Esculenta means edible. This is the largest spore-sac fungus. The original name was Helvella esculenta. It is bay-red, round, wrinkled or convoluted, attached to the stem, irregular, with brain-like convolutions.

The stem is hollow when mature, often very much deformed, whitish, scurvy, frequently enlarged or swollen at the base, sometimes lacunose, frequently attenuated upward, at first stuffed; asci cylindrical, apex obtuse, base attenuated, 8-spored; spores obliquely uniseriate, hyaline, smooth, continuous, elliptical, 17–25×9–11µ; paraphases numerous.

This plant will be readily recognized from Figure 418, and its bay-red or chestnut-red cap with its brain-like convolutions. The books speak of its being[Pg 495]
[Pg 496] found in pine regions, but I have found it frequently in the woods near Bowling Green, Sidney, and Chillicothe. Many authors give this plant a bad reputation, yet I have eaten it often and when it is well prepared it is good. I should advise caution in its use. It is found in damp sandy woods during May and June. The plant in Figure 418 was found near Chillicothe.

Gyromitra brunnea. Underwood.

The Brown Gyromitra. Edible.

Brunnea is from brunneus, brown. A stout, fleshy plant, stipitate, three to five inches high, bearing a broad, much contorted, brown ascoma. Stem is ¾ to 1.5 inch thick, more or less enlarged and spongy, solid at the base, hollow below, rarely slightly fluted, clear white; receptacle two to four inches across in the widest direction, the two diameters usually more or less unequal, irregularly lobed and plicate; in places faintly marked into areas by indistinct anastomosing ridges; closely cohering with the stem in the various parts; color a rich chocolate-brown or somewhat lighter if much covered with the leaves among which it grows; whitish underneath; asci 8-spored. Spores oval. This plant is found quite frequently about Bowling Green. The land is very rich there and produced both G. esculenta and G. brunnea in greater abundance than I have found elsewhere in the state. It is quite tender and fragile. The specimen in Figure 419 was found near Cincinnati and photographed by Mr. C. G. Lloyd.

Helvella elastica. Bull.

The Peziza-like Helvella. Edible.

Elastica means elastic, referring to its stem. The pileus is free from the stem, drooping, two to three lobed, center depressed, even, whitish, brownish, or sooty, almost smooth underneath, about 2 cm. broad.

The stem is two to three and a half inches high, and three to five lines thick at the inflated base; tapering upward, elastic, smooth, or often more or less pitted; colored like the pileus, minutely velvety or furfuraceous; at first solid, then hollow. Spores hyaline, continuous, elliptical, ends obtuse, often 1-guttulate, 18–20×10–11; 1-serrate; paraphyses septate, clavate. Massee.

The plants in the figure were found near Columbus and photographed by Dr. Kellerman. I have not found the plant as far south as Chillicothe, though I found it frequently in the northern part of the state. It grows in the woods on leaf-mould.

Helvella lacunosa. Afz.

The Cinereous Helvella. Edible.

Lacunosa, full of pits or pitted. This is a beautiful plant, very closely related to the Morchellas.

The pileus is inflated, lobed, cinereous black, lobes deflected, adnate.

The stem is hollow, white or dusky, exterior ribbed, forming intervening cavities.

The asci are cylindrical, and stemmed. The sporidia are ovate and hyaline.

The deep longitudinal grooves in the stem are characteristic of this species. The plants from which the halftone was made were collected near Sandusky and photographed by Dr. Kellerman. They grow in moist woods. I found the plants frequently in the woods near Bowling Green and occasionally about Chillicothe, growing about well-decayed stumps.

Hypomyces. Tul.

Hypomyces means upon a mushroom. It is parasitic on fungi. Mycelium byssoid; perithecia small; asci 8-spored.

Hypomyces lactifluorum. Schw.

Lactifluorum means milk-flowing. It is parasitic on Lactarius, probably piperatus, as this species surrounded it. It seems to have the power to change the color into an orange-red mass, in many cases entirely obliterating the gills of the host-species, as will be seen in Figure 422.

The asci are long and slender. The sporidia are in one row, spindle-shaped, straight or slightly curved, rough, hyaline, uniseptic, cuspidate, pointed at the ends, 30–38×6–8µ.

This very closely resembles Hypomyces aurantius, but the sporidia are larger, rough and warted and the felt-like mycelium at the base is wanting.

