FAMILY V.—CLAVARIA´CEÆ.
Hymenium not distinct from the hymenophore, covering entire outer surface. Somewhat fleshy, not coriaceous, vertical, simple or branched. Fries.
For the most part growing upon the ground.
In this family there is no separation into stem and pileus, with the spore-bearing surface restricted to gills or tubes, but the substance of the plant is continuous, and the spores are produced on the clubs or branches.
But three genera—Clavaria, Sparassis and Pistillaria—include species of food value. They are easily recognized.
The genus Calcocera resembles Clavaria in form, but is very different in material, being a jelly-like viscid, cartilaginous substance, horny when dry, resembling that of Tremella.
Very much branched, branches compressed, plate-like, crisped.
Simple or club-shaped, with a thread-like stem.
Fleshy, simple or branched, branches typically round, some forms club-shaped.
Club-shaped, simple, rigid when dry; usually minute.
Branches numerous, slender, forming a tuft, or single, leathery, round or compressed.
SPARAS´SIS Fr.
Fleshy, branched, with flat leaf-like branches, composed of two plates, fertile on both sides, with four-spored sporophores. Fries.
Very beautiful plants of striking appearance.
Unfortunately they are not common, although they generally occur yearly in the same locality.
S. Herb´stii Pk. Plants much branched, forming tufts 4–5 in. high and 5–6 in. broad, whitish, inclining to creamy-yellow, tough, moist, the branches numerous, thin, flattened, concrescent, dilated above and spatulate or fan-shaped, often somewhat longitudinally curved or wavy, mostly uniformly colored, rarely with a few indistinct, nearly concolorous, transverse zones near the broad, entire apices.
Spores subglobose or broadly elliptical, 5–6×4–5µ.
Trexlertown. August.
Closely allied to S. spathulata Schw., but differs in its paler color with no rufescent hues, more branching habit and absence of any distinct zones.
Four specimens were found at Mt. Gretna, Pa., during August, 1898. These were not as symmetrical as S. crispa, which they closely resembled in fold and texture. They were of equal excellence cooked.
S. lamino´sa Fr.—a thin plate. Base branching, straw-color. Branches erect, crowded, growing together, straight at the top, zoneless, entire.
North Carolina, Curtis. On oak log.
Edible, Curtis. “Deliciosa,” Fries.
Photographed by Luther G. Harpel, Lebanon, Pa. Plate CXXXVII.
SPARASSIS CRISPA.
S. cris´pa Fr.—crispus, curly. (Plate CXXXVII.) Height 3–12 in., width 4–24 in. Tufts very handsome, whitish, oyster color or pale-yellow, very much branched. Branches flat, leaf-like. Spore surface on both sides, sometimes crimped on edges. Compacted into a round mass, ending below in a solid rooting base.
Spores pale-ochraceous, 5–6×3–4µ Massee.
Very variable in size. On ground in woods and grassy places in open woods. Summer, autumn. North Carolina, Curtis; West Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, McIlvaine.
Have seen it 2 ft. across. “Delicosissima.” Fries.
A perfect specimen of S. crispa resembles a huge rosette, round and many-folded in tortuous design. The folds are wide, flattened branches springing from a common base, thin, semi-transparent, not unlike damp sheets of gelatine although thicker. Surfaces of the leaves are dull, like the flattened seaweeds and the light-colored sea-rock mosses. S. crispa may be easily dried, and though shrinking much in size, retains its shape, forming a very pretty ornament for the desk of the mycologist. It is not common. Where it has chosen a habitat several tufts may be found during the moderate season. The writer found three specimens ranging from 6–12 in. in diameter near Haddonfield, N.J., others, not as large, in West Virginia and in Chester county, Pa.
It has long been known as edible. It makes an ever-to-be-remembered dish.
CLAVA´RIA L.
Fleshy, branched or simple, somewhat round, without a distinct stem. Hymenium continuous, dry, homogeneous. For the most part growing on ground. Fries.
The members of this genus vary greatly in form, which in some is that of a club growing singly or cespitose, while others present a more or less bush-like appearance, being slightly or excessively branched.
The color of the plant covers a wide range, as it may be white, red, yellow, violet or their various shades, and to be in harmony the spores do not confine themselves to one color, but are white, ochraceous or cinnamon. In cases where the plant is not otherwise well defined the spore colors will be found a valuable aid in placing it.
Branched, branches attenuated upward.
