Among the Mushrooms Part 14

2. Stems strictly lateral, pores in the form of tubes, mouths are separate from each other (growing on wood), Fistulina.

3. Tubes not separable from each other, round, angular, or torn, fleshy, leathery or woody, Polyporus.

(Key to species of Boleti may be found in Professor Peck's work on Boleti.)

Cla.s.s III. Key to Spine-bearing Fungi (_Hydnei_).

1. Spines awl-shaped, distinct at base, Hydnum.

Spines awl-shaped, equal; plant gelatinous, tremulous, Tremellodon.

Cla.s.s IV. Key to Smooth Surface Fungi (_Theleph.o.r.ei_).

1. Spores white, on ground, fleshy, tubiform, cap blackish, scaly, stem hollow, Craterellus Cornucopioides.

2. Coriaceous or woody, somewhat zoned, entire, definite in form, Stereum.

SECTION B.

Cla.s.s I. Key to Clavariei.

1. Fleshy, branched or simple, without distinct stem, growing on the ground, Clavaria.

2. Growing on trunks, yellowish, becoming dark, much branched, tense and straight, C. stricta.

3. Yellow, stuffed, clubs simple or forked, of the same color, C. inequalis.

4. Color changeable, becoming dark, light yellow, then reddish, simple, fleshy, stuffed, obovate, clavate, obtuse, C. pistillaris.

DIVISION II.

Key to Gasteromycetes and Ascomycetes.

Section A. Fungi that have the spores inside the cap. (Stomach fungi or Gasteromycetes.)

Section B. Fungi that have the spores in delicate sacs. (Spore sac fungi or Ascomycetes.)

SECTION A.

1. Fungi covered with a hard rind, Scleroderma.

2. In which the spores when ripe turn to dust, 4.

Where spores are at first closed in a cup-like sac that resembles a bird's-nest, 3.

3. Fungi with the outside covering bowl-shaped Crucibulum, of one cottony layer, the Crucible.

Outside covering tubular, trumpet-shaped, Cyathus, of 3 layers, the cup.

Outside covering opening with a torn mouth, Nidularia, bird's-nest.

4. Outer covering splitting into star-like points, Geaster, earth star.

Outer covering opening by a single mouth Lycoperdon, at the top, puff-ball.

Spores at first borne in an egg-like sac, Phallus, when ripe elevated on a cap at the top of stink-horn the stem, no veil, has an odious smell, fungus.

SECTION B.

1. Where the sacs soon become free, no special Peziza, covering, mostly fleshy, cup-like fungi, cup fungus.

Sacs opening from the first, caps pitted or furrowed, 2.

2. Cap lobed, irregular, saddle-shaped, Helvella, yellowish fungus.

Cap oval or conical, upper surface with Morch.e.l.la or Morel, deep pits formed by long ridges, honey-combed fungus.

(The genera described under Section B. all belong to the order of Discomycetes, fungi that have the spore sacs collected in a flattened disc.)

APPENDIX.

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 a.s.sured 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 a.s.surance 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 cla.s.sifying 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.