It occurs in various colors, orange, red, white, and purple. It is not plentiful, occurring only occasionally. Capt. McIlvaine says, "When it is well cooked in small pieces it is among the best." It is found from July to October.

Leptoglossum luteum. (Pk.) Sac.

Leptoglossum is from two Greek words, meaning thin, delicate, and tongue; luteum means yellowish.

The club is distinct from the stem, smooth, compressed, generally with a groove on one side; luteous, often becoming brown at the tip or apex.

The stem is equal or slightly enlarged above, stuffed, luteous, minutely scaly.

The spores are oblong, slightly curved, in a double row, 1-1000 to 1-800 inch long. Peck.

These are found quite frequently among moss, or where an old log has rotted down, on the north hillsides about Chillicothe. The plants were first described by Dr. Peck as "Geoglossum luteum," but afterwards called by Saccardo "Leptoglossum luteum." The plants in Figure 423 were found in August or September, on Ralston's Run, near Chillicothe, and were photographed by Dr. Kellerman.

Spathularia. Pers.

This is a very interesting genus, and one that will attract the attention of any one at first sight. It grows in the form of a spathula, from which it receives its generic name. The spore-body is flattened and grows down on both sides of the stem, tapering downward.

Spathularia flavida. Pers.

The Yellow Spathularia. Edible.

The spore body is a clear yellow, sometimes tinged with red, shaped like a spathula, the apex blunt, sometimes slightly cleft, the surface wavy, somewhat crisp, growing down the stem on opposite sides further than V. velutipes.

The stem is thick, hollow, white, then tinged with yellow, slightly compressed; asci clavate, apex somewhat pointed, 8-spored; spores arranged in parallel fascicles, hyaline, linear-clavate, usually very slightly bent, 50–60×3.5–4µ; paraphyses filiform, septate, often branched, tips not thickened, wavy. While this is a beautiful plant it is not common. Found in August and September.

Spathularia velutipes. C. & F.

Velvet-foot Spathularia. Edible.

Velutipes is from velutum, velvet; pes, foot.

The spore body is flattened, shaped like a spathula, spore surface wavy, growing on the opposite sides of the upper part of the stem, tawny-yellow. The stem is hollow, minutely downy or velvety, dark brown tinged with yellow. It will dry quite as well as Morchella. It is found in damp woods on mossy logs. It is not a common plant. Found in August and September.

Leotia. Hill.

Receptacle pileate. Pileus orbicular, margin involute, free from the stem, smooth, hymenium covering upper surface.

The stem is hollow, central, rather long, continuous with pileus; the whole plant greenish-yellow.

Asci club-shaped, pointed, 8-spored. The spores are elliptical and hyaline. The paraphyses are present, usually slender and round.

Leotia lubrica. Pers.

Lubrica means slippery; so called because the plants are usually slimy.

The pileus is irregularly hemispherical, somewhat wrinkled, inflated, wavy, margin obtuse, free from the stem, yellowish olive-green, tremelloid.

The stem is one to three inches long, nearly equal, hollow, and continuous with the cap; greenish-yellow, covered with small white granules.

The asci are cylindrical, slightly pointed at the apex, 8-spored. The spores are oblong, hyaline, smooth, sometimes slightly curved, 22–25×5µ. The paraphyses are slender, round, hyaline.

The plants are gregarious and grow among moss or among leaves in the woods. This species is quite plentiful about Chillicothe. It is distinguished from Leotia chlorocephala by the color of its stem and cap. The color of the latter is green or dark green. They are found from July to frost. They are edible but not choice.

Leotia chlorocephala. Schw.

Chlorocephala means green head. However, the entire plant is green.

They grow in clusters, pileus round, depressed, somewhat translucent, more or less waxy, margin incurved, dark-verdigris-green, sometimes rather dark-green.

The stem is rather short, almost equal; green, but often paler than the cap, covered with fine powdery dust, often twisted.

Asci cylindric-clavate, apex rather narrowed, 8-spored, spores smooth, hyaline, ends acute, often slightly curved, 17–20×5µ.

The specimens in Figure 426 were found in Purgatory Swamp, near Boston, by Mrs. Blackford. Both cap and stem were a deep verdigris-green. They were sent to me during the warm weather of August.

Peziza. Linn.

