ttaining to one inch in thickness; light yellow,
ochraceous, brownish, chocolate, club-shaped, ovate-rounded, puckered at
the top; flesh white, spongy. The spores are white, 10x5u.

They are found in the leaf-mold of mixed woods, and you will sometimes
find several growing together. They are found from July to frost.

The dark variety, which is frequently vertically wrinkled, is slightly
acrid when raw, but this disappears upon cooking. The plant is widely
distributed but abundant nowhere in our state. I found it occasionally
in the woods near Chillicothe. The plants in Figure 396 were found near
Columbus, and were photographed by Dr. Kellerman of Ohio State
University.

_Clavaria fusiformis. Sow._

SPINDLE-SHAPED CLAVARIA. EDIBLE.

[Illustration: Figure 397.--Clavaria fusiformis. Natural size.]

Fusiformis is from _fusus_, a spindle, and _forma_, a form.

The plant is yellow, smooth, rather firm, soon hollow, caespitose; nearly
erect, rather brittle, attenuated at each end; clubs somewhat
spindle-shaped, simple, toothed, the apex somewhat darker; even,
slightly firm, usually with several united at the base.

The spores are pale yellow, globose, 4-5u.

They are found in woods and pastures. The plants in the figure were in
the woods beside an untraveled road, on Ralston's Run.

They strongly resemble C. inaequalis. When found in sufficient quantities
they are very tender and have an excellent flavor.

_Clavaria inaequalis. Mull._

THE UNEQUAL CLAVARIA. EDIBLE.

Inaequalis means unequal.

Somewhat tufted, quite fragile, from one to three inches high, often
compressed, angular, often forked, ventricose; yellow, occasionally
whitish, sometimes variously cut at the tip. The spores are colorless,
elliptical, 9-10x5u.

One can readily distinguish it from C. fusiformis by the tips, these not
being sharp pointed. It is found in clusters in woods and pastures from
August to October. As delicious as C. fusiformis.

_Clavaria mucida. Pers._

[Illustration: Figure 398.--Clavaria mucida.]

Mucida means slimy, so named from the soft and watery condition of the
plants.

The plants are quite small, usually simple yet sometimes branched,
club-shaped, one-eighth to an inch high, white, sometimes yellowish,
frequently pinkish or rose-tinted.

These plants are very small and easily overlooked. It is found on
decayed wood. I have found it late in the fall and early in the spring.
You can look for it at any tim