4. RUSSULA SORDIDA, 190

RUS´SULA Pers. Reddish. (Plate XLV.) [Illustration: RUSSULA.] =Pileus= regular, rigid, usually becoming more or less depressed. =Flesh= of the pileus descending into the gills forming a cellular trama. =Veil= and consequently the ring absent. Stem smooth, stout, rigid, brittle, spongy within. =Gills= rigid, fragile, edge thin and acute. =Spores= rounded, often echinulate, white or yellowish. On the ground. Closely allied to Lactarius but separated by the absence of milk. The gills of some species exude watery drops in moist weather. Owing to the similarity of form and the variable coloring many species are difficult to determine; all the characters should be carefully noted, not omitting that of the taste. Russulæ are readily distinguished by the stout, short, brittle stem and the fragility of the pileus and gills. They especially love open woods and appear during the summer and fall months, some being found until sharp frosts occur. It has been claimed by mushroom growers, until within a few years, that the spores of the mushroom have to pass through the digestive apparatus of the horse before they will germinate. It has been conclusively demonstrated that such a transmission is not a necessity. It was for a long time my opinion—following the opinion of others—that such assistance was necessary. In my many efforts to propagate valuable food species of the wild toadstools I endeavored to find the method by which the spores were disseminated, and through what digestive medium they passed—either of insect or animal—before germination. Noticing that the Russulæ were fed upon by a small black beetle, I planted in suitable places, not the toadstools, but the beetles found upon them. The result was that in several instances I grew the Russulæ. My experiments, while interesting, are not conclusive, because I later found that the same results could be obtained from the toadstool itself when planted under its own natural life conditions. It is certain that beetles can not be raised by planting Russulæ. The beetles known as tumble-bugs—canthon lævis—deposit eggs in the center of balls made of animal droppings; dig a hole in the ground and drop them into it. These droppings frequently contain the spores of the meadow mushroom. Thus planted with the proper surrounding of manure, and at the proper depth, the spores germinate, spread mycelium, and a crop of mushrooms is the result. The beetle becomes a horticulturist. No wonder the Egyptians, thousands of years ago, made it—the scarabeus—their sacred emblem, and that, today, the _fleur-de-lis_ of France, so the Rosicrucians say, perpetuates its glorious worth and calling. Most Russulæ are sweet and nutty to the taste; some are as hot as the fiercest of cayenne, but this they lose upon cooking. To this genus authors have done especial injustice; there is not a single species among them known to be poisonous, and, where they are not too strong of cherry bark and other highly flavored substances, they are all edible; most of them are favorites. Where they present no objectionable appearance or taste, their caps make most palatable dishes when stewed, baked, roasted or escalloped. The time of cooking should be determined by the consistency of the variety; some will cook in five minutes, others not under thirty. Salt, butter and pepper are the only necessaries as seasoning. ANALYSIS OF TRIBES. I.—COMPACTÆ (_compingo_, to put together; compact). Page 187. Pileus fleshy throughout, hence the margin is at first bent inward and always without striæ, without a distinct gluey pellicle (in consequence of which the color is not variable, but only changes with age and the state of the atmosphere). Flesh compact, firm. Stem solid, fleshy. Gills unequal. II.—FURCATÆ (_furca_, a fork. With _forked_ gills). Page 191. Pileus compact, firm, covered with a thin, closely adnate pellicle, which at length disappears, margin abruptly thin, at first inflexed, then spreading, _acute, even_. Stem at first compact, at length spongy-soft within. Gills _somewhat forked_, with a few shorter ones intermixed, commonly attenuated at both ends, thin and normally narrow. III.—RIGIDÆ (_rigidus_, rigid). Page 194. Pileus without a viscid pellicle, _absolutely dry, rigid, the cuticle commonly breaking up into flocci or granules_. Flesh thick, compact, firm, vanishing away short of the _margin which is straight_ (never involute), soon spreading, and always _without striæ_. Stem solid, at first hard, then softer and spongy. Gills, a few dimidiate, others divided, rigid, _dilated in front and running out with a very broad, rounded apex_, whence the margin of the pileus becomes obtuse and is not inflexed. _Exceedingly handsome_, but rather rare. IV.—HETEROPHYLLÆ (_R. heterophylla_, the typical species of the section). Page 198. Pileus fleshy, firm, with a thin margin which is at first inflexed, then expanded and striate, covered with a thin adnate pellicle. The gills consist of many shorter ones mixed with longer ones, along with others which are forked. Stem solid, stout, spongy within. V.—FRAGILES (_fragilis_, fragile or brittle). Page 201. Pileus more or less fleshy, rigid-fragile, covered with a pellicle which is always continuous, and in wet weather viscid and somewhat separable; margin membranaceous, at first convergent and not involute, in full-grown plants commonly sulcate and tubercular. Flesh commonly floccose, lax, friable. Stem spongy, at length wholly soft and hollow. Gills almost all equal, simple, broadening in front, free in the pileus when closed. Several doubtful forms occur. R. integra is specially fallacious from the variety of its colors. * Gills and spores white. ** Gills and spores white, then light-yellowish or bright lemon-yellowish. *** Gills and spores ochraceous. COMPAC´TÆ. =R. ni´gricans= Bull.—_nigrico_, to be blackish. =Pileus= 2–4 in. and more broad, olivaceous-fuliginous, _at length black_, fleshy to the margin which is at first bent inwards, convex then flattened, umbilicato-depressed, when young and moist slightly viscid and even (without a separable pellicle), at length cracked in scales. =Flesh= firm, white, when broken becoming red on exposure to the air. =Stem= 1 in. thick, persistently solid, equal, pallid when young, _at length black_. =Gills= _rounded_ behind, slightly adnexed, _thick, distant_, unequal, paler, reddening when touched. _Fries._ Compact, obese, inodorous, within and without _at length wholly black_, in which it differs from all others. The flesh becomes red when broken because it is saturated with red juice, although it does not exude milk. Sometimes a very few of the gills are dimidiate. In woods. Common. June to November. _Stevenson._ Var. _albo´nigra_ Krombh.—_albo_, white; _negro_, to be black. =Pileus= fleshy, convexo-plane, depressed in the middle, at length funnel-shaped, viscid, _whitish, smoky about the margin_. =Flesh= white, turning black when broken. =Stem= solid, stout, dusky, becoming blackened. =Gills= decurrent, crowded, unequal, dusky-whitish. In grassy places. =Spores= papillose, 8µ _W.G.S._; subglobose, rough, 8–9µ _Massee_. New York. Our specimens agree with the description in every respect, except that the gills are not distant. _Peck_, 32d Rep. Mild when raw, but with a heavy woody taste. Cooked it makes a good dish, but does not equal most Russulæ. =R. purpuri´na= Quel. and Schulz.—purple. (Plate XLV_a_.) =Pileus= fleshy, margin acute, subglobose, then plane, at length depressed in the center, slightly viscid in very wet weather, not striate, often split, pellicle separable, rosy-pink, paling even to light yellow. =Gills= crowded in youth, afterward subdistant, white, in age yellowish, reaching the stem, 2–4 lines broad in front, not greatly narrowed behind, almost equal, not forked. =Stem= spongy, stuffed, very variable, cylindrical, attenuated above and below the middle, rosy-pink becoming paler (rarely white) toward the base, color obscure in age. =Flesh= fragile, white, reddish under the skin; odor slight, taste mild. =Spores= white, globose, sometimes sub-elliptical, 4–8µ long, minutely warted. =Pileus= 1.5–2.5 in. across. =Stem= up to .4 in. thick, 1.2 in. long. “This is a beautiful and very distinct species easily known by its red stem, mild taste and white spores.” _Peck_, 42d Rep. N.Y. State Bot. [Illustration: Photographed by Dr. J.R. Weist. PLATE XLV_a_. RUSSULA PURPURINA. ] =R. adus´ta= Fr.