Peziza means stalkless mushroom. This is a large genus of discomycetous fungi in which the hymenium lines the cavity of a fleshy membranous or waxy cup. They are attached to the ground, decaying wood, or other substances, by the center, though sometimes they are distinctly stalked. They are often beautifully colored and are called fairy cups, blood cups, and cup fungi. They are all cup-or saucer-shaped; externally warted, scurvy or smooth; asci cylindrical, 8-spored. The genus is large. Prof. Peck reports 150 species. Found early in spring till early winter.

Peziza acetabulum. Linn.

Reticulated Peziza. Edible.

Acetabulum, a small cup or vinegar cup. The spore-bearing body stipitate, cup-shaped, dingy, ribbed externally with branching veins, which run up from the short, pitted and hollow stem; mouth somewhat contracted; light umber without and darker within. Found on the ground in the spring.

Peziza badia. Pers.

Large Brown Peziza. Edible.

Gregarious in its habits; sessile, or narrowed into a very short stout stem, more or less pitted; nearly round and closed at first, then expanded until cup-shaped; margin at first involute; externally covered with a frost-like bloom; disk darker than the external surface, very changeable in color; lobes more or less split and wavy, somewhat thick; spore-sacs cylindrical, apex truncante, sporidia oblong-ovate, epispore rough, 8-spored. Found on the ground in the grass or by the roadside in open woods. I found my first specimens in a clearing at Salem, but I have since found it at several points in the state. It should be fresh when eaten.

Peziza coccinea. Jacq.

The Carmine Peziza.

Coccinea means scarlet or crimson. Usually growing two or three on the same stick, the color is a very pure and beautiful scarlet, attractive to children; school children frequently bring me specimens, curious to know what they are. Specimens not large, disk clear and pure carmine within, externally white, as is the stem; tomentose, with short, adpressed down; sporidia oblong, 8-spored. It is readily recognized by the pure carmine disk and whitish tomentose exterior. It is found in damp woods on decayed sticks, being very common all over the state.

Peziza odorata. Pk.

The Odorous Peziza. Edible.

Gregarious in its habits. Cup yellowish, sessile, translucent, becoming dull brown when old, brittle when fresh, flesh moist and watery; the frame of the cup is separable into two layers; the outer one is rough, while the inner one is smooth. The disk is yellowish-brown. The asci are cylindrical, opening by a lid. On ground in cellars, about barns and outbuildings. A very beautiful cluster grew upon a water-bucket in my stable. The cups were quite large, two and a half to three inches across. Its odor is distinctive. It is very similar to Peziza Petersii from which it is distinguished by its larger spores and peculiar odor. Found in May and June.

Peziza Stevensoni.

This plant is sessile or nearly so, growing on the ground in dense clusters. The specimens in Figure 429 grew in Dr. Chas. Miesse's cellar, in Chillicothe. They grow quite large at times; are ovate, externally grayish-white, covered with a minute down or tomentum, internally reddish-brown, the rim of the cup finely serrated, as will be seen in the figure below. They are found from May to July.

Peziza semitosta.

Semitosta, from its scorched appearance, or umber-like color.

The cup is one to one and a half inches across, hemispherical, hirsute-velvety without, date-brown within; margin indexed.

The stem is ribbed or wrinkled. Sporidia are subfusiform, .00117 inch long.

These plants are found on the ground in damp places. It was formerly called Peziza semitosta or Sarcoscypha semitosta. The plants in Figure 430 were found in August or September on the north side of the Edinger Hill, near Chillicothe, and were photographed by Dr. Kellerman. No doubt edible, but the writer has not tried them. This is called Macropodia semitosta.

Peziza aurantia. Fr.

Orange-Ground Peziza. Edible.

Aurantia means orange color.

Subsessile, irregular, oblique, externally somewhat pruinose, whitish. The sporidia are elliptic, rough.

Found on the ground in damp woods. The cups are often quite large and very irregular. Found in August and September.

Peziza repanda. Wahl.

Repanda means bent backward. These plants are found in dark moist woods, growing on old, wet logs, or in well wooded earth. The cups are clustered or scattered, subsessile, contracted into a short, stout, stem-like base. When very small they appear like a tiny white knot on the surface of the log. This grows, so that soon a hollow sphere with an opening at the top is produced. The plant now begins to expand and flatten, producing an irregular, flattened disk with small upturned edges. The margin often becomes split and wavy, sometimes drooping and revolute; disk pale or dark brown, more or less wrinkled toward the center; externally the cup is a scurvy-white. The asci are 8-spored, quite large. The paraphyses are few, short, separate, clavate, and brownish at the tips. The spores are elliptical, thin-walled, hyaline, non-nucleate, 14×9µ.

