The Mushroom, Edible and Otherwise / Its Habitat and its Time of Growth

by Miron Elisha Hard

The stem is stout, central or lateral, tomentose or scaly, often crooked, rooting, whitish, solid, equal or tapering at the base.

This is a peculiar plant, growing sometimes to immense forms. It grows on wood, seemingly to be partial to railroad ties to which its mycelium is very injurious. I found the plant frequently about Salem, Ohio. The specimens in the halftone were found near Akron, Ohio, and photographed by Prof. Smith. As an esculent it almost rivals the Pleuroti. It is found from spring to autumn. I found a beautiful cluster on an oak stump near Chillicothe, while looking for Morels, about the last of April.

Lentinus cochleatus. Fr.

The Spiral-Formed Lentinus. Edible.

Photo by C. G. Lloyd.

Figure 183.—Lentinus cochleatus.

Cochleatus is from cochlea, a snail, from resembling its shell.

The pileus is two to three inches broad, tough, flaccid, irregular, depressed, sometimes funnel-shaped, sometimes lobed or contorted, flesh-color, becoming pale.