A • N
H I S T O R Y OF agarics,
G R O W I N G about H A L I F A X.
AGARICUS Jlipitatus, pileo convexo fquamato albidolamellis Lilrufis.
Linn. Sp. PI. 1641. camfejlris.
ESCULENT AGARIC, Muihroom or Champignion.
THE T A B. XLV. root is furrounded with numerous ihort dawny fibres,
of a greyiih colour.
The item is folid, brittle, cylindrical, and white; while
"young a little fwollen in the middle, and is large and thick in
proportion to the pileus.
The curtain is white, of a dawny or cottony fubftance,
foon kcerates, falls off, and vaniihes.
The gills in three feries, pointed at the bafe, not adhering
to the ftem; at firft of a pale rofe colour, afterwards change to
a brown hue, and turn black in decay.
; The pileus'while young is globular, generally fmooth and
white, fometimes tinged with, a pale brown, and having an appearance
of fcalinefs on its furface; as it advances in age the rim
unfolds, till at laft it becomes nearly horizontal, changes byway
of buff colour to a duiky brown, and falls and withers in decay.
Grows in pafture^grounds, after much rain, in July and
Auguji, not in plenty about Halifax.
This Agaric is in much requeft at table, having an excellent
flavour, and being accounted fafe. There are inftances, however,
on record, of its pernicious and fatal effedts upon fuch as have
eaten largely of it; but it may be aiked, whether thofe bad
cffedts were occafioned by a poifonous quality in the true muihroom,
or by an error or overfight in the gatherer ? For the
Agaricus annulatus, which is efteemed poifonous, fo nearly refembles
the muihroom in fome of its ftates, that I have feen it
gathered, by miftake, for that fpecies. The Agaricus vernalis
alfo, fometimes, nearly refembles it.
H