THE Mushroom is a fungous plant, without appearance of leaves, flowers, or seed, a species of the Genus Agaricus, subject to the botanic class Cryptogamia Fungi, comprehending fungous plants, which have concealed, or doubtful genital organs, and without visible flower or seed; thereby belonging to the family of imperfect vegetables; a numerous train of which are of this fungous tribe. They consist of different genera, and numerous species and varieties, many of them of a poisonous, or at least of a suspicious nature. One species only merits cultivation as a wholesome esculent, which is that under consideration.
Agaricus Campestris, Field Agaric, or Common Mushroom, rises from the ground in its perfect form, with an erect robust stipes or stem, one inch or more high, crowned with a round, convex, thick, fleshy, white head or hat, pileus, with lamellæ, or gills, underneath, of a reddish flesh colour; it is supposed the flower and seed, if any, are concealed between the lamellæ. When the plant arrives at full growth, the head expanding almost flat, forms a large flap, and falls on the ground over the supposed seed.
This is a fugacious plant of quick growth and short duration, advancing first like small white round knobs, which, increasing fast in size, and sometimes partly accomplishing their growth within the surface, suddenly make their eruption from the earth above half-grown, in the morning, where there was no sign of them the night before. But in the regular beds they arise variously, spreading over the whole surface, some as small as