Found from May to October. Edible.

Peziza vesiculosa. Bull.

The Bladdery Peziza. Edible.

Often in thick clusters. Those in the center are frequently distorted by mutual pressure; large, entire, sessile, at first globose; closed at first, then expanding; the margin of the cup more or less incurved, sometimes slightly notched; disk pallid-brown, externally; surface is covered with a coarsely granular or warty substance which plainly shows in the photograph. The hymenium is generally separable from the substance of the cap. The spores are smooth, transparent, continuous, elliptical, ends obtuse.

They are found on dung-hills, hot-beds or wherever the ground has been strongly fertilized and contains the necessary moisture. This is an interesting plant and often found in large numbers. Vesicolosa means full of bladders, as the picture will suggest.

I found a very nice cluster on the 25th of April, 1904, in my stable.

Peziza scutellata. Linn.

The Shield-Like Peziza.

Becoming plane, vermillion-red, externally paler, hispid towards the margin with straight black hairs. Spores ellipsoid. Found on damp rotten logs from July to October. Very plentiful and very pretty under the magnifying glass.

Peziza tuberosa. Bull.

The Tuberous Peziza.

Tuberosa, furnished with a tuber or sclerotium. The cup is thin, infundibuliform, bright brown, turning pale.

The stem is elongated, springing from an irregular black tuber, called sclerotium. The stems run deep into the earth and are attached to a sclerotium, which will be seen in the halftone. Many fungus plants have learned to store up fungus starch for the new plant.

The sporidia are oblong-ellipsoid, simple. It is called by some authors Sclerotinia tuberosa. It grows on the ground in the spring and may be known by its bright brown color and its stem running deep into the earth and attached to a tuber.

Peziza hemispherica. Wigg.

Sessile, hemispherical, waxy, externally brownish, clothed with dense, fasciculate hairs; disk glaucous-white. This is called by Gillet Lachnea hemispherica. The cups are small, varying much in color and the sporidia are ellipsoidal. They are found on the ground in September and October. Found in Poke Hollow.

Peziza leporina. Batsch.

Substipitate, elongated on one side, ear-shaped, subferruginous externally, farinose internally; base even. It is sometimes cinereous or yellowish. Sporidia ellipsoidal. This is called frequently Otidea leporina, (Batsch.) Fckl. It is found on the ground in the woods during September and October. Found in Poke Hollow.

Peziza venosa. P.

This plant is saucer-shaped, sometimes many inches broad; sessile, somewhat twisted, dark umber, white beneath, wrinkled with rib-like veins. Odor often strong. Found growing on the ground in leaf mold. Found in the spring, about the last of April, in James Dunlap's woods, near Chillicothe. This is also called Discina venosa, Suec.

Peziza floccosa. Schw.

This is a beautiful plant growing upon partially decayed logs. I have always found it upon hickory logs. The cap is cup-shaped, very much like a beaker. The stem is long and slender, rather woolly; the rim of the cap is fringed with long, strigose hairs. The inner surface of the cup represents the spore-bearing portion.

The inside and the rim of the cup are very beautiful, being variegated with deep scarlet and white. Also called Sarcoscypha floccosa.

The plant is found from June to September.

Peziza occidentalis.

This is another very showy plant, quite equal in attractiveness to P. floccosa and P. coccinea.

The cup is infundibuliform, the outside as well as the stem whitish, and downy, the bowl or disk is reddish-orange. This is known by some authors as Sarcoscypha occidentalis. It grows on rotten sticks upon the ground. May and June.

Peziza nebulosa. Cooke.

Nebulosa means cloudy or dark, from nebula, a cloud; from its color.

Ascophore stipitate, rather fleshy, closed at first, then cup-shaped, becoming somewhat plane, the margin slightly incurved, externally pilose or downy, pale gray or sometimes quite dark.

Asci are cylindrical; spores spindle-shaped, straight or bow-shaped, rough, 35–8; paraphyses thread-shaped.

These plants are found on decayed stumps or logs in the wood. The woods where I have found them have been rather dense and damp. The plants in Figure 437 were found in Haynes' Hollow and photographed by Dr. Kellerman.

