Chapter VIII: Part 8

Thin woods and open, grassy places. Greenbush and Sandlake, N.Y. July and August.

Our plant has the pileus pale yellow or straw color, and sometimes nearly white, but European forms have been described as having it orange-yellow and brick-red. It is generally, though often obscurely, zonate. The zones are ordinarily more distinct near the margin, where they are occasionally very narrow and close. The milk in the Greenbush specimens had a thin, somewhat watery appearance. _Peck_, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey. July to September. Common in mixed woods and grassy places. _McIlvaine._

Edible. _Cordier_, _Curtis_.

L. insulsus is another peppery member of Lactarius which has suffered unjustly. I have eaten it since 1881, and think it the best of the hot milk species. Its flesh is not as coarse as others, and is of better flavor. There is little difference in quality between it and L. deliciosus.

=L. hys´ginus= Fr. _Gr_—a crimson dye. =Pileus= 2–3 in. broad, rigid, at first convex, then nearly plane, umbilicate or slightly depressed, even, viscid, zoneless or rarely obscurely zonate, _reddish-incarnate, tan-color or brownish-red_, becoming paler with age, the thin margin inflexed. =Gills= close, adnate or subdecurrent, whitish, becoming yellowish or cream-colored. =Stem= 1–2 in. long, 4–8 lines thick, equal, glabrous, stuffed or hollow, colored like the pileus, or a little paler, sometimes spotted. =Milk= white, taste acrid.

Woods. Sandlake and Canoga, N.Y. July and August. Not common.

The reddish hue of the pileus distinguishes this species from its allies. The gluten or viscidity of the pileus in our specimens was rather tenacious and persistent. _Peck_, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

=Spores= subglobose, whitish on black paper, yellowish on white paper, 9–10µ _Peck_; 10×7–8µ _Massee_.

Mt. Gretna, Pa., 1897. Mixed woods. August, September.

Not very acrid. The entire acridity disappears in cooking. Several specimens were found and eaten, enough to prove it esculent and of good quality.

*** PIPERATI. _Pileus dry, etc._

=L. plum´beus= Fr.—like _plumbum_, lead. =Pileus= 2—5 in. broad, compact, convex, then infundibuliform, dry, unpolished _sooty or brownish-black_. =Gills= crowded, white, or yellowish. =Stem= 1.5–3 in. long, 3–6 lines thick, solid, equal, thick. =Milk= white, acrid, _unchangeable_. =Spores= 6.3–7.6µ.

The specimens which I have referred to this species were found in the Catskill mountains several years ago, growing in hemlock woods, under spruce and balsam trees. I have not met with the species since. The pileus in the larger specimens had a minutely tomentose appearance, but in the dried specimens this has disappeared. They also varied in color from blackish-brown to pinkish-brown and grayish-brown, but they can scarcely be more than a mere form or variety of the species the description of which, as given by Fries, I have quoted. In the Handbook the pileus is described as dark fuliginous-gray or brown, and Gillet describes it as black-brown, dark fuliginous or lead color, and adds that the plant is poisonous and the milk very acrid and burning. Cordier says that the flesh is white and the taste bitter and disagreeable. _Peck_, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Poisonous. _Gillet._

=L. pergame´nus= Fr.—parchment. _White._ =Pileus= fleshy, pliant, convex then plano-depressed, spread, zoneless, slightly wrinkled, smooth. =Stem= stuffed, smooth, changing color. =Gills= _adnate_, very narrow, _horizontal_, very crowded, branched, white, then straw-color. =Milk= white, acrid.

Very much allied to L. piperatus, but differing in the _stem_ being stuffed, at length softer internally, elongated, 3 in., unequal, attenuated downward and here and there ascending, _quite smooth_; in the _pileus_ being _thinner, pliant_, elastic, most frequently irregular and excentric, for the most part flexuous, at first convex (not umbilicate), then _rather plane, the surface very smooth_, but unpolished and _wrinkled_ in a peculiar manner; and in the _gills_ being adnate, not decurrent, _very crowded, very narrow_ (scarcely 1 line broad), always _straight and horizontal_, not arcuate or extended upward, _soon straw-color_. The flesh is very milky, but the gills are sparingly so. _Fries._

In woods. October.

=Spores= subglobose, rather irregular, 6–8µ _C.B.P._; broadly elliptical, echinulate, 7×5–6µ _Massee_.

