The Mushroom, Edible and Otherwise Part 87

_Hydnum coralloides. Scop._

THE CORAL-LIKE HYDNUM. EDIBLE.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 367.--Hydnum coralloides. One-fourth natural size.

Entire plant white.]

This species grows in large, beautiful tufts on decaying logs, in damp woods. It grows from a common stem, dividing into many branches and then sub-dividing into many long and coral-like shoots, composed wholly of attenuated interlacing branches tapering to a point. The spines grow from one side of the flattened branches. It only needs to be seen once to be recognized as a coral-like mushroom. It is pure white at first, becoming creamy or dingy-white with age. It seems to delight in damp, hilly places, yet I found it to be abundant at Sidney, and to some extent about Bowling Green, Ohio, where it was very level. It is plentiful around Chillicothe. One hickory log, from which the specimen in the figure was taken, furnished me several basketfuls of this plant during three seasons, but at the end of the third season the log crumbled away, mycelium having literally consumed it. It is one of the most beautiful fungi that Dame Nature has been able to fas.h.i.+on. It is said that Elias Fries, when a mere boy, was so impressed with the sight of this beautiful fungus, which grew abundantly in his native woods in Sweden, that he resolved when he grew up to pursue the study of Mycology, which he did; and became one of the greatest authorities of the world in that part of Botany. In fact, he laid the foundation for the study of Basidiomycetes, and this beautiful little coral-like fungus was his inspiration.

It is found princ.i.p.ally on beech, maple and hickory in damp woods, from July to frost. I have eaten it for years and esteem it among the best.

_Hydnum septentrionale. Fr._

THE NORTHERN HYDNUM.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Plate XLIX. Figure 368.--Hydnum septentrionale.

Grew from a small opening in a living beech tree.]

Septentrionale, northern. This is a very large, fleshy, fibrous plant, growing usually upon logs and stumps.

There are many pilei growing one above the other, plane, margin straight, whole. The spines are crowded, slender and equal.

I have found a number of specimens about Chillicothe that would weigh from eight to ten pounds each. The plant is too woody to eat. Besides, it seems to have but little flavor. I have always found it on beech logs, from September to October.

A very large plant grows every year on a living beech tree on Cemetery Hill.

_Hydnum spongiosipes. Pk._

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 369.--Hydnum spongiosipes. One-third natural size.]

Spongiosipes means a sponge-like foot. Pileus convex, soft, spongy-tomentose, but tough in texture, rusty-brown, the lower stratum firmer and more fibrous, but concolorous.

The spines are slender, one to two lines long, rusty-brown, becoming darker with age.

The stem is hard and corky within, externally spongy-tomentose; colored like the pileus, the central substance often transversely zoned, especially near the top. Spores globose, nodulose, purplish-brown, 4-6 broad. Pileus one and a half to four inches broad. Stem one and a half to three inches long, and four to eight lines thick. _Peck_, 50th Rep.

It is found in the woods, quite plentifully, about Chillicothe. I referred it to H. ferrugineum for a long time, but not being satisfied, sent some specimens to Dr. Peck, who cla.s.sified it as H. spongiosipes.

It is edible but very tough. Found from July to October.

_Hydnum zonatum. Batsch._

THE ZONED HYDNUM.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 370.--Hydnum zonatum.]

Zonatum, zoned. Ferruginous; pileus equally coriaceous, thin, expanded, subinfundibuliform, zoned, becoming smooth; tough, almost leathery in texture, having a surface of beautiful brown, silky l.u.s.tre, and with radiating striae; margin paler; sterile.

The stem is slender, nearly equal, floccose, bulbous at the base.

The spines are slender, pallid, then of the same color as the pileus, equal. The spores are rough, globose, pale, 4.

The spore-bearing spines are shown in the upper plants in Figure 370.

Two of them show coalesced caps, though the stems are separate. This is the case with H. scrobiculatum and H. spongiosipes. The plants in Figure 370 were collected by the roadside in woods on the State Farm, near Lancaster, and photographed by Dr. Kellerman.

_Hydnum scrobiculatum. Fr._

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 371.--Hydnum scrobiculatum. Two-thirds natural-size.]

Scrobiculatum means marked with a ditch or trench; so called from the rough condition of the cap. The pileus is from one to three inches broad, corky, convex, then plane, sometimes slightly depressed; tough in texture, rusty-brown; the surface of the cap usually quite rough, marked with ridges or trenches, flesh ferruginous.

The spines are short, rusty-brown, becoming dark with age.

The stem is firm, one to two inches long, unequal, rusty-brown, often covered with a dense tomentum.

This species is very plentiful in our woods, among the leaves under beech trees. They grow in lines for some distance, the caps so close together that they are very frequently confluent. I found the plant at Salem, and in several other localities in the state, although I have never seen a description of it. Any one will be able to recognize it from Figure 371. It grows in the woods in August and September.

_Hydnum Blackfordae. Pk._

The pileus is fleshy, convex, glabrous, grayish or greenish-gray, flesh whitish with reddish stains, slowly becoming darker on exposure; aculei subulate, 2-5 mm. long, yellowish-gray, becoming brown with age or drying; stem equal or stuffed, becoming hollow in drying; glabrous, colored like the pileus; spores brown, globose, verrucose, 8-10 broad.

The pileus is 2.5-6 cm. broad; stem 2.5-4 cm. long, 3-4 mm. thick.

Mossy ground in low springy places in damp mixed woods. August. _Peck._

This species was found at Ellis, Ma.s.s., and was sent to me through courtesy of the collector, Mrs. E. B. Blackford, Boston, for whom it was named.

_Hydnum fennic.u.m. Karst._

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 372.--Hydnum fennic.u.m. Natural size, showing the teeth.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 373.--Hydnum fennic.u.m. Natural size, showing the scaly cap.]

Pileus fleshy, fragile, unequal; at first scaly, at length breaking up; reddish-brick color becoming darker; margin undulately lobed, two to four inches broad. Flesh white.

The teeth decurrent, equal, pointed, from white to dusky, about 4 mm.

long.

The stem is sufficiently stout, unequal below, attenuated, flexuous or curved, smooth, of the same color as the cap, base acute, white tomentum outside, inside light pale-blue, or dark-gray.

The spores are ellipso-spheroidical or subspheroidical, rough, dusky, 4-6 long, 3-5 broad.