Handbooks of the Flora and Fauna of South Australia, issued by the British Science Guild (South Australian Branch) and published by favour of the Honourable the Premier (Hon. R. L. Butler , M.P .) TOADSTOOLS AND MUSHROOMS AND OTHER Larger Fungi of South Australia. By JOHN BURTON CLELAND, M.D. Part I. CONTAINING GENERAL INTRODUCTION AND THE TOADSTOOLS and MUSHROOMS. WITH ILLUSTRATIONS. PRICE : FIVE SHILLINGS. COPYRIGHT. • • ADELAIDE: Printed by Harrison Weir, Government Printer, North Terrace. June 15, 1934. HANDBOOKS ISSUED. Flora (J. M. Black). Part I., 1922, 3s.; Part II., 1924, 5s.; Part III., 1926, 5s. ; Part IV., 1929, 7s. Mammals (F. Wood Jones, D.Sc.). Part, I., 1923, 3s; Part II., 1924, 4s. ; Part III., 1925, 5s. Fishes (Edgar R. Waite, F.L.S., C.M.Z.S.). 1923, 6s. The Building of Australia and the Succession of Life : with Special Reference to South Australia (Walter Howchin, F.G.S.). Part I., 1925, 5s.; II., Part 1928, 7s. 6d. ; Part III., 1930, 7s. 6d. Crustaceans (FlerbertM. Flale). Part I., 1927, 5s.; Part II., 1929, 5s. Reptiles and Amphibians (Edgar R. Waite, F.L.S., C.M.Z.S.). 1929, 7s. 6d. Toadstools and Mushrooms and other Larger Fungi (J. B. Cleland M.D.). Part I., 1934, 5s. HANDBOOKS IN COURSE OF PREPARATION. Toadstools and Mushrooms and other Larger Fungi (J. B. Cleland, M.D.). Seaweeds (A. H. S. Lucas, M.A., B.Sc.). Spiders (R. H. Pulleine, M.B.). Moths and Butterflies (Norman B. Tindale, B.Sc.). Ants (J. Clark). Birds (A. M. Morgan, M.B., B.S.). Handbooks of the Flora and Fauna of South Australia, issued by the British Science Guild (South Australian Branch) and published by favour of the Honourable the Premier (Hon. R. L. Butler, M.P.) TOADSTOOLS AND MUSHROOMS AND OTHER Larger Fungi of South Australia. By JOHN BURTON CLELAND, M.D. Part I. CONTAINING GENERAL INTRODUCTION AND THE TOADSTOOLS and MUSHROOMS. WITH ILLUSTRATIONS. PRICE : FIVE SHILLINGS. COPYRIGHT. Wholly set up in Australia, and printed by Harrison Weir, Government Printer, Adelaide. Registered at the General Post Office, Adelaide, for transmission through the post as a book. June 15th, 1934. Handbooks Committee : Dr. J. B. Cleland, Professor of Pathology, University of Adelaide (Chairman). Dr. 1 . Harvey Johnston, Professor of Zoology, University of Adelaide (Secretary). Dr. R. H. Pulleine. Mr. J. M. Black, Hon. Lecturer in Botany, University of Adelaide. Mr. H. M. Hale, Director, South Australian Museum (Editor). CONTENTS. Page. Editorial Preface 5 Author’s Preface 6 GENERAL INTRODUCTION 9 Why Study the Higher Fungi ? 12 The Uses of the Higher Fungi 12 Pine Seedlings and Fungus Growth 13 Fungi as Food 14 The Preparation of Mushrooms for Food 16 Poisoning bit Toadstools 16 Higher Fungi as Injurious Agents 19 Fungi and Art 20 The Localities Affected by the Different Species 21 Fungi and Bush Fires 23 The Larger Fungi Eaten by Mammals, Insects, and other Animals 24 Interesting Phenomena Manifested by Certain Species 27 Luminescence 27 Fairy Bings 28 The Mechanical Force Exerted by Developing Fruiting Bodies 30 The Collection and Preservation of Fungi for Botanical Purposes.... 31 The Essential Parts of the Higher Fungi 34 Definitions of Certain Special Terms Employed 37 THE CLASSIFICATION OF THE HIGHER FUNGI 40 SYSTEMATIC DESCRIPTION OF THE SPECIES OF AGARICACEAE ( Toadstools and Mushrooms and other Gilled Fungi ) 46 EDITORIAL PREFACE. Handbooks of the Flora and Fauna of South Australia, issued by the British Science Guild (South Australian Branch). Recognising the need for a wider diffusion of accurate knowledge of our Flora and Fauna, the Guild has undertaken the issue of a series of handbooks. There is an admitted lack of inexpensive but accurate books dealing with the plants and animals of South Australia, and it is felt that the absence of such has been a real handicap to young Australia, and so to the progress of Australian Science. These volumes, which have been planned to meet the want, are being prepared gratuitously by South Australian biologists and geologists they will be printed and published by the State Government, ; and will be available for schools and the public generally. AUTHOR’S PREFACE. An effort Inis been made in this Handbook to combine features of 'interest to the general naturalist with more detailed technical descriptions of the various species of larger fungi at present known for this State. Though the latter aspect appeals chiefly to the systematic mycologist, whose numbers in Australia are few, others who feel an interest in this branch of botany will not And it difficult to master the terms employed in the descriptive part of this work. Such interest, once stimulated, may lead on to a more complete study of these fascinating find often evanescent plants. Moreover the serious student is entitled to consideration and the work he does in systematic mycology often has important practical hearings. The