* Plant, color bright, red, yellow or violet.
** Plant white, gray or yellowish.
* Plant yellow or dingy ochraceous.
** Growing on wood.
Clubs almost simple, tufted at the base.
Clubs almost simple, distinct at the base.
Excepting to toadstool hunters the Clavaria, though numerous, are not known to those who “Know a toadstool when they see it.” They bear no semblance to the stereotyped toadstool. They seem to possess an imitative faculty. Those growing among grasses harmonize with the faded stalks under debris or the bleached surfaces of blades famishing for sunlight; those of the woods take on the color of the leaf mat or of the lichens, and shapes of club and deer-horn mosses, or assemble in groves as pigmy trees, boled and sturdy-branched in mimicry of their giant protectors towering above them. In their forms many are delicate, graceful, beautiful, others are intricate. There is fascination for eye and brain in looking through the vistas and labyrinths of their branches.
A few species are tough as shoe-strings; a few bitter; one, C. dichotoma, on the authority of Leuba, contains a minor poison. The genus is plentiful and reliable. Many individuals are of marked excellence. In soups, stews, patties, they remind one of noodles; sometimes of macaroni. The hard parts of the stem should be removed, the branches broken or cut in ½ in. lengths. If stewed, they require time and slow cooking; if fried in butter they are crisp, choice bits.
Branched, branches attenuated upward.
C. fla´va Schaeff.—yellow. Fragile, trunk thick, fleshy, white, very much branched. Branches even, round, fastigiate, obtuse, yellow. Fries.
Height 2–4 in., 2–4 in. across; pale-yellow, dingy-yellow. Stem or trunk short, robust, whitish. Branches very numerous, dense, fragile, erect, straight, lighter than the yellow tips (fading with age) which are toothed. Flesh white. Spores white. Taste and odor pleasant.
Woods and open places. June to frost.
Indiana, H.I. Miller; West Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, McIlvaine.
The C. flava and C. botrytes have long been noted edible species, liberally commended abroad and in the United States. Variations in their structure are interchangeable; variations in their quality are due to environment. There is a slight difference in the measurement of their spores, but the difference is not so great as between spores of the same specimen. Specific differences may exhibit themselves in young plants, yet disappear with age.
Plants for the table should be young and fresh. When aged or when the ravages of insects appear, they should not be used, as they then have an unpleasant taste which will effect a whole dish.
They should be cut into small pieces and stewed slowly for fully thirty minutes. They can be seasoned and eaten as a stew or made into patties.
C. botry´tes Pers. Gr—a cluster of grapes (from shape). Height 3–4 in., 3–6 in. across, white, yellow, pinkish, dingy in shades of these colors. Base thick, short, fleshy, unequal. Branches many, swollen, thick, crowded, unequal, enlarged at the ends and divided into several small branchlets which are sometimes reddish at tips. Flesh white.
Spores ellipsoid, sub-transparent, white, 8×5µ Massee.
On wood earth. Common.
New York, Peck, Rep. 24; West Virginia, New Jersey, McIlvaine.
A general favorite and highly esteemed in Europe. Edible. Curtis.
“When old the branches both of this species and of C. flava become elongated, obtuse, very fragile, and of a uniform color. The yellow tips of the latter and the red ones of the former species wholly disappear.” Peck, 32d Rep.
Excepting when young (not always then) the red tips to the branchlets can not be relied upon as distinctive features of this species. The place of its growth and the character of the soil have very much to do with its size, and the color and quality of its flesh. A well-shaded thin-soiled spot will, after a rain, grow pale, spindling, tender bunches, having but a tinge of red upon the points; perhaps not any. A rich, better lighted spot will produce more robust and highly colored plants. The same can be said of C. flava. C. botrytes is plentiful in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia and like latitudes. It must be well cooked.
C. amethys´tina Bull.—amethyst in color. (Plate CXXXIX, fig. 1, p. 516.) Height ½-3 in. Color violet, very much branched or almost simple. Branches round, even, fragile, smooth, obtuse, known by its color.
Spores elliptical, pale ochraceous, sub-transparent, 10–12×6–7µ Massee.
Common in open woods and grassy places.
New York, Peck 30th Rep.; West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, McIlvaine. August, September.
Eaten in Europe, and by some preferred to any other.
A handsome species, very brittle, and though large, delicate.
