Known at once by its general shape and smell, its pink or brown gills, white flesh, brown spores and solid stem.
Coprinus
Also belonging to the gilled or true mushroom family are the ink-caps of the genus.
They grow on dung piles and rich ground. They spring up over night and perish in a day. In the last stage the gills turn as black as ink.
Inky Coprinus
(Coprinus atramentarius)
This is the species illustrated. The example was from the woods; often it is less tall and graceful. The cap is one inch {126} to three inches in diameter, grayish or grayish brown, sometimes tinged lead color. Wash and stew: Stew or bake from twenty to thirty minutes after thorough washing, being the recognized mode.
All the Clavarias or Coral Mushrooms are good except Clavaria dichotoma which is white, and has its branches divided in pairs at each fork. It grows on the ground under beeches and is slightly poisonous; it is rare.
Inky coprinus
The Delicious Morel
(Morchella deliciosa)