—_aduro_, to scorch. =Pileus= pallid or whitish, _grayish-sooty_, equally fleshy, compact, depressed then somewhat infundibuliform, margin at first inflexed, smooth, then erect, without striæ. =Flesh= unchangeable. =Stem= solid, obese, of the same color as the pileus. =Gills= adnate then decurrent, _thin, crowded_, unequal, white then dingy, not reddening when touched. _Fries._ =Spores= subglobose, almost smooth, 8–9µ _Massee_. In pine and mixed woods. West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, in pine woods and in mixed woods. August to frost. _McIlvaine._ R. adusta is solitary but often in small troops. It is easily recognized by the brownish blotches upon its cap, and the crowding of its thin gills. The solid flesh must be well cooked. It is then of good flavor. (Plate XLV_b_.) [Illustration: RUSSULA BREVIPES. After Prof. Peck. ] =R. bre´vipes= Pk.—_brevis_, short; _pes_, a foot. =Pileus= 3–5 in. broad, at first convex and umbilicate, then infundibuliform, dry, glabrous or slightly villose on the margin, white, sometimes varied with reddish-brown stains. =Flesh= whitish, taste mild, slowly becoming slightly acrid. =Lamellæ= thin, close, adnate or slightly rounded behind; white. =Stem= solid, white. =Spores= globose, verruculose, 10–13µ. =Stem= 6–10 lines long, 6–10 lines thick. Sandy soil in pine woods. Quogue. September. This species is related to Russula delica, but is easily distinguished by its short stem and crowded gills. The pileus also is not shining and the taste is tardily somewhat acrid. From Lactarius exsuccus it is separated by the character of the gills and the very short stem which is about as broad as it is long. The spores also are larger than in that species. The gills in the young plant are sometimes studded with drops of water. They are not clearly decurrent. Some of them are forked at the base. The pileus is but slightly raised above the surface of the ground and is generally soiled by adhering dirt and often marked by rusty or brownish stains. The plants grew in old roads in the woods where the soil had been trodden and compacted. _Peck_, 43d Rep. N.Y. State Bot. West Virginia, 1882; Pennsylvania, 1887–1894; New Jersey, 1892. Solitary in pine and hemlock woods, generally on bare, compact ground. August to October. _McIlvaine._ This species is a sparse grower, but its good size and respectable numbers soon fill the basket. When fresh it is of good substance and flavor. =R. del´ica= Fr.—_delicus_, weaned. (Milkless, juiceless in gills.) =White.= =Pileus= 3–5 in. broad, fleshy throughout, firm, umbilicate then infundibuliform, regular, everywhere even, smooth with a _whitish luster_, the involute margin without striæ. =Flesh= firm, juiceless, not very thick, white. =Stem= curt, 1–2 in. long, ½ in. and more thick, solid, even, smooth, white. =Gills= _decurrent, thin, distant_, very unequal, white, exuding small watery drops in wet weather. _Fries._ =Spores= minutely echinulate, white, broadly elliptical, 8–10×6–7µ _Massee_. In appearance it resembles Lactarius vellereus and L. piperatus, but its gills do not distill milk or juice. It differs, too, in its mild taste. It is related to R. brevipes Pk. A large, coarse species, cup-shaped at maturity. I have found it in several localities in Massachusetts in July and August. It is of fair quality cooked, but much inferior to R. virescens, etc. _Macadam._ West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, in mixed woods, August to October. _McIlvaine._ Edible. Taste mild. From the juiceless variety of L. vellereus its mild taste alone furnishes a separate character. _Peck._ I have eaten it since 1882, but it is not a favorite. Its quality is fair. =R. sor´dida= Pk.—dirty. (Plate XLIV, fig. 4, p. 184.) =Pileus= firm, convex, centrally depressed, dry, sordid-white, sometimes clouded with brown. =Gills= close, white, some of them forked. =Stem= equal, solid, concolorous. =Spores= globose, 7.5µ. Taste acrid. =Flesh= changing color when wounded, becoming black or bluish-black. =Plant= 4–5 in. high. =Pileus= 3–5 in. broad. =Stem= 6–12 lines thick. Ground under hemlock trees. Worcester. July. It resembles L. piperatus in general appearance. The whole plant turns black in drying. _Peck_, 26th Rep. N.Y. State Bot. Ohio, _Morgan_; Pennsylvania, _Herbst_; West Virginia, 1881–1885, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, pine, hemlock and mixed woods, July to September. _McIlvaine._ It is of better quality than most coarse-grained Russulæ. FURCA´TÆ. =R. furca´ta= Fr.—_furca_, a fork. =Pileus= 3 in. broad, sometimes greenish, sometimes umber-greenish, fleshy, compact, gibbous then plano-depressed or infundibuliform, _even_, smooth, but often _sprinkled with slightly silky luster_, pellicle here and there separable, margin thin, at first inflexed, then spreading, always _even_. =Flesh= firm, somewhat cheesy, white. =Stem= 2 in. or a little more long, solid, firm, equal or attenuated downward, even, white. =Gills= _adnato-decurrent, rather thick_, somewhat distant but broad, attenuated at both ends, frequently forked, shining white. _Fries._ =Spores= globose, echinulate, 6–7µ _C.B.P._; 7–8×9µ _Massee_. In woods, and grass under trees. The frequently forked gills, from which the species takes its name, their being thick and slightly decurrent, help to distinguish it. It is quite common in its several varieties. =Taste= mild at first. A slight bitter develops which disappears in cooking. It is then of good quality, not equal to R. virescens. Older writers marked it poisonous, doubtless for no other cause than its slight bitter. I have eaten it freely for fifteen years. =R. sangui´nea= Fr.—_sanguis_, blood. =Pileus= 2–3 in. broad, blood-red or becoming pale round the _even_, spreading, _acute margin_, fleshy, firm, at first convex, obtuse, then depressed and infundibuliform and commonly gibbous in the center, polished, even, _moist_ in damp weather. =Flesh= firm, cheesy, white. =Stem= stout, spongy-stuffed, at first contracted at the apex, then equal, slightly striate, white or reddish. =Gills= at first adnate, then truly decurrent, very crowded, very narrow, connected by veins, fragile, somewhat forked, shining white. _Fries._ =Spores= 9–10µ diameter _Massee_. In pine and mixed woods. July to October. Color same as R. rubra but differs in its hard cheesy flesh, rigid, slightly yellowish gills in age. The gills of R. sanguinea are truly decurrent, and pointed in front. Poisonous. _Stevenson._ Krapp says he has experienced grave inconveniences from eating it. Myself and very many friends eat all fresh inviting Russulæ. We do not discriminate against a single peppery or acrid species, not even the R. emetica which has been severely maligned. In fact the peppery Russulæ are usually substantial in flesh and choice in substance. The opinion of many is that R. sanguinea is one of the best. I have eaten it for years. =R. depal´lens= Pers.—_palleo_, to be pale. =Pileus= 3–4 in. across, pallid-reddish or inclining to dingy-brown, etc., fleshy, firm, convex, then plane, more rarely depressed, but commonly _irregularly shaped and undulated_, even, the thin, adnate pellicle presently changing color, especially at the disk, the spreading margin even, but slightly striate when old. =Flesh= white. =Stem= about 1½ in. long, solid, firm, commonly attenuated downward, _white, becoming cinereous_ when old. =Gills= adnexed, broad, crowded, distinct, but commonly forked at the base, often with shorter ones intermixed. Inodorous, taste mild. The color of the pileus is at first pallid-reddish, or inclining to brownish, then whitish or yellowish, opaque in every stage of growth. It approaches nearest to the Heterophyllæ. _Fries._ In beech woods, pastures, etc. August to September. =Spores= subglobose, echinulate, 7–8µ _Massee_. R. depallens somewhat resembles R. heterophylla. Both are edible. It is a solitary grower and not common, but when found it occurs in good quantity. It belongs to the best class of Russulæ. =R. subdepal´lens= Pk.—_sub_, _de_ and _palleo_, to be pale. =Pileus= fleshy, at first convex and striate on the margin, then expanded or centrally depressed and tuberculate-striate on the margin, viscid, blood-red or purplish red, mottled with yellowish spots, becoming paler or almost white with age, often irregular. =Flesh= fragile, white, becoming cinereous with age, reddish under the cuticle, taste mild. =Lamellæ= broad, subdistant, adnate, white or whitish, the interspaces venose. =Stem= stout, solid but spongy within, persistently white. =Spores= white, globose, rough, 8µ broad. =Pileus= 3–6 in. broad. =Stem= 1.5–3 in. long, 6–12 lines thick. Under a hickory tree. Trexlertown, Pa. June. _W. Herbst._ Closely related to Russula depallens, from which it differs in having the margin of the pileus striate at first and more strongly so when mature, also in the pileus being spotted at first, the gills more distant, the stem persistently white and the spores white. Bull. Torrey Bot. Club. Vol. 23, No. 10. October, 1896. I do not doubt its edibility. See R. depallens. =R. ochrophyl´la= Pk.—_ochra_, a yellow earth; _phyllon_, a leaf. =Pileus= 2–4 in. broad, firm, convex becoming nearly plane or slightly depressed in the center, even or rarely very slightly striate on the margin when old, purple or dark purplish red. =Flesh= white, purplish under the adnate cuticle, taste mild. =Gills= entire, a few of them forked at the base, subdistant, adnate, at first yellowish, becoming bright ochraceous buff when mature, dusted by the spores, the interspaces somewhat venose. =Stem= equal or nearly so, solid or spongy within, reddish or rosy tinted, paler than the pileus. =Spores= bright ochraceous buff, globose-verruculose, 10µ broad. The ochery-gilled Russula is a large fine species, but not a common one. It differs but little in color and size from the European pungent Russula, Russula drimeia, but it is easily distinguished from it by its mild taste. The cap is dry, convex or a little depressed in the center, purple or purplish red, the white flesh purplish under the cuticle, which, however, is not easily separable. The gills are nearly all entire, extending from the stem to the margin of the cap. They are therefore much closer together near the stem than at the margin. They are at first yellowish, but a bright ochraceous buff when mature. They are then dusted by the similarly colored spores. The stem is stout, nearly cylindric, firm but spongy in the center and colored like the cap, but generally a little paler. There is a variety in which the stem is white and the cap deep red. In other respects it is like the typical form. Its name is Russula ochrophylla albipes. The ochery-gilled Russula grows in groups under trees, especially oak trees, and should be sought in July and August. _Peck_, 51st Rep. N.Y. State Bot. West Virginia, Pennsylvania, July to September, _McIlvaine_. Edible. _Peck_, 50th Rep. N.Y. State Bot. RI’GIDÆ. =R. lac’tea= Fr.—_lac_, milk. =Pileus= 2 in. broad, at the first _milk-white, then tan-white, throughout compactly fleshy_, bell-shaped, then convex, often excentric, without a pellicle, always dry, at the first even, then slightly cracked when dry, margin straight, thin, obtuse, even. =Flesh= compact, white. =Stem= 1½-2 in. long, 1½ in. thick, solid, very compact, but at length spongy-soft within, equal, even, always white. =Gills= _free_, very broad, _thick, distant_, rigid, forked, white. _Fries._ =Spores= subglobose, echinulate, 7–9µ _Massee_. Closely allied to R. albella Pk. from which it differs in its shorter stem, and pileus cracking into areolæ, and gills not being entire. In mixed woods, in patches, not common. Botanic creek, West Philadelphia, Pa., patches, _McIlvaine_, 1887. Edible and of good flavor. _Macadam._ Raw, it has a raw, rather unpleasant taste and odor, a little like some acorns. But its firm, thick flesh, meaty gills and stem, and good flavor when well cooked, rank it equal to any. =R. albel’la= Pk.—whitish. =Pileus= 2–3 in. broad, thin, fragile, dry, plane or slightly depressed in the center, even or obscurely striate on the margin, commonly white, sometimes tinged with pink or rosy-red, especially on the margin. =Flesh= white, taste mild. =Lamellæ= entire, white, becoming dusted by the spores. =Stem= 1–2 in. long, 3–4 lines thick, equal, solid or spongy within, white. =Spores= white, globose, 7.6µ broad. Dry soil of frondose woods. Port Jefferson. July. Closely allied to R. lactea, but differing in its fragile texture, entire lamellæ, more slender stem, and in the pileus not cracking into areas. _Peck_, 50th Rep. N.Y. State Bot. =R. vires’cens= Fr.—_viresco_, to be green. (Plate XLIV, fig. 6, p. 184.) =Pileus= green, compactly fleshy, globose then expanded, at length depressed, often unequal, always dry, not furnished with a pellicle, wherefore the _flocculose cuticle is broken up into patches or warts_, margin straight, obtuse, _even_. =Flesh= white, not very compact. =Stem= solid, internally spongy, firm, _somewhat rivulose_, white. =Gills= free, somewhat crowded, sometimes equal, sometimes forked, with a few shorter ones intermixed, _white_. _Fries._ Taste mild; good, raw. =Spores= scarcely echinulate, almost globular, 6µ _W.G.S._ =Spores= 8–10µ _Massee_; 6–7.6µ _Peck_. =Cap= round when young, very hard, then convex or becoming dished, sometimes repand. It is without a separable skin, covered with various sized areas of mouldy looking patches which are at times distinctly cracked. The color varies from a bright bluish-green to grayish-green, such shades remind one of mouldy cheese or the shades of Roquefort; again the color may vary in shades of light leather brown, occasionally the caps are almost white, opaque in each shade of color. Flesh crisp, brittle, thick, white, mild, good raw. Gills and stem as described. R. virescens is common in the United States but not generally plentiful. It is a solitary grower, usually but few are found in a patch. Striking in appearance when its green colors are present, and always clean looking and inviting. It sometimes attains the size of 5 in. across. It is a hot weather Russula and rarely appears before the latter part of June, then after rains. To eat, it should be in a healthy, fresh condition. All Russulæ impart a stale flavor if any part of gills or cap is wilting, drying or decaying. It requires forty minutes' slow stewing, or it can be dressed raw as a salad. Roasted or fried crisp in a hot buttered pan it is at its best. It should be well salted. =R. lep´ida= Fr.—_lepidus_, neat, elegant. =Pileus= 3 in. broad, _blood-red-rose_, becoming pale, whitish especially at the disk, somewhat equally fleshy, convex then expanded, scarcely depressed, obtuse, opaque, unpolished, _with a silky appearance, at length often cracked scaly_, margin spreading, obtuse, without striæ. =Stem= as much as 3 in. long, often 1 in. thick, _even, white or rose-color_. =Gills= rounded behind, rather thick, somewhat crowded, often forked, connected by veins, white, often red at the edge. Taste mild; wholly compact and firm, but the flesh is cheesy, not somewhat clotted. The gills are often red at the edge, chiefly toward the margin, on account of the margin of the pileus being continuous with the gills. _Fries._ =Spores= 8–10×6–8µ _Syll._ Frequent. July to October, in mixed woods. A common and variable species in size and color, but the cap is always some shade of rose-red or lake. The flesh is compact and cheesy. The gills sometimes edged with pink as they near the margin. Taste mild. The crisp flesh of R. lepida requires forty minutes' slow stewing, if stewed. It yields a delicate pink shade to the dish. Roasted or cooked in a hot buttered pan it is excellent. =R. ru´bra= Fr.—_ruber_, red. =Pileus= unicolorous, a cinnabar-vermilion, but becoming pale (tan) when old, disk commonly darker, compact, hard but fragile, convex, then flattened, here and there depressed, absolutely dry, _without a pellicle, but becoming polished-even_, often sinuously cracked when old, margin spreading, obtuse, even, always persistent. =Flesh= white, _reddish under the cuticle_. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, about 1 in. thick, solid, even, varying white and red. =Gills= obtusely adnate, somewhat crowded, whitish, then yellowish, with dimidiate and forked ones intermixed. Very _acrid_, very hard and rigid, most distinct from all the others of this group in the _pileus becoming polished-even_, although without a pellicle, in the _flesh being somewhat clotted_, and in the _very acrid taste_. =Gills= often red at the edge. _Fries._ =Spores= whitish, _Fries_; spheroid, 8–10µ _K._ Krapp says he has experienced grave inconveniences from eating it. European authorities mark “poisonous.” I do not hesitate to cook it either by itself or with other Russulæ and serve it at my table. It is easier cooked than R. virescens and others of the crisp species, and has equal flavor. =R. Linnæ´i= Fr.—in honor of Linnæus. =Pileus= 3–4 in. broad, unicolorous, dark purple, blood-red or bright rose, opaque, not becoming pale, everywhere fleshy, rigid, plano-depressed, sometimes spread upward, even, smooth, _dry, without a separable pellicle_, margin spreading, obtuse, without striæ. =Flesh= thick, _spongy-compact, white_. =Stem= 1½ in. and more long, 1 in. and more thick, stout, firm, but spongy-soft within, somewhat ventricose, _obsoletely reticulated_ with fibers, intensely blood-red. =Gills= _adnate, somewhat decurrent_, rather thick, not crowded, _broad_ (more than ½ in.), fragile, sparingly connected by veins, white, becoming yellow when dry, with a few dimidiate ones intermixed, somewhat anastomosing behind. _Fries._ =Spores= wholly white, _Fries_; ellipsoid, spheroid, echinulate, 11µ _Q._; 9–11×8–9µ _Massee_. West Virginia, 1881–1885. West Philadelphia, Pa., on Bartram’s Botanic creek. _McIlvaine._ R. Linnæi is one of our handsomest and best Russulæ. European authors state its habit to be exactly that of R. emetica, but though I have known it intimately for many years I have not been struck with this in the American plant. Its large size, its more or less red stem never entirely white, at times hollow, cavernous, its less solid flesh, habit of growing in troops, sometimes parts of rings, flourishing best where the leaf mat is heaviest, loving the leaf drift in fence-corners, are well marked distinctions. When young there is no better Russula. As it ages the stem becomes soft, spongy and should be thrown away. The caps, only, eaten. =R. oliva´cea= Fr.—_oliva_, an olive; _olivaceus_, the color of an olive. =Pileus= 2–4 in. across, dingy-purple then olivaceous or wholly brownish-olivaceous, fleshy, convexo-flattened and depressed, _slightly silky and squamulose_, margin spreading, even. =Flesh= _white, becoming somewhat yellow_. =Stem= firm, ventricose, rose-color to pallid, spongy-stuffed within. =Gills= adnexed, wide, _yellow_, with shorter and forked ones intermixed. Mild. Near to R. rubra, but certainly distinct in the stem being definitely spongy, in the pileus being unpolished, and in the gills being soft and brightly colored; corresponding with R. alutacea. _Fries._ =Spores= light yellow, _Fries_; spheroid, punctate, 10µ _Q._; globose, minutely granulate, yellow, 9–10µ diameter _Massee_. Mt. Gretna, Pa., 1897–1898. =Pileus= 2–4 in. across, 2–3 in. long, ½-⅓ in. thick. The caps are equally good with R. alutacea. They must be fresh, and similarly cooked. =R. fla´vida= Frost—yellow. (Plate XLIV, fig. 3, p. 184.) =Pileus= fleshy, convex, slightly depressed, unpolished, bright yellow. =Gills= white, adnate, turning cinereous. =Stem= yellow, solid, white at the extreme apex. _Frost_ Ms. =Pileus= fleshy, convex, slightly depressed in the center, not polished, yellow, the margin at first even, then slightly striate-tuberculate. =Gills= nearly entire, venose-connected, white, then cinereous or yellowish. =Stem= firm, solid, yellow, sometimes white at the top. =Spores= yellow, subglobose, 6.5–7.6µ in diameter. =Flesh= white, taste mild. =Plant= 2–3 in. high. =Pileus= 2–3 in. broad. =Stem= 4–6 lines thick. _Frost_ Mss. Ground in woods. Sandlake. August. _Peck_, 32d Rep. N.Y. State Bot. R. flavida is showy, solitary and in patches. The stem when young and solid is equally good with the cap. Cooks in twenty-five minutes and is of good flavor. HETEROPHYL´LÆ. =R. ves´ca= Fr.—_vesco_, to feed. =Pileus= _red-flesh-color, disk darker_, fleshy, slightly firm, plano-depressed, _slightly wrinkled with veins_, with a viscid pellicle, margin at length spreading. =Flesh= cheesy, firm, shining white. =Stem= _solid_, compact, externally rigid, _reticulated and wrinkled_ in a peculiar manner, often attenuated at the base, shining white. =Gills= adnate, crowded, thin, shining white, with many unequal and forked ones intermixed, but scarcely connected by veins. Of middle stature. _Taste mild_, pleasant. _Fries._ =Spores= globose, echinulate, white, 9–10µ diameter. _Massee_. In mixed woods. Common. August to frost. R. vesca is frequent in woods or margins, and under trees in the open. It is especially fond of growing in the grass under lone chestnut trees. The caps seldom exceed 2-½ in. across. It is one of the best. =R. cyanoxan´tha= (Schaeff.) Fr. _Gr_—blue; _Gr_—yellow. (From the colors.) (Plate XLIV, fig. 1, p. 184.) =Pileus= 2–3 in. and more broad, _lilac or purplish then olivaceous-green_, disk commonly becoming pale often yellowish, _margin_ commonly becoming _azure-blue or livid purple_, compact, convex then plane, then depressed or infundibuliform, sometimes even, sometimes wrinkled or streaked, viscous, margin deflexed then expanded, remotely and slightly striate. =Flesh= firm, cheesy, white, commonly reddish beneath the separable pellicle. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, as much as 1 in. thick, _spongy-stuffed_, but firm, often cavernous within when old, equal, smooth, _even_, shining white. =Gills= rounded behind, connected by veins, not much crowded, broad, forked with shorter ones intermixed, shining white. Allied to R. vesca in its _mild_, pleasant _taste_ and in other respects, but constantly different in the color of the pileus, which is very variable, whereas in R. vesca it is unchangeable. The peculiar combination of colors in the pileus, though very variable, always readily distinguishes it. _Fries._ =Spores= 8–9µ, cystidia numerous, pointed, _Massee_; 8–10×6–8µ _Sacc._ In mixed woods. Common. August to October. Pronounced one of the best esculent species by all authorities. =R. heterophyl´la= Fr. _Gr_—differing; _Gr_—a leaf. (Gills differing in length.) =Pileus= very variable in color, but _never becoming reddish or purple_, fleshy, firm, convexo-plane then depressed, _even, polished_, the very thin pellicle disappearing, margin thin, even or densely but slightly striate. =Flesh= white. =Stem= solid, firm, somewhat equal, _even_, shining white. =Gills= _reaching the stem in an attenuated form, very narrow, very crowded_, forked and dimidiate, shining white. Taste _always mild_, as in R. cyanoxantha, from which it differs in its smaller stature, in the pileus being thinner, even, _never reddish_ or purplish, with a thin closely adnate pellicle, in the _stem being firm and solid_, and in the _gills_ being _thin, very narrow, very crowded_, etc. The apex of the stem is occasionally dilated in the form of a cup, so that the gills appear remote. _Fries._ =Spores= echinulate, 5×7µ _W.G.S._; 7–8µ diameter _Massee_. Common. Woods. July to November. Edible, of a sweet nutty flavor. _Stevenson._ R. heterophylla is very common. Its smooth, even pileus, colored in some dingy shade of green, distinguishes it. It is much infested by grubs. Specimens for the table should be young and fresh. Wilted specimens are unpleasant. =R. f[oe]´tens= Fr.—_f[oe]tens_, stinking. =Pileus= 4–5 in. and more broad, dingy yellow, often becoming pale, thinly fleshy, at first bullate, then expanded and depressed, covered with a pellicle which is adnate, not separable, and viscid in wet weather, margin broadly membranaceous, at the first bent inward _with ribs which are at length tubercular_. =Flesh= thin, _rigid_-fragile, pallid. =Stem= 2 in. and more long, ½-1 in. thick, stout, stuffed then hollow, whitish. =Gills= adnexed, crowded, connected by veins, with very many _dimidiate and forked_ ones intermixed, whitish, at the first _exuding watery drops_. _Fetid._ _Taste acrid._ Very _rigid_, most distinct from all others in _its very heavy empyreumatic_ odor. In very dry weather the odor is often obsolete. The margin is more broadly membranaceous and hence marked with _longer furrows_ than in any other species. It differs from all the preceding ones in the gills at the first exuding watery drops. The gills become obsoletely light yellow, and dingy when bruised. _Fries._ =Pileus= fleshy, with a wide thin margin, hemispherical or convex, then expanded or depressed, viscid when moist, widely striate-tuberculate on the margin, dull pale yellow or straw color. =Lamellæ= rather broad, close, venose-connected, some of them forked, whitish. =Stipe= nearly cylindrical, whitish, hollow. =Spores= white. =Plant= sometimes cespitose. =Height= 2–4 in.; breadth of pileus 2–3 in. =Stipe= 4–6 lines thick. Pine woods. West Albany. October. =Taste= mild at first, then slightly disagreeable. _Peck_, 23d Rep. N.Y. State Bot. =Spores= minute, echinulate, almost globular, 8µ _W.G.S._; 8–10µ _Massee_. In woods. Common. July to October. Var. _granula´ta_ has the pileus rough with small granular scales. _Peck_, Rep. 39. A very coarse and easily recognized species. Reckoned poisonous, though eaten by slugs. _W.G.S._ The verdict is against it. Both smell and taste are usually unpleasant. Cooked it retains its flavor, more closely resembling wild cherry bark than anything else. On two occasions I ate enough to convince me that it was not poisonous. =R. el´egans= Bresad.—_elegans_, pretty. Mild at first, becoming acrid with age. =Pileus= 2–3 in. across. =Flesh= rather thick; convex then depressed; margin tuberculose and striate when old, viscid, bright rosy flesh-color, soon ochraceous at the circumference, everywhere densely granulated. =Gills= adnexed or slightly rounded, narrow behind, very much crowded, equal, rarely forked, whitish, becoming either entirely or here and there ochraceous-orange. =Stem= 1½-2 in. long, 5–7 lines thick, a little thickened at the base, rather rugulose, white, base ochraceous. =Flesh= white, turning ochraceous and acrid when old. =Spores= 8–10µ diameter _Massee_. Allied to R. vesca. Known by the bright rose-colored, densely granular pileus and tuberculose margin. When old the pileus is almost entirely ochraceous. _Massee._ Frequent in the West Virginia forests, 1881–1885. Chester county, Pa., 1887–1890. In mixed woods. July to September. _McIlvaine._ It differs from R. vesca in its cap being minutely granulated instead of streaked, and in becoming acrid with age. The caps are of good quality, needing to be well cooked. FRA´GILES. * _Gills and spores white._ =R. eme´tica= Fr.—an emetic. (Plate XLIV, fig. 2, p. 184.) =Pileus= 3–4 in. broad, at first rosy then _blood-color_, tawny when old, sometimes becoming yellow and at length (in moist places) white, at first bell-shaped then flattened or depressed, polished, _margin_ at length _furrowed and tubercular_. =Flesh= _white, reddish under the separable pellicle_. =Stem= spongy-stuffed, stout, elastic when young, fragile when older, even, white or reddish. =Gills= somewhat _free_, broad, somewhat distant, shining white. Handsome, regular, moderately firm, but fragile when full grown, _taste_ very _acrid_. _Fries._ =Spores= shining white, _Fries_; spheroid, echinulate, 8–10µ _K._; 7µ _W.G.S._ Maryland, _Miss Banning_; New York, _Peck_, Rep. 22; Indiana, Illinois, _H.I. Miller_. Said to act as its name implies as an emetic. Certainly poisonous. _Stevenson._ Krapp says he has himself experienced rare inconveniences from eating it. Preferred to others in Indiana and Illinois. _H.I. Miller_, 1898. The varying reports upon R. emetica are quoted above. In 1881, in the West Virginia mountains, I began testing this Russula and soon found that it was harmless. At least twenty persons ate it in quantity, during its season, for four years. Yet, in my many published articles, I continued, out of regard for the opinions of others and in excess of caution, to warn against all bitter and peppery fungi. But from that time until the present I have eaten it, and I have made special effort to establish its innocence by getting numbers of my friendly helpers to eat it. It was suggested by one of its prosecutors that perhaps I was mistaking another fungus for it. In October, 1898, I sent to Professor Peck a lot of the Russula I was eating. He wrote: “It seems to be R. emetica as you state. It certainly is hot enough for it.” =R. pectina´ta= Fr.—_pecten_, a comb. =Pileus= 3 in. broad, at first gluey, _toast-brown_, then dry, becoming pale, tan, with the _disk_ always _darker_, fleshy, _rigid_, convex then flattened and depressed or concavo-infundibuliform (basin-shaped); margin thin, _pectinato-sulcate_ (deeply ribbed), here and there irregularly shaped. =Flesh= _white, light yellowish under the pellicle_, which is not easily separable. =Stem= curt, 3 in. long, ¾–1 in. thick, _rigid_, spongy-stuffed, longitudinally _slightly striate, shining white_, often attenuated at the base. =Gills= _attenuato-free_ behind, broader toward the margin, somewhat crowded, _equal_, simple, white. Odor weak, but nauseous, approaching that of R. f[oe]tens. _Fries._ =Spores= 8–9µ diameter _Massee_. New York, _Peck_, 43d Rep. West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey. Common in woods, grassy, mossy places. July to frost. _McIlvaine._ Named from the furrows of the margin being like the teeth of a comb. Both the appearance and smell of this Russula will detect it. The peculiar comb-like furrows of its margin, viscid or varnished-looking cap, and strong but more spicy smell than cherry-bark are noticeable. It is edible, but so strong in flavor that a piece of one will spoil a dish if cooked with other kinds. =R. ochroleu´ca= Fr. _Gr_—pale yellow; _Gr_—white. =Pileus= _yellow, becoming pale_, fleshy, flattened or depressed, polished, with an adnate pellicle, the spreading margin _becoming even_. =Stem= spongy, stuffed, firm, _slightly reticulato-wrinkled, white, becoming cinereous_. =Gills= _rounded behind_, united, broad, _somewhat equal_, white becoming pale. Odor obsolete, but pleasant. The pileus is never reddish. It agrees wholly with R. emetica in structure and stature, as well as in the _acrid taste_; it differs however in the stem being slightly recticulato-wrinkled, white becoming cinereous, in the adnate pellicle of the pileus, in the margin remaining for a long time _even_ (remotely striate, but not tubercular, only when old), and in the gills being rounded behind and becoming pale. The color of the pileus is constant. The gills remain _free_ and do not exude drops. _Fries._ =Cap= 2–4 in. across. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, up to ¾ in. thick. =Spores= papillose, 7µ _W.G.S._, 8×9µ _Massee_. Frequent in woods. July to October. Not as common as R. emetica, yet frequently found, usually solitary, at times gregarious. It is quite peppery, but loses pepperiness in cooking. Myself and others have frequently eaten it. =R. ci´trina= Gillet—_citrina_, citron colored. =Mild.= =Pileus= 2–3 in. across, slightly fleshy at the disk, margin thin; convex then more or less expanded and slightly depressed, rather viscid when moist, smooth, slightly wrinkled at the margin when old, bright lemon-yellow, color usually uniform, sometimes paler at the margin, occasionally with a greenish tint, center of pileus at length becoming pale-ochraceous; pellicle separable. =Gills= slightly decurrent, broadest a short distance from the margin, and gradually becoming narrower towards the base, forked at the base and also sometimes near the middle, white, 1½ lines deep at broadest part. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, about 4 lines thick, equal or slightly narrowed at the base, slightly wrinkled, straight or very slightly waved, solid. =Spores= subglobose, echinulate, 8µ diameter. In woods. Known by the clear lemon-yellow or citron-colored pileus and the persistently white gills and stem. The taste is mild at first, but becomes slightly acrid if kept in the mouth for a short time. _Massee._ R. citrina can hardly be classed among the acrid species. The taste is slightly of cherry-bark and disappears in cooking. It is usually found in patches which contain ten to twenty individuals. It is a species of fair quality. =R. fra´gilis= Fr.—fragile. =Pileus= 1–1½ in. broad, rarely more, flesh-color, changing color, very thin, fleshy only at the disk, at the first convex and often umbonate, then plane and depressed, pellicle thin, becoming pale, slightly viscid in wet weather; _margin_ very thin, _tuberculoso-striate_. =Stem= 1½-2 in. long, spongy within, soon hollow, often slightly striate, white. =Gills= slightly adnexed, very _thin, crowded_, broad, _ventricose_, all equal, shining white. _Fries._ Very acrid. Smaller and more fragile than the rest of the group, directly changing color. The color is variable, often opaque, typically flesh-color, when changed in color white externally and internally, often with reddish spots. Among varieties of color is to be noted a livid flesh-colored form, with the disk becoming fuscous. It is not easy to define it from fragile forms of R. emetica, but the gills are much more crowded, thinner, and often slightly eroded at the edge, ventricose; the pileus thinner and more lax, etc. _Stevenson._ Var. _nivea_ Fr.—_nivea_, snowy. Whole plant white. =Spores= minutely echinulate 8–10×8µ _Massee_. Though one of the peppery kind, I have not, after fifteen years of eating it, had reason to question its edibility. The caps are not meaty, but what there is of them is good. =R. puncta´ta= Gillet—_punctata_, dotted. =Mild.= =Pileus= 1½-2½ in. across. =Flesh= thin, white, reddish under the cuticle; convex then flattened, viscid, rosy, disk darkest, punctate with dark reddish point-like warts, pale when old; margin striate. =Gills= slightly adnexed, 2 lines broad, white then yellowish, edge often reddish. =Stem= about 1 in. long, 4–5 lines thick, attenuated and whitish at the base, remainder colored like the pileus, stuffed. =Spores= 8–9µ diameter _Massee_. Among grass. Edible. Boston Myc. Club Bull. 1896. ** _Gills and spores white then yellowish or bright lemon._ =R. in´tegra= Fr.—_integer_, entire, whole. =Pileus= 4–5 in. across, typically red, changing color, fleshy, campanulato-convex then expanded and depressed, fragile when full-grown, with a gluey pellicle, at length _furrowed and somewhat tubercular_ at the margin. =Flesh= _white_, sometimes yellowish above. =Stem= at first short, conical, then club-shaped or _ventricose_, as much as 3 in. long, up to 1 in. thick, spongy-stuffed, commonly stout, _even_, shining _white_. =Gills= somewhat free, very broad, up to ¾ in., equal or bifid at the stem, somewhat distant, connected by veins, pallid-white, at length light yellow, _somewhat powdered yellow with the spores_. _Taste mild_, often astringent. The most changeable of all species, especially in the color of the pileus which is typically red, but at the same time inclining to azure-blue, bay-brown, olivaceous, etc. Sometimes the gills are sterile and remain white. _Fries._ =Spores= ellipsoid-spheroid or spheroid echinulate, globose, rough, 8–9µ _C.B.P._; 9–10µ diameter, pale ochraceous. _Massee._ It is difficult to separate R. integra from R. alutacea. The spores usually show upon the gills as pale dull yellow powder. It is of equal excellence. =R. decolo´rans= Fr.—_de_ and _coloro_, to color. =Pileus= 3–5 in. broad, color various, at first orange-red, then light yellow and becoming pale, fleshy, spherical then expanded and depressed, remarkably regular, viscid when moist, thin and at length striate at the margin. =Flesh= _white, but becoming somewhat cinereous_ when broken, and more or less _variegated with black spots_ when old. =Stem= _elongated_, 3–5 in., cylindrical, solid, but spongy within, often _wrinkled-striate, white then becoming cinereous_ especially within. =Gills= adnexed, often in pairs, thin, crowded, fragile, white then yellowish. _Taste mild._ Colors changeable according to a fixed rule, but not variable. The gills are not ochraceous-pulverulent as in R. integra, nor shining and pure yellow as in R. aurata, etc. _Fries._ =Spores= yellow, 8.3µ _Morgan_. New York, _Peck_, 23d Rep. Angora, West Philadelphia, Pa., 1897, in mixed woods. August to October. _McIlvaine._ Esculent and of good quality. _Morgan._ Meals of it make one regret its scarcity. =R. basifurca´ta= Pk.—forked near stem. =Pileus= 2–3 in. broad, firm, convex, umbilicate, becoming somewhat funnel form, glabrous, slightly viscid when moist, the thin pellicle scarcely separable except on the margin, dingy-white, sometimes tinged with yellow or reddish-yellow, the margin nearly even. =Lamellæ= rather close, narrowed toward the base, adnate or slightly emarginate, many of them forked near the base, a few short ones intermingled, white becoming yellowish. =Stem= 8–12 lines long, 5–6 lines thick, firm, solid, becoming spongy within, white. =Spores= elliptical, pale yellow, uninucleate or shining, 9×6.5µ. =Flesh= white, taste mild, then bitterish. Dry hard ground in paths and wood roads. Canoga, N.Y. July. This species closely resembles pale forms of R. furcata, from which it is separated by the absence of any silky micor and by the yellowish color and elliptical shape of the spores and by the yellowish hue of the lamellæ. _Peck_, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot. Mt. Gretna, Pa., September, 1898, to frost. Gravelly ground. Solitary. Gills adnate. Identified as his species by Professor Peck. The slight bitterish taste disappears in cooking. It is edible and of fair quality. =R. aura´ta= Fr.—_aurum_, gold. =Pileus= 2–3 in. broad, varying _lemon-yellow, orange and red_, disk darker, fleshy, _rigid_, brittle however, hemispherical then plane, disk not depressed, pellicle thin, adnate, viscid in wet weather, _margin even_, and slightly striate only when old, but sometimes wrinkled. =Flesh= _lemon-yellow_ under the pellicle, white below. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, solid, _firm_, but spongy within, cylindrical, obsoletely striate, white or lemon-yellow. =Gills= rounded free, connected by veins, broad, equal, shining, never pulverulent, whitish inclining to light yellow, but vivid _lemon-yellow at the edge_. _Fries._ West Virginia, 1881–1885; Pennsylvania, 1887–1898. In woods under pines. July to October. _McIlvaine._ Pileus sometimes depressed in center, very viscid when wet. A troop of this Russula upon brown wood mat is a pretty sight. Its rich and brightly-colored cap attracts the eye from a distance. The yellow edge of its gills is the distinctive mark of the species. The smell is pleasant, the taste slightly of cherry bark. Cooked it is one of the best Russulæ. =R. atropurpu´rea= Pk.—_atre_, black; _purpureus_, purple. Dark purple Russula. =Pileus= 3–4 in. broad, at first convex, then centrally depressed, glabrous, dark purple, blackish in the center, the margin even or slightly striate. =Flesh= white, grayish or grayish-purple under the separable pellicle, taste mild, odor of the drying plant fetid, very unpleasant. =Lamellæ= nearly equal, subdistant, sometimes forked near the stem, at first white, then yellowish, becoming brownish where bruised. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, 5–8 lines thick, equal, glabrous, spongy within, white, brownish where bruised. =Spores= subglobose, minutely rough, pale ochraceous with a salmon tint, 8–10µ. Open woods. Gansevoort. July. In color this species resembles R. variata, but in other respects it is very different. It is very distinct in the peculiar color of its spores, and in the brownish hue assumed by wounds. _Peck_, 41st Rep. N.Y. State Bot. West Philadelphia, Pa. July, 1897. Open woods. Solitary. Philadelphia Myc. Center. Many were eaten and enjoyed. Only fresh plants are acceptable, and they should be cooked as soon as gathered. Even in wilting they become unpleasant. *** _Gills and spores ochraceous._ =R. aluta´cea= Fr.—_aluta_, tanned leather. =Pileus= 2–4 in. broad, commonly bright blood-color or _red_, even black-purple, but becoming pale, especially at the disk, fleshy, bell-shaped then convex, flattened and somewhat umbilicate, even, _with a remarkably sticky pellicle, margin thin, at length striate, tubercular_. =Flesh= _snow-white_. =Stem= 2 in. long, solid, stout, equal, even, white, most frequently _variegated-reddish_, even purple. =Gills= at first free, _thick, very broad_, connected by veins, all equal, somewhat distant, at first pallid light yellow, then bright ochraceous, not pulverulent. It is distinguished from R. integra by its gills not being pulverulent. _Fries._ =Spores= yellow 7–9µ _Massee_; 11–14×8–10µ _Sacc._, _Syll_. July to frost. _McIlvaine._ R. alutacea is easily recognized among Russulæ by its mild taste and broad yellow gills. In young specimens one sometimes has to look at the gills at an angle to detect the yellow. It is quite common but a solitary grower. It is everywhere eaten as a favorite. Only fresh plants yield a good flavor. When the stem is soft, it should be thrown away. =R. puella´ris= Fr. (Plate XLIV, fig. 7, p. 184.) =Mild.= =Pileus= 1–1½ in. across, flesh almost membranaceous except the disk; conico-convex then expanded, at first rather gibbous, then slightly depressed, scarcely viscid, color peculiar, purplish-livid then yellowish, disk always darker and brownish; tuberculosely striate, often to the middle. =Gills= adnate but very much narrowed behind, thin, crowded, white then pale-yellow, not shining nor powdered with the spores. =Stem= 1–1½ in. long, 2–4 lines thick, equal, soft, fragile, wrinkled under a lens, white or yellowish; stuffed, soon hollow; taste mild. =Spores= subglobose, pale-yellow, echinulate, 10×8–9µ _Massee_. In woods. Among the most frequent and readily recognized of species, occurring in troops. Always small, thin, taste mild. Allied to R. nitida, but more slender; color paler, and not shining. _Fries._ Distinguished from R. nitida and R. nauseosa by the absence of smell. _Massee._ Var. _inten´sior_ Cke. Nearly the same size as the typical form; pileus deep purple, nearly black at the disk. The stem has a tendency to become thickened at the base, and turns yellowish when touched. Var. _rose´ipes_ Sec., given by Massee, has been retained as a distinct species by Professor Peck, Rep. 51, and is described in place. R. pusilla Pk., 50th Rep., is closely allied to it. West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, North Carolina. Common in woods and under trees in short grass. July to September. _McIlvaine._ This little Russula is ubiquitous. It does not amount to much when other fungi are plenty, because of its very thin cap, but it thrives in all sorts of summer weather. When its companions are scarce or parched R. puellaris is gladly gathered by the mycophagist, its numbers making up for its lightness and lack of flavor. =R. pusil´la= Pk.—little. =Pileus= very thin, nearly plane or slightly and umbilicately depressed in the center, glabrous, slightly striate on the margin, red, sometimes a little darker in the center, the thin pellicle separable. =Flesh= white, taste mild. =Lamellæ= broad for the size of the plant, subventricose, subdistant, adnate or slightly rounded behind, white, becoming yellowish-ochraceous in drying. =Stem= short, soft, solid or spongy within, white. =Spores= faintly tinged with yellow, 7.6µ broad. =Pileus= scarcely 1 in. broad. =Stem= 6–12 lines long, 2–3 lines thick. Bare ground in thin woods. Port Jefferson. July. The coloring matter of the pileus may be rubbed upon paper and produce on it red stains if the surface is previously moistened with water or dilute alcohol. This is one of the smallest Russulas known to me. The pileus was less than an inch broad and the stem less than an inch long in all the specimens seen by me. The species is closely allied to R. puellaris, and especially resembles the variety intensior in color. It differs in its smaller size, even or but slightly striate margin, broad lamellæ and in the stem or flesh not becoming yellowish spotted where touched. _Peck_, 50th Rep. N.Y. State Bot. West Virginia, 1881–1885. Pennsylvania, 1896–1897. July to September. _McIlvaine._ It makes up in quality what it lacks in quantity. =R. rose´ipes= (Secr.) Bres.—_rosa_, a rose; _pes_, a foot. (Plate XLIV, fig. 5, p. 184.) =Pileus= 1–2 in. broad, convex becoming nearly plane or slightly depressed, at first viscid, soon dry, becoming slightly striate on the thin margin, rosy-red variously modified by pink orange or ochraceous hues, sometimes becoming paler with age, taste mild. =Gills= moderately close, nearly entire, rounded behind and slightly adnexed, ventricose, whitish becoming yellow. =Stem= 1½-3 in. long, 3–4 lines thick, slightly tapering upward, stuffed or somewhat cavernous, white tinged with red. =Spores= yellow, globose or subglobose. The plants grow in woods of pine and hemlock and have been collected in July and August. The flesh is tender and agreeable in flavor. _Peck_, 51st Rep. N.Y. State Bot. =Spores= globose, minutely echinulate, pale ochraceous, 8–10µ diameter _Massee_. R. roseipes is common in West Virginia under hemlocks and spruces. At Mt. Gretna, Pa., it grew sparingly under pines. It is excellent. =R. Ma´riæ= Pk. =Pileus= fleshy, convex, subumbilicate, at length expanded and centrally depressed, minutely pulverulent, bright pink-red (crimson lake), the disk a little darker, margin even. =Lamellæ= rather close, reaching the stem, some of them forked, venose-connected, white, then yellowish. =Stem= equal, solid, colored like the pileus except the extremities which are usually white. =Spores= globose, nearly smooth, 7.6µ in diameter; flesh of the pileus white, red under the cuticle, taste mild. =Plant= 2 in. high. =Pileus= 1.5–2 in. broad. Stem 3–6 lines thick. Dry ground in woods. Catskill mountains. July. The minute colored granules, which give the pileus a soft pruinose appearance, are easily rubbed off on paper, and water put upon the fresh specimens is colored by them. _Peck_, 24th Rep. N.Y. State Bot. New York, _Peck_, 24th and 50th Rep.; West Virginia, 1882–1885; Mt. Gretna, Pa., solitary in mixed woods. July to September. 1897–1898. _McIlvaine._ It is on a par with most Russulæ. =R. ochra´cea= Fr.—_ochra_, a yellow earth. =Mild.= =Pileus= about 3 in. across. =Flesh= rather thick at the center, becoming thin toward the margin, pale ochraceous, soft; convex then expanded and depressed, margin coarsely striate, pellicle thin, viscid, ochraceous with a tinge of yellow, disk usually becoming darker. =Gills= slightly adnexed, broad, scarcely crowded, ochraceous. =Stem= about 1½ in. long, 5–7 lines thick, slightly wrinkled longitudinally, ochraceous, stuffed, soft. =Spores= globose, echinulate, ochraceous, 10–12µ diameter. In pine and mixed woods. The mild taste and ochraceous color of every part, including the flesh, separate the present from every other species. Commonly confounded with Russula fellea, but known at once by its mild taste. Agreeing most nearly with R. lutea in color, but differing in the softer flesh, which becomes ochraceous upward; sulcate margin of the pileus, and broader, less crowded gills. =Pileus= persistently ochraceous, disk usually darker. =Stem= sometimes yellow, sometimes white. _Fries._ North Carolina, borders of woods, _Curtis_; California, _Harkness and Moore_. Fries says that the flavor is mild, but Roze places it in the list of suspected species, although he notes it as not acrid; it may be inferred that he considers the flavor unpleasant. _Macadam._ “Like chicken,” not common. Boston Myc. Club Bull. 1896. =R. lu´tea= (Huds.) Fr.—_luteus_, yellow. =Pileus= 1–2 in. broad, _yellow_, at length becoming pale, and occasionally wholly white, thinly fleshy, soon convexo-plane or plano-depressed, sticky when moist, _even_ or when old obsoletely striate _at the margin_. =Flesh= white. =Stem= ½ in. long, 3–4 lines thick, stuffed then _hollow_, soft, fragile, equal, even, white, never reddish. =Gills= somewhat free, connected by veins, _crowded, narrow_, all equal, ochraceous-egg-yellow. Always small, very regular, taste mild. _When young the pileus is always of a beautiful yellow._ _Fries._ =Spores= yellow, echinulate, 8µ _W.G.S._; globose, rough, 6–7µ _C.B.P._; 8–10×7–8µ _Massee_. Allied to R. vitellina, but differs in having the margin of the cap even, and but little odor. The plant I have so referred has the gills at first white and the stem yellow like the pileus; it may be a new species. In beech woods, _Morgan_; West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, in mixed woods, often under beeches, August to November, _McIlvaine_. The plants I have found have white gills when young (few species have not), but rapidly become yellow. The stem is usually white when young, and sometimes remains so, but often becomes more or less yellow. It is a pretty species. The flavor is not as strong as in some species, but is delicate. =R. nauseo´sa= Fr. =Pileus= variable in color, typically _purplish at the disk_, then livid, but becoming pale and often whitish, laxly fleshy, thin, at first plano-gibbous, then depressed, viscid in wet weather, _furrowed_ and somewhat tubercular at the somewhat membranaceous _margin_. =Flesh= soft, white. =Stem= short, about 1 in. long, 4 lines thick, spongy-stuffed, slightly striate, white. =Gills= adnexed, ventricose, _somewhat distant_, here and there with a few shorter ones intermixed, light yellow then dingy ochraceous. The taste is mild, but also nauseous, as the odor often is. The habit is that of R. nitida, of the same color of pileus, but differing in the color of the gills. _Fries._ =Cap= about 2 in. across. =Stem= 1–2 in. long, ¼-½ in. thick. =Spores= dingy yellow, 8–9µ diameter. _Massee._ North Carolina and Pennsylvania, _Schweinitz_; West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, in pine and mixed woods. August to October. _McIlvaine._ The odor and taste of R. nauseosa are misnamed, therefore the plant. They are heavy at times, when the plant is wet or old, as is the case with R. f[oe]tens, but they are always of cherry bark. Both odor and taste disappear in cooking. The species is as good as any Russula of its texture. =R. vitelli´na= Fr.—_vitellus_, yolk of egg. =Pileus= 1 in. broad, _uni-colorous_, light yellow then wholly pallid, somewhat membranaceous, at length _tuberculoso-striate_, somewhat dry, disk very small, slightly fleshy. =Stem= thin, scarcely exceeding 1 in. long, 2 lines thick, equal. =Gills= separating-free, equal, _distant_, rather thick, connected by veins, saffron-yellow. Pretty, very fragile, strong-smelling, mild. _Fries._ =Spores= 7–8µ diameter _Massee_. West Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, August to October. In pine and mixed woods, July to October. Not common in number. This pretty species has a cherry-bark taste and smell like R. f[oe]tens, though not so offensively heavy. It is not poisonous. A small piece of it will affect a whole dish of other Russulæ. =R. chamæleonti´na= Fr.—changing color like a chamæleon. =Pileus= 1–2 in. broad, thinly fleshy, soon flattened, sometimes oblique with a thin, separable, viscid pellicle, which is at first flesh-color, then presently changing color, becoming yellow at the disk and at length wholly yellow, margin even, then slightly striate. =Stem= as much as 3 in. long, but thin, somewhat hollow, slightly striate, white. =Gills= more or less adnexed, _thin, crowded_, equal, narrow, somewhat forked, light-yellow-ochraceous. Mild, inodorous, very fragile. =Pileus= _rosy blood-red, purplish lilac_, etc. Sometimes even at the first yellowish at the disk. _Fries._ =Spores= globose, ochraceous, 7–8µ diameter _Massee_. In pine and in mixed woods. August to October. _McIlvaine._ The change in color of the cap which gives name to this species is not remarkable. Most species of Russulæ are sensitive to light. An otherwise highly colored cap will be almost white when a leaf adheres to it. If in youth it grows under dense shade it will be very much lighter than if where light is generous, and will remain so. If in growing it thrusts itself out of shadow, its color will change and it will deepen. The apparent rarity of R. chamæleontina I think due to the close observation necessary to detect its changes in color, which, as I have found it, are by no means constant. It is quite plentiful in the pines of southern New Jersey, and at Mt. Gretna, Pa., it is frequently found. It is a good esculent species. [Illustration] =CANTHAREL´LUS= Adans. _Gr_—a vase, a cup. Hymenophore continuous with the stem, descending unchanged into the trama. =Gills= thick, fleshy, waxy, _fold-like,_ somewhat branched, _obtuse at the edge_. =Spores= white. Fleshy, putrescent fungi, without a veil. _Fries._ [Illustration: CANTHARELLUS CIBARIUS.] In Cantharellus the gills—vein-like and generally thick with an obtuse edge—are entirely different from those of all the preceding genera. In those they are thin, and distinct from the pileus and from each other. In Hygrophorus the gills are frequently thick, but the edge is always sharp. The species of Craterellus are funnel-shaped, resembling some of those in Cantharellus, but are distinguished by their lack of evident gills. Monograph New York Species of Cantharellus, _Peck_, Bull. 1887. The members of this genus are few, but they are choice. Of them is the Cantharellus cibarius, of which Trattinik quaintly says: “Not only this same fungus never did any one harm, but might even restore the dead.” The writer first made its acquaintance when among the West Virginia mountains in 1881. The golden patches of single and clustered cibarius, fragrant as ripened apricots, tufting the short grass or mossy ground under beeches, oaks and like-growing trees, through which the sunlight filtered generously, were so tempting, that he determined there must be luxury, even in death, from such toadstools. Experiments made by the writer in West Virginia where the species grows luxuriantly and is of much higher flavor than any he has found elsewhere, prove that it is easy to transplant within congenial habitats, either by the mycelium or spores. Nature, there, resorts to washing masses of leaves containing the propagating parts of the fungus along the depressions of the water-sheds, and it is found growing plentifully where the wind has drifted forest leaves against trees, brush, and fence-corners. [Illustration: Grouped by F.D. Briscoe—Studies by C. McIlvaine. PLATE XLVI.] FIG. PAGE. FIG. PAGE.