Important: Safety Warning
This page offers rules for telling edible mushrooms from poisonous ones. No such rules are reliable, and these identifications predate modern mycology. Deadly species closely resemble edible ones, and mistakes are regularly fatal. Never eat a wild mushroom on the strength of this text.
This page gives first-aid or emergency advice that predates modern medicine and can make an emergency worse. Do not follow it. In any medical emergency, call emergency services and follow current first-aid guidance.
This page states that certain wild plants are safe to eat. Its identifications and edibility claims are more than a century old and in some cases simply wrong, and deadly look-alikes exist for many edible species. Never eat a wild plant on the strength of this text.
This information has been left in for historical purposes but should not be acted upon.
Order VIII (II)
LICHENS.
Lichens are not only most useful in the Economy of Nature, as preparing the surface of the earth for the reception of larger vegetables, but they are, moreover, of great utility to man. Many, as Cetrária islándica, are eatable, having a bitter principle, and giving out a styptic tincture, if immersed in alcohol. Others, steeped in urine or salts, are used for dying; crustaceous species of this kind are Variolária oreína, Lecanóra tartárea, Leprária chlorína, &c.; foliaceous species, Parmélia saxatilis, Sticta pulmonácea, Solorína crócea, Gyróphora deústa and pustuláta, &c.; and branched kinds, Roccélla tinctória (the common Orchal), U'snea plicáta, Alectória jubáta, and others. In medicine, Cetrária islándica and nivális, Stícta pulmonácea, Álectória usneoídes are tonic and nutritive; Parmélia parietína, Borréra purpurácea, Evérnia prunástri, &c., are astringent and febrifugal; Peltidéa aphthósa, anthelmintic; Evérnia vulpína, poisonous. Some yield a gum, as Evérnia prunástri; Sticta pulmonácea may be employed for bittering beer instead of hops, and Ramalína 4A2 NATURAL ARRANGEMENT. scopulórum instead of scap. The various species give the grey hue to old walls and stones, cover desert heaths, and mottle the bark of ancient trees 2330 Spilóma Ach. 2331 Solorína Ach. 2336 Thelotréma Ach. 2337 Pyrénula Ach. 2338 Variolária Ach. 2339 Urceolária Ach. 2340 Lecanóra Ach.
Tribe 1. IDIOTHALAMI. 2332 Lecídea Ach. 2333 Calícium Ach.
Tribe 2. 2341 Parmélia Ach. 2342 Borréra Ach. 2343 Cetrária Ach. 2344 Stícta Ach. 2345 Peltidéa Ach. 2354 Alectória Ach. 2355 Ramalína Ach.
CENOTHALAMI. 2334 Gyróphora Ach. 2335 Endocarpon Ach. 2346 Nephróma Ach. 2347 Roccélla Ach. 2348 Evérnia Ach. 2349 Cenómyce Ach.
Tribe 3. HOMOTHALAMI. 2356 Corniculária Ach. 2357 U'snea Ach.
Tribe 4. ATHALAMI. 2359 Leprária Ach. 2350 Bæomýces Ach. 2351 Isídium Ach. 2352 Stereocaúlon Ach. 2353 Sphæróphoron Ach. 2358 Colléma Ach. 2360 Opegrapha Ach. 2361 Verrucária Ach.
Tribe 5. PSEUDO-LICHENES. 2362 Porína Ach. 2363 Arthónia Ach. 2364 Gráphis Ach.
ORDER IX. FUNGI.
We have now reached the lowest station of vegetable existence, in arriving where the vesicles which compose the vegetable fabric are combined in various forms, according to the contingent circumstances under which they are developed. The mould on the cheese, the ergot of corn, the rust of the rose, and the huge Bolétus, which, in Java, spreads out its many-handed body from the trunks of ancient trees like a vegetating demon, differ only in the number of the vesicles of which they are composed. Many species are eatable, as Agáricus campéstris; others are deadly, as Bolétus scáber; some are used medicinally, as Dædálea suavéolens in coughs; Agáricus túba regínæ in diarrhœa ; Agaricus piperátus in calculous disorders; Phallus Mokúsin against cancer; Polypórus annósus against the bites of serpents. Some Copríni are and a of serpents. Some Copríni are used for healing ulcers Polypórus officinális as a purgative; Polypórus igniárius as a styptic; Polypórus destrúctor, and igniárius as a styptic; Polypórus destructor, and a number of others, constitute dry rot. For the poison of fungi, the roots of garlic, the leaves of parsley, countries of fungi, the roots of garlic, the leaves of parsley, and tincture of lacmus, are said to be remedies so also is common spirit. Fungi swarm in all the coldest flourish is so also is common spirit. Fungi swarm in all the coldest countries of the world, but as we approach the equator they are extremely rare; the place where they most flourish is Sweden, and the adjacent regions. 2365 Agáricus L. 2366 Coprínus Lk. 2367 Gómphus Fries. 2368 Cantharellus Adans. 2379 Clavária Vaill. 2380 Calócera Fries. 2386 Morchella Dill. 2390 Pezíza Dill. 2391 Ascóbolus Pers. 2397 Tremélla L. 2398 Exídia Fries.
Tribe 1. HYMENOMYCETES. §1. Hymenini.