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EDIBLE AND POISONOUS MUSHROOMS OF CANADA
brown fibrils, usually slightly punctate with minute dark scales, margin even.
FLESH rather thin, tinged the color of the pileus. lamellae decurrent, occasion-
ally forking, subdistant, narrow, tapering at each end, yellowish, stipe %-2 in.
long, about J/g in. thick, equal or tapering slightly upward or downward, con-
colorous with pileus or paler, densely tomentose at base, less tomentose to
subglabrous upward, solid when young, often becoming hollowed by grubs.
SPORES smooth, white, ellipsoid, 7-9 X 4-5 ii.
In groups or small clusters on decaying logs. July-Sept.
The subdistant, forking lamellae in this species might lead one to look for
it in Cantharellus. The spores are amyloid, and Singer has placed this species
in the genus Cantharellula along with Cantharellus umbonatus. The minute,
dark scales in the center of the pileus are a valuable diagnostic character.
CLITOCYBE ILLUDENS Schw. Poisonous
Figures 164, 165, page 109
Jack-o'-lantern
pileus 2-41/2 in. broad (large specimens reaching 8 inches), sometimes
irregularly lobed especially in crowded situations, at first shallow-convex with
umbonate disk and inrolled margin, becoming expanded-convex with de-
pressed disk, the umbo sometimes persisting within the depression, bright
orange-yellow, smooth, at first moist, becoming dry, more or less innately
fibrous-streaked, pellicle rather tough, separable, margin at length elevated
and wavy but with the extreme edge remaining incurved, flesh very thin
except on the disk, fibrous-pithy, tinged orange, drying whitish, continuous
with the context of the stipe, odor strong, sweetish, pleasant, lamellae un-
equally long-decurrent, close, rather narrow for so large a mushroom, narrow-
ing at each end, occasionally forking, brittle, orange-yellow, either brighter or
paler than the pileus, phosphorescent in the dark, stipe stout, tough, 3-8 in.
long, y8-% in. thick, tapering at the base, often twisted and contorted, central
or sHghtly excentric, soHd, surface finely white-pruinose at first, smooth and
dry, fibrillose, tinged pinkish orange, spores creamy white, smooth, globose,
4-5 M-
In dense clusters at base of old stumps, sometimes from buried wood.
July-Sept.
This mushroom is remarkable for its phosphorescent properties. Although
apparently not common in Canada, its bright colors and its habit of growing in
large clusters make it very conspicuous when it is present. Over 100 fruiting
bodies may grow in a single cluster. The odor apparently varies, as it is reported
as unpleasant by some authors.
It is sometimes mistaken for Armillaria mellea or Cantharellus cibarius.
The much brighter colors and lack of an annulus should distinguish it easily
from A. mellea and the crowded narrow lamellae and the habit of growing in
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