C. fastigia´ta—fastigium, the top. Height 1–2 in., tufted, yellow. Branches numerous, flexible, tough, equal, fastigiate (branches pointing upward), sometimes short and simple, when higher very much branched.
Spores white, irregularly globose, 4–6µ Massee.
In pastures and grassy places, during warm months.
North Carolina, Curtis; California, West Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, McIlvaine.
Commonly eaten throughout Europe. In Germany they call it Ziegenbart—goat’s beard.
This is one of the species that has to be looked for. Grass tufts hide it. Its yellowish stools are not unlike them in color. It is freely found, and, though not of the best, well rewards the seeker.
Grouped by F.D. Briscoe—Studies by C. McIlvaine Plate CXXXIX.
| Fig. | Page. | Fig. | Page. |
| 1. Clavaria amethystina, | 516 | 3. Clavaria formosa, | 520 |
| 2. Clavaria aurea, | 520 |
C. muscoi´des—muscus, moss. Height 1–1½ in., slightly tufted, yellow. Stem slender, tomentose at base, becoming two or three times forked. Branchlets thin, tapering, crescent-shaped, acute.
Spores white, subglobose, 5–6µ Massee.
In pastures.
North Carolina, Schweinitz, Curtis; Ohio; New York, Peck, 47th Rep.
Edible. Curtis.
C. Her´veyi Pk. Gregarious or subcespitose, simple or with a few branches, often compressed or irregular, scarcely 1 in. high, golden-yellow, sometimes brownish at the apex. Flesh white. Branches when present, short, simple or terminating in few or many more or less acute denticles. Spores globose, 7.5µ broad, minutely roughened; mycelium white.
Ground under hemlock trees. Orono, Me. September. F.L. Hervey.
Allied to C. fastigiata and C. muscoides, but distinct from both by its more irregular and less branching character and by its larger spores. Peck, 45th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.
Near Haddonfield, N.J., August, 1890, among scrub pines and spruce. A pretty species of medium flavor.
C. coralloi´des Linn. Height 2–4 in., usually tufted, growing into each other, white. Trunk thick, short, much branched. Branches repeatedly forked, compressed, hollow within, fragile, dilated upward, tips crowded acute.
Occasionally the branches do not develop entirely and are obtuse; they then somewhat resemble in shape C. rugosa, but are not wrinkled.
Spores pale-ochraceous, pointed, 10×8µ Massee.
Indiana, H.I. Miller; West Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, McIlvaine.
A common edible species in Europe. Common in United States.
The writer has eaten it for many years. It is not always tender. It should be young, fresh, and the branches alone cooked. It requires slow, patient cooking if at all old. It does dry well, as stated by some writers, but it does not wet well again.
C. cine´rea Bull.—cinis, ashes. (Plate CXL.) Height 1–3 in., gregarious or tufted, sometimes in rows. Gray. Stem either thin or thick, short, lighter than branches. Branches very numerous compressed, wrinkled, irregular, somewhat obtuse or flattened and divided into slender points.
Its gray color easily distinguishes it from others. It is variable in its mode of growth and in its shape.
On ground in woods. Common. June to frost.
Eatable, but injurious in quantities. Cordier. Edible, but provokes indigestion in delicate stomachs. Leuba.
Eaten generally in Europe. In France it is called pied de coq.
Plentiful in United States, in mixed woods. June to frost.
The writer and his friends have eaten it for fifteen years, and know of no Clavaria equalling it.
C. tetrago´na Schw.—Four-angled. Very fragile, deep orange-yellow, twice forked. Stem and branches quadrangular, 1–1½ in. tall.
Moist shady places.
New York. Ground in shaded places. August and September. Poughkeepsie, Gerard, Peck, 24th Rep.; North Carolina, Schweinitz, Curtis; Pennsylvania, Schweinitz.
Edible. Curtis.
Photographed by Dr. J.R. Weist. Plate CXLI.
CLAVARIA CRISTATA.
C. crista´ta Pers.—crista, a crest. (Plate CXLI, p. 518.) Height 1–5 in., whitish, tufts of broad flattened branches cut on margins or crested. Base short, stout. Branches numerous, irregular, flattened upward and divided like moose horns, tough, stuffed, dingy. This peculiarity distinguishes it and separates it from C. coralloides.
Spores pale ochraceous, pointed, 10×8µ Massee.
Woods. Common. Summer and autumn. Indiana, H.I. Miller; West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, McIlvaine.