present study, imperfect as it necessarily is, represents arduous work spread over many years. The field experience thus gained will, it is hoped, help others to acquire more quickly a working knowledge of our larger fungi. The author has borrowed freely from the generic descriptions in Rea’s "British ’ Basidiomycetes, ' most of which have been adopted in Into, and he is indebted to tliis work in many other ways. Much of the glossary is copied from C. 11. Kauff'maun’s ‘‘The Agaricaceae of Michigan,’’ from which has also been obtained most of the information on poisonous fungi. The author would like to express his indebtedness to Dr. G. 11. Cunningham of New Zealand, who has critically examined much South Australian material and from whose writings nearly all the section dealing with the Gasteromycetales (Puff-balls, etc.) has been taken. Miss E. M. Wakefield of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, England, has gone out of her way to aid in the identification of Australian specimens 'sent to her; Mr. L. Rodway, C.M.G., of Hobart, has collaborated with the author in various papers and assisted him in many ways; Mr. Edwin Cheel, Keeper of the Herbarium, Botanic Gardens, Sydney, was a co-worker for niruiy years and has contributed his share to our present knowledge of the subject. No financial provision has been made in this series of Handbooks for the publication of coloured illustrations. Those appearing in Part 1. of this Hand- book are due to the generosity of the Government Printer of New South Wales (Mr. A. .1. Kent, l.S.O.) and to a private benefaction, and take the place of an equivalent number of uncoloured illustrations. The four plates II. to V. were prepared as far hack as 1916 fi'om watercolour drawings chiefly by Miss Phyllis Clarke (now Mrs. North), for publication in The Agricultural Gazette of A'cw South Wales as part of a series of article® by Mr. Edwin Cheel and myself appearing therein. The stress of the years of the Great War necessitated the cessation of this series. The four blocks, which had already been prepared, wore then put aside by the Government Printer of New South Wales, who has now with characteristic courtesy lent them free of charge to the Government Printer of South Australia for publication in this Handbook. To Mr. Cheel 1 would like to express my thanks for permission to use these plates, intended to illustrate our joint article. It is necessary to add that the fungi figured from this source have not as yet all been found in South Australia, though probably most of them do occur. Descriptions, from, the specimens figured, of those not yet recorded are included in the text in square brackets [ ]. The cost of the blocks for the coloured illustrations in Plates I. and VI. lias been paid for out of a small fund at the disposal of the South Australian Branch of the British Science Guild. The watercolours from which they were taken were the work of Miss Phyllis Clarke (Mrs. North) and the reproductions indicate the delicacy and excellence of her technique. — AUTHOR’S PREFACE continued. Many of the half-tone illustrations in the text have been taken from a large number of further water-colour drawings by Miss Clarke, as well as from drawings by the late Miss R, Fiveasli, Miss J. Buxton, and others, all prepared for the author as records in colour of Australian fungi. He is also much indebted to those who have assisted him by taking the photographs (Mr. S. Tee in particular) and in preparing the line drawings. In the systematic portion of the work, the use of capital letters commencing the names of colours, followed by Roman numerals (thus “Pinkish Cinnamon, xxix.”), means that such colour has been matched with the one so named on the plate of that number in Ridgway’s “Color Standards and Color Nomen- clature,” 1912. Unless otherwise indicated, the descriptions of the fungi are based on Aus- tralian specimens, mostly collected by the author. Thus, where the species is one which had been originally described from some other part of the world, the description given is to be taken as referring to Australian plants believed to belong to the same species. If later it is found that the two are really specifically distinct though closely related, the description will then apply to the Australian species and not to the exotic one. The records of fungi for the other States of Australia are purely incidental, and no attempt has been made to make these complete. J. B. Clelaxd. The University, Adelaide. [ Watercolour by Miss P. Clarke. PLATE I. Amanita ochrophylla (Cke. et Mass.) (No. 5). Chatswood, Sydney. Reduced by GENERAL INTRODUCTION. The fungi comprise a very large section of the vegetable kingdom, Being destitute of chlorophyll, anil thus differing from the green plants, they are unable to utilise the < sir bon present in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide.