(9) The verdigris mushroom (Agaricus cerugino sus), common from July to November in woods and meadows, has a cap about three inches in diameter, covered with a green or blue slime; a long, scaly, hollow, bluish stein, and brown or purplish gills. It is reputed poisonous, probably because of its disagreeable odor, color, and taste.
(10) The fetid wood-witch (Phallus impudicus grows during summer and autumn in woods, fence corners, kitchen yards, and under wooden steps. Its cap expands but little, is about two inches from edge to summit, and is borne in a thick (11/4-inch) stem, six to eight inches tall, which rises from a white or pinkish cup two inches in diameter. This toadstool cannot be mistaken when full grown, because of its exceedingly of fensive odor, which attracts blow-flies and car rion-beetles. The young plants are said to be very good when fried, but when mature the odor is against this species, and it is then con sidered unwholesome. (11) Red-juice mushroom (Hygrophorus conicus), found in woods and open places from August to October, has a thin, frag ile, acutely or obtusely conical yellow, bright red, or scarlet cap one-half to one inch across, with a lobed margin; rather close, broad, yellow, free gills; and a, hollow yellow stein, three to six inches long. Formerly. this species was con
sidered poisonous, probably on account of its color; it is now proved not to be merely harm less, but good for food.
Consult: Mcllvaine, One Thousand American. Fungi (Indianapolis, 1900) ; Coville, Observa tions on Recent Cases of Mushroom Poisoning in the District of Columbia, Circular 13, Division of Botany, United States Department of Agri culture (Washington, revised ed. 1897) ; Some Edible and Poisonous Fungi, Bulletin 15, Division Vegetable Physiology and Pathology, United States Department of Agriculture (Wash ington, 1898) ; Marshall, The Mushroom. Book (New York, 1900) ; Taylor, Students' Handbook of Mushrooms in America (Washington, ; Atkinson, Studies and Illustrations of Mush rooms, Bulletin 138, Cornell University Agricul tural Experiment Station (Ithaca, 1897) ; Gib son, Our Edible Toadstools and Mushrooms (New York, 1895) ; Peck, Mushrooms and Their Use (Cambridge, Mass., 1897) ; id., "Report State Botanist on Edible Fungi of New York," Annual Report New York State Museum, vol. iii., No. 4 (Albany, 1900).