Edible. Curtis.
After a summer rain the crested Clavaria is usually abundant where there is good encouragement of mossy beds or mats of rich wood-soil in woods where leaves and mold accumulate. It is not as tender as many other species, but chopped fine and stewed slowly for an hour it will be eaten with enjoyment.
C. rugo´sa Bull.—ruga, a wrinkle. White or dingy, simple or tufted, 2–4 in. high, branched from the base with irregular blunt branches wrinkled lengthwise, sometimes thickened upward.
Distinguished by the distinct, irregular, longitudinal wrinkles.
Spores white, irregularly globose, 8–10µ Massee.
In woods, solitary or gregarious. August to November.
North Carolina, Schweinitz, Curtis. Pennsylvania, Ohio.
It is reported edible by Dr. Curtis, M.C. Cooke and Dr. Badham.
C. pyxida´ta Pers.—pyxis, a small box. Tufted, light tan-color, shaded with red, 1–3 in. high. Stem or trunk thin, smooth, variable in length, dividing into many erect forked branches, which are cup-shaped at the tips. The margins of these tips have slender branchlets issuing from them (proliforme).
Distinguished by the cup-like tips. Spores white, 4×3µ Massee.
On rotten wood, on rotten roots in ground. June and into the autumn.
North Carolina, Schweinitz, Curtis; Pennsylvania, McIlvaine.
Specimen sent by writer to Prof. Peck, June, 1897, and identified by him. Not tested by writer, but is in Dr. Curtis' list of edible species.
C. subtil´is Pers. Scattered, slender, subtenaceous, pallid-white, bases smooth and of equal thickness, branches few, forked, subfastigiate.
North Carolina, Schweinitz, Curtis; Pennsylvania.
Edible. Curtis.
C. den´sa Pk. Tufts 2–4 in. high, nearly as broad, whitish or creamy-yellow, branching from the base. Branches very numerous, nearly parallel, crowded, terete, somewhat wrinkled when dry, the tips dentate, concolorous. Spores slightly colored, elliptical, 7.5–10×5–8.5µ.
Ground in woods. Selkirk. August.
Apparently closely allied to C. condensata, but differing decidedly in color. Peck, 41st Rep. N.Y. State Bot.
Specimens identified by Professor Peck.
Large masses of it grew at Mt. Gretna, Pa., July, August and September, 1898, in mixed woods.
Brittle; when young it is very compact. It is without much flavor, but stews tender and makes a good dish.
C. au´rea Schaeff.—aurum, gold. (Plate CXXXIX, fig. 2, p. 516.) Trunk thick, elastic, pallid. Flesh white, dividing into numerous thick branches that become repeatedly divided in a dichotomous manner upward, and terminate in slender, erect, round, yellow branchlets. Spores pale ochraceous, elliptical, 10–11×5–6µ.
In woods. Forming large tufts 2–3 in. high, colorless or almost so below, tips yellow. Massee.
North Carolina, Curtis; Ohio, Alabama. Found in West Virginia, 1882; Devon, Angora, Eagle’s Mere, Mt. Gretna, Pa.; Haddonfield, N.J. August and September. McIlvaine.
Eaten in Europe. Edible. Curtis.
In structure it reminds one of a miniature cropped Lombardy poplar. The color is not bright, but dingy-yellow. Resembles C. flava; distinguished by different color of spores. The branches (not stem) are tender and good.
Var. rufes´cens Schaeff.
This plant occurs after heavy rains. It sometimes grows in continuous rows several feet in extent. The pinkish-red tips of the branches fade with age. The axils are rounded and the plant is quite fragile. Fries considers it a variety of C. aurea. Peck, 25th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.
Found at Springton, Chester county, Pa., August, 1887. It is edible and good. The plant is tender and easily cooked.
C. formo´sa Pers.—formosus, finely formed. (Plate CXXXIX, fig. 3, p. 416.) Height 2–4 in. Trunk 1 in. and more thick, whitish or yellowish, elastic. Branches numerous, crowded, elongated, divided at ends into yellow branchlets which are thin, straight, obtuse or toothed.
Spores ochraceous 9×3–4µ Massee; elongated, oval, rough, 16×8µ W.G.S.
On ground in woods, in large tufts, frequently in rows several feet long.
North Carolina, Schweinitz, Curtis; Pennsylvania, New Jersey, McIlvaine.
Esteemed in Europe. Edible. Dr. Curtis.
Common in the United States in woods. Variable. An orange-rose color is sometimes prominent on the tips. The tenderer portions of the plant are excellent, but must be well cooked.
C. spinulo´sa Pers.—spined. Height 2–3 in. high. Stem ½-1 in. thick. Trunk stout, short, whitish. Branches numerous, crowded, erect, tense, elongated, tapering upward. Color cinnamon-brown or darker.
Spores ochraceous, elliptical, 11–13×5–6µ Massee.
On ground in pine woods. August to October.
New York, Peck, 24th Rep.; New Jersey, Sterling; Pennsylvania, McIlvaine.
Of same edible quality as C. aurea, which it resembles, excepting that it is darker and less abrupt in the ending of its clusters.
C. flac´cida Fr.—flaccidus, flaccid. Height 1–3 in., bright ochraceous, slender. Stem short, smooth, sometimes wanting, thin, 1–2 lines thick, repeatedly branched. Branches crowded, unequal, flaccid, upper ones forcep-shaped, pointed. Does not turn green when bruised like C. abietina. The whitish mycelium creeps over the leaves on which it grows. Brittle, tender, flesh white.
Spores ochraceous, broadly elliptical 4–5×3µ K.
Received from E.B. Sterling, Trenton, N.J.
Two specimens eaten. These were quite dry. After soaking they were tender and had good flavor.
C. cir´cinans Pk.—circino, to make round. (Plate CXLII.) Stem short, solid, dichotomously or subverticillately branched. Branches slightly diverging or nearly parallel, nearly equal in length, the ultimate ones terminating in two or more short acute concolorous ramuli. Spores ochraceous.
Plant 1–2 in. high, obconic in outline, flat-topped, appearing almost as if truncated, pallid or almost whitish in color, generally growing in imperfect circles or curved lines.
Under spruce and balsam trees. Adirondack mountains. August. Peck, 39th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.
Where pines have grown, but where now oak and chestnut trees make rather open woods, it grows at Mt. Gretna, Pa. A stumpy fungus impressing one as stunted. Its texture is solid. It does not cook tender, but yields a fungus flavor to the cooking medium.
C. stric´ta Pers.—stringo, to draw tight. Height 2–3 in. Color pale dull-yellow becoming brown when bruised. Stem distinct, thick, short. Branches numerous, repeatedly forked, straight, closely pressed, tips pointed.
Spores dark cinnamon, Fries; creamy yellow 4×6µ W.G.S.
Var. fu´mida. The whole plant is a dingy, smoky-brownish hue, otherwise of the typical form. Catskill mountains. September. In the fresh state the specimens appear very unlike the ordinary form, but in the dried state they are scarcely to be distinguished. Peck, 41st Rep. N.Y. State Bot.
Eaten in Germany.
This form occurs in West Virginia mountains and at Mt. Gretna, Pa., Trenton, N.J., in August and September, among leaves in mixed woods. It compares favorably with the ordinary run of Clavaria.
C. dicho´toma God.—dividing by pairs. Cespitose, white; branches regularly dividing by pairs, elongated, flexuous, diverging, somewhat compressed, extremities obtuse, rounded at or just below the apex broadly compressed.
On the ground, under beeches.
“Notwithstanding its beauty this is dangerous. In 1883, when it was very plentiful, I saw entire families sick from it and in 1888 there was a repetition with new victims. “It produces nausea, vertigo and violent diarrhea.” Leuba.
I have not seen the plant.
Synco´ryne. Gr—together, a club.
Grouped by F.D. Briscoe—Studies by C. McIlvaine. Plate CXXXVIII.
| Fig. | Page. | Fig. | Page. |
| 1. Clavaria fusiformis, | 523 | 3. Clavaria pistillaris (dark var.), | 524 |
| 2. Clavaria pistillaris (yellow var.), | 524 |
C. fusifor´mis Sow.—fusus, a spindle. (Plate CXXXVIII, fig. 1, p. 522.) Yellow, cespitoso-connate, slightly firm, soon hollow. Clubs somewhat fusiform, simple and toothed, even, attenuated to the base which is of the same color. Stevenson.
Spores pale yellow, globose, 4–5µ Massee.
Closely resembles C. inæqualis Fl. Dan.
Woods and pastures. August to November.
Received from E.B. Sterling, Trenton, N.J., August, 1897.
The clubs are 1⁄16 in. through, 4 in. high, light clear yellow, translucent, clustered in groups of four or five united at the base.
Tender, well flavored, cooks easily.
C. auran´tio-cinnabari´no Schw.—aurantius, orange; cinnabaris, vermilion. Orange-red; base white with a sub-hairy powder; clubs simple, flexuous, fleshy, somewhat tenacious, fasciculate, thickened in the middle and attenuated toward either end, at first cylindrical then compressed, 6–7 mm. thick, 2–4 in. high.
Pennsylvania. On the ground among rhododendrons.
Received from E.B. Sterling, Trenton, N.J.
The plant when fresh is a beautiful rose color, inclining to orange at the tips. It reminds one of the peach-blow vase color in some of its shades. The single clubs, growing in cluster, to the height of four inches, graceful in outline, exquisitely shaded, are a sight one lingers over. While they invite the mycophagist to eat them, his voracity is checked by their beauty. They are tender and delicious. It is regrettable that thus far it has not been reported in quantity.
C. inæqual´is Fl. Dan.—unequal. Height 2–3 in. club-shaped, yellow, gregarious, single or in loose tufts, fragile, stuffed. Clubs club-shaped or almost equal, simple, sometimes forked or variously cut at tip, one color.
Spores colorless, elliptical, 9–10×5µ Massee.
Woods and pastures. August to October.
Distinguished from C. fusiformis by the tips not being sharp-pointed and colored.
North Carolina, Schweinitz; New Jersey, Sterling.
This Clavaria is quite common in New Jersey. Its clusters are clear bright yellow and conspicuously pretty. The clubs are translucent and smooth. Excepting in color it resembles C. aurantio-cinnabarino. In the many specimens seen there was nothing to suggest the propriety of the name, excepting height of clubs.
A dish of it is a delicacy.
C. vermicula´ris Scop.—vermis, a worm. Height 1–2½ in., white, tufted. Clubs simple, quill-shaped, stuffed, awl-shaped, brittle, pointed.
Spores white, elliptical, 4×3µ Massee.
New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio. Thin grassy woods and among grass. July to October.
Edible. Cordier.
Common in southern New Jersey, and in warm soils from June to frost. When growing among grass it is not conspicuous and is often missed unless specially sought for. Its purity, its choice of refreshing abode, its excellent qualities, make it select among Clavaria.
Holoco´ryne. Gr—entire; Gr—a club.
C. pistillar´is L.—pistillum, a pestle. (Plate CXXXVIII, figs. 2, 3, p. 522.) Height 2–12 in., up to 1 in. and more thick, color light yellow, ochraceous, brownish, chocolate. Clubs Indian-club shape, ovate-rounded, puckered at top, simple, fleshy, white within, spongy, exterior smooth or more or less wrinkled, usually with smooth base.
Spores white, 10×5µ W.G.S.; 9–11×5–6µ Massee.
Mixed woods, moss and grassy places. August until November.
North Carolina, Pennsylvania, California, Alabama.
Eaten in Poland, Russia and Germany.
The writer first found this truly club-like species in West Virginia in 1882, and ate it. But few specimens were found, and those of a dark chocolate color. At Mount Gretna in 1897 and 1898 the yellow variety grew in considerable quantity from July until after frost. The largest specimen found measured 5½ in. and was 1 in. in diameter at its thickest part. The average height is 2½ in. Both varieties grew in mixed woods from the leaf-covered ground. They are often clustered, four or five together, and of different sizes. The surface, especially of the dark variety, is regularly, vertically wrinkled, truncated in few places, very much resembling that of the Craterellus cantharellus. The stems of both are white. The apex of the clubs is folded inward as though pulled by drawing-strings.
The flesh is soft, white, fine grained. A slight bitter is present in the dark variety, when raw, which entirely disappears upon cooking. This is one of the best of Clavariæ.
C. clava´ta Pk. Simple, straight, clavate, obtuse, smooth, not hollow, yellow when fresh, rugose-wrinkled and orange-colored when dry, 4–6 lines high.
Damp shaded banks by road-sides. Sandlake. June. Peck, 25th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.
Patches of it are conspicuous—golden-hued upon somber background. They are seen at Eagle’s Mere, Mt. Gretna, and on the Springton Hills, Pa., along wooded road-sides. Raw, they have a mild, pleasant flavor, and have the same when cooked. A small species seldom found in sufficient quantity to make a comforting dish.