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EDIBLE AND POISONOUS MUSHROOMS OF CANADA
Scattered or in groups on the ground in woods, uncommon. Sept.-Oct.
This is one of the largest of the hebelomas and has been included as a
representative of the genus. The floccose-scaly stipe and broad lamellae
together with the large size are the distinguishing characters. Definite information
as to its edibihty is lacking but it is not recommended since other members
of the genus are known to be poisonous.
CONOCYBE
Conocybe includes a group of small, fragile, Mycena-\\kt mushrooms with
rusty brown spores. They were formerly included in the genus Galera but this
name cannot be used under the International Code of Nomenclature because
the name had been given earlier to a genus of flowering plants. The old genus
Galera has been divided into two genera based on the structure of the cuticle.
In Conocybe the cuticle is cellular and in Galerina it is filamentous. The species
are unimportant as food because they are so small and fragile and they are
difficult to identify. One species is included here because it is commonly found
on lawns and is fairly easily recognized.
CONOCYBE CRISPA (Longyear) Singer
Figure 385, page 283
PILEUS Yi-l Va in. broad, conic to campanulate, sometimes slightly umbonate,
striate to rugulose, glabrous, atomate, whitish buff", more brownish on
disk when moist, flesh thin, membranous, lamellae adnexed, close to sub-
distant, narrow, crisped and interveined, ferruginous brown, stipe 1 y^-2> in.
long, about i/fg in. thick, white, or tinged ochraceous, equal, shghtly bulbous at
base, hollow, spores ellipsoid to ovoid, rather variable, smooth, rusty brown,
11-16(18) X 8-12 M-
Gregarious on lawns and grassy places. June-July (Sept.).
The distinctive character of this species is the crisped lamellae. A similar
species in which the lamellae are not crisped is also common on lawns. It has
been generally known as Galera tenera Fr., but according to Smith (1949) the
true G. tenera is rare and the common species that has been called G. tenera is,
in reality, Conocybe lactea (Lange) Metrod. Although this species is, perhaps,
more common than G. crispa it was thought desirable to choose the latter as a
representative of this group because it could be identified with more certainty.
All the species of this group are too small and fragile to be of any value as food.
Figures 282-291
282. Naucoria semiorbicularis. 283, Paxillus involutus.
284. P. atrotomentosus. 285. P. atrotomentosus.
286. Agaricus campestris. 287. A.haemorrhoidarius.
288. A. diminutivus. 289. A. diminutivus.
290. A. silvicola. 291. A. silvicola and Amanita virosa.
192