose rosy red top acts
as a danger signal.
The bcefstcak or liver fungus was. he said.
wort of its good name. for II really resembles
neat in its flavor. 1t is also called"poor mans
fungus +. hcpGticd grows on stumps OF trees.
principally oaks and chestnuts. and its first
appearance Is like n little rosy pImplc. After q
few days growth IT becomes tonguc-shapcd.
thereby causing rho Italian peasants. who are
fond OF 1t. to call tux tongue" or chest
nut tongue" This fungus grows abundantlv
in Bronx Park. md IL has also been found on
Staten Island. Long Island. Roslyn. Glen
Cove. and in lArospect Park.
CdhthnrTNus %cibariUs is another edible fun
gus that Nc'Ongs neither 10 tho class with true
pores nor TO those with ellis. This fungus. DIR.
Jellife said. might be called the golden cup
fungus. II it's classical name were TO lie Liter
ally translated. II Is eaten in some places in
Eurore as n staple article OF diet. Its appear
I-. a. -. 49,, ,Hl IA 10 la.,Ea