Urnula craterium. (Schw.) Fr.

Urnula means burned; craterium means a small crater; hence the translation is a burned-out crater, which will appear to the student as a very appropriate name. It is a very common and conspicuous Ascomycetous, or cup fungus, growing in clusters on rotten sticks that lie in moist places. When the plants first appear they are small, black stems with scarcely any evidence of a cup. In a short time the end of the stem shows evidence of enlargement, showing lines of separation on the top. It soon opens and we have the cup as you see it in Figure 438. The hymenium, or spore bearing surface, is the interior wall of the cup. The cup is lined inside with a palisade of long cylindrical sacs, each containing eight spores with a small amount of liquid. These sacs are at right angles to the inner surface, and are provided with lids similar to that of a coffee-pot; at maturity the lid is forced open and the spores are shot out of these sacs, and, by jarring the fungus when it is ready to make the discharge, they can be seen as a little cloud an inch or two above the cup. Place a small slip of glass over the cup and you will see spores in groups of eight in very small drops of liquid on the glass. This species appears in April and May, and is certainly a very interesting plant. It is called by some Peziza craterium, Schw.

Helotium. Fr.

Disc always open, at first punctiform, then dilated, convex or concave, naked. Excipulum waxy, free, marginate, externally naked.

Helotium citrinum. Fr.

Lemon-Colored Helotium.

This is a beautiful little Disc-fungus, yellow, growing upon rotten logs in damp woods. They often grow in dense clusters; a beautiful lemon-yellow, the head being plane or concave, with a short, thick, paler stem, forming an inverted cone. Asci elongated, narrowly cylindrical, attenuated at the base into a long, slender, crooked pedicel, 8-spored.

Sporidia oblong, elliptical, with two or three minute nuclei.

This is quite a common plant in our woods during wet weather or in damp places, growing upon old logs and stumps, in woods, in the fall. Figure 439 will give an idea of their appearance when in dense clusters. The plants photographed by Dr. Kellerman.

Helotium lutescens. Fr.

Yellowish Helotium.

Lutescens means yellowish. The plants are small, sessile, or attached by a very short stem; closed at first, then expanding until nearly plane; disk yellow, smooth; asci clavate, 8 spored; spores hyaline, smooth.

Gregarious or scattered. Found on half-decayed branches.

Helotium Æruginosum. Fr.

The Green Helotium.

Æruginosum means verdigris-green. Gregarious or scattered, staining the wood on which they grow to a deep verdigris-green; ascophore at first turbinate and closed, then expanding, the margin usually wavy and more or less irregular; flexible, glabrous, even, somewhat contracted, and minutely wrinkled when dry; every part a deep verdigris-green, the disc often becoming paler with a tinge of tan color; 1–4 mm. across; stem 1–3 mm. long, expanding into the ascophore; hypothecium and excipulum formed of interlaced, hyaline hyphÆ, 3–4µ. thick, these becoming stouter and colored green in the cortex; asci narrowly cylindric-clavate, apex slightly narrowed, 8-spored; spores irregularly 2-seriate, hyaline or with a slight tinge of green, very narrowly cylindric-fusiform, straight or curved, 10–14×2.5–3.5µ. 2-gutullate, or with several minute green oil globules; paraphyses slender, with a tinge of green at the tip. Massee.

Massee calls this Chlorosplenium Æruginosum, De Not. It is quite common on oak branches, staining to a deep green the wood upon which it grows. It is widely distributed, specimens having been sent me from as far east as Massachusetts. The mycelium-stains in the wood are met more frequently than the fruit.

Bulgaria. Fr.

Bulgaria—probably first found in that principality.

Receptacle orbicular, then truncate, glutinous within, at first closed; hymenium even, persistent, smooth.

Bulgaria inquinans. Fr.

The Blackish Bulgaria.

Inquinans means befouling or polluting; so called because of the blackish, gelatinous coating of the cap.

Receptacle orbicular, closed at first, then opening, forming a cup, as shown on the right in Figure 440; disk or cup becoming plane; black, sometimes becoming lacunose; tough, elastic, gelatinous, dark-brown, or chocolate, almost black, wrinkled, and rough externally; stem very short, almost obsolete; cup light umber; sporidia large, elliptical, brown.

This plant is quite plentiful in some localities near Chillicothe. It is found in woods, on oak trunks or limbs partially decayed.

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