Eaten on the continent and Nova Scotia. Edible. _Cooke._

North Carolina, _Curtis_; New England, _Frost_; Ohio, _Morgan._

=L. pipera´tus= Fr.—_piper_, pepper. (Plate XLI, fig. 1, p. 160.) =Pileus= 4–9 in. broad, _white_, fleshy, rigid, umbilicate when young, reflexed (margin at first involute) at the circumference, when full grown wholly _funnel-shaped_, for the most part regular, even, smooth, zoneless. =Flesh= white. =Stem= 1–2 in. long, 1–2 in. thick, solid, obese, equal or obconical, even, obsoletely pruinose, white. =Gills= _decurrent, crowded, narrow_, scarcely broader than 1 line, obtuse at the edge, _dividing by pairs_, arcuate then all _extended upward_ in a straight line, white, here and there with yellow spots. =Milk= white, unchangeable, plentiful and very acrid.

_Compact, firm, dry_, inodorous. The pileus becomes obsoletely yellow when old. Although the gills are spotted with yellow, they do not change to straw color like those of L. pergamenus. _Fries._

=Spores= white, nearly smooth, 6.3–7.6µ _Peck_; subglobose, 8–9µ diameter _Massee_; 5×6µ _W.G.S._

Pennsylvania, West Virginia, 1881–1885. New Jersey, Pennsylvania in woods and on grassy places. July to October. _McIlvaine._

Edible. _Curtis._

L. piperatus is a readily distinguished species. It is very common. In 1881, after an extensive forest fire in the West Virginia forests, I saw miles of the blackened district made white by a growth of this fungus. It was the phenomenal growth which first attracted my attention to toadstools. I collected it then in quantity and used it, with good results, as a fertilizer on impoverished ground.

It has been eaten for many years in most countries, yet a few writers continue to warn against it. It is the representative fungus of its class—meaty, coarse, fair flavor. It is edible and is good food when one is hungry and can not get better. It is best used as an absorbent of gravies.

=L. decepti´vus= Pk.—deceiving. =Pileus= 3–5 in. broad, compact, at first convex and umbilicate, then expanded and centrally depressed or subinfundibuliform, _obsoletely tomentose or glabrous_ except on the margin, white or whitish, often varied with yellowish or sordid stains, the margin at first involute and _clothed with a dense, soft or cottony tomentum_, then spreading or elevated and more or less fibrillose. =Gills= rather broad, distant or subdistant, adnate or decurrent, some of them forked, whitish, becoming cream-colored. =Stem= 1–3 in. long, 8–18 lines thick, equal or narrowed downward, solid, pruinose-pubescent, white. =Spores= white, 9–12.7µ. =Milk= white, taste acrid.

Woods and open places, especially under hemlock trees. Common. July to September.

Trial of its edible qualities was made without any evil consequences. The acridity was destroyed by cooking. _Peck_, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Alabama, _U. and E._; New York, _Peck_, 38th Rep.; West Virginia, 1881–1885, Pennsylvania, New Jersey. Woods and open places. July to October. _McIlvaine._

In common with all peppery Lactarii the present species loses the quality in cooking. The edible qualities then depend upon texture, substance, flavor. The species is coarse but meaty and of fair flavor.

=L. velle´reus= Fr.—_vellus_, fleece. =Pileus= 2–5 in. broad, compact, at first convex and umbilicate, then expanded and centrally depressed or subinfundibuliform, the _whole surface minutely velvety-tomentose, soft to the touch_, white or whitish, the margin at first involute, then reflexed. =Gills= distant or subdistant, adnate or decurrent, sometimes forked, whitish becoming yellowish or cream-colored. =Stem= .5–2 in. long, 6–16 lines thick, firm, solid, equal or tapering downward, pruinose-pubescent, white. =Milk= white, taste acrid. =Spores= white.

Woods and open places. Common. July to September. _Peck_, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

=Spores= white, nearly smooth, 7–9µ. _Peck_; 4×8µ _W.G.S._

West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey. Woods and open places. July to October. _McIlvaine._

Poisonous according to some authors. _Cordier._ Edible. _Leveille._ Eaten it for eighteen years. _McIlvaine._

This common, very acrid species is characterized by the downy covering of its cap.

It is a coarse species, but meaty. Its acridity is lost in cooking, when it makes a fair dish.

=L. involu´tus= Soppitt.—involved. Every part white or with a very slight ochraceous tinge. =Pileus= 1–2 in. across, flesh about 1½ lines thick, equal up to the margin, compact, rigid, convex, soon becoming plane or slightly depressed, margin strongly and persistently involute, extreme edge minutely silky, remainder even and glabrous. =Gills= very slightly decurrent, densely crowded, not ½ line broad, sometimes forked. =Stem= ⅔-1 in. long, 2–3 lines thick, equal, or slightly thickened at the base, glabrous, even, solid, very firm. =Milk= white, unchangeable, not scanty, very hot. =Spores= obliquely elliptical, smooth, 5×3µ.

Very firm and rigid, resembling in habit L. vellereus in miniature. Most nearly allied to L. scoticus, but known at once by the exceedingly narrow, densely-crowded gills and the smooth, elliptical spores. _Massee._

West Virginia, 1881–1885, plentiful. Angora, West Philadelphia. August, September, 1897. In mixed woods. _McIlvaine._

Much smaller than L. piperatus. =Pileus= convex, then plane with depressions in center, margin involute. =Gills= slightly decurrent, densely crowded, very narrow. =Stem= short, firm, solid. =Milk= white, very hot.

L. involutus is readily mistaken for small forms of L. vellereus and L. piperatus. The extremely narrow gills, so close and firm that it takes sharp eyes to follow them, are a distinguishing mark.

Its flesh is of same consistency as L. piperatus—hard and coarse. It loses its pepperiness in cooking and is a good emergency plant, or solvent.

II.—DAPETES—_daps_, food. =Milk= highly colored, etc.

America is rich in this section. Fries records but two species, L. deliciosus and L. sanguifluus, while America has four. The edible properties of three are known to be good; L. subpurpureus has not come under observation, but is added to complete the series as it is probably edible and is well marked by its dark-red milk. _McIlvaine._

=L. delicio´sus= Fr.—delicious. (Plate XLI, fig. 3, p. 160.) =Pileus= 2–6 in. broad, _orange-brick-color, yellowish or grayish-orange_, becoming pale, fleshy, when quite young _depressed in the center_, margin naked, involute, then plano-depressed or broadly funnel-shaped with the margin unfolded, smooth, slightly viscid, _zoned_ (zones sometimes obsolete). =Flesh= soft, not compact, pallid, colored at the circumference only by the juice. =Stem= 1–2 in. and more long, 1 in. thick, stuffed then hollow, at length fragile, equal or attenuated at the base, spotted in a pitted manner, of the same color as the pileus or paler. =Gills= somewhat decurrent, crowded, narrow, arcuate, often branched, typically _saffron-yellow_, but _becoming pale and always becoming green when wounded_. =Milk= _aromatic, from the first red-brick-saffron_. _Fries._

=Spores= white, spheroid, echinulate 7–8µ _K._; 6µ _W.G.S._; echinulate, 9–10×7–8µ _Massee_; subglobose, 7.6–10µ _Peck_.

In woods, under firs, etc.

=Pileus= dingy orange-red becoming pale, often greenish. Every part turns to a homely green when bruised. It is from 3 to 5 in. across, thick, convex, then depressed in center, margin at first curved in. =Gills= decurrent, narrow, saffron-color. =Milk= saffron-red or orange changing to green; sweet scented but slightly acrid. I have never seen but one specimen with milk distinctly orange, and changing to green. The milk in this species varies in color, much depending upon moisture. It grows in patches, sometimes in clusters.

Edible. _Curtis._

There is no question of its edibility. Old and modern writers applaud it. Each cooks to his liking and thinks his own way best. It requires forty minutes' stewing or baking; less time if roasted or fried. It can be cooked in any way, but, like all Lactarii, it must be well cooked.

=L. in´digo= Schw.—(Plate XLI, fig. 2, p. 160.) =Pileus= 2–5 in. broad, at first umbilicate with the margin involute, then depressed or infundibuliform, _indigo-blue with a silvery-gray luster_, zonate, especially on the margin, sometimes spotted, becoming paler and less distinctly zonate with age or in drying. =Gills= close, _indigo-blue_, becoming yellowish and sometimes greenish with age. =Stem= 1–2 in. long, 6–10 lines thick, short nearly equal, hollow, often spotted with blue, colored like the pileus. =Milk= _dark-blue_.

=Dry= places, especially under or near pine trees. Not rare but seldom abundant. July to September. _Peck_, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

=Spores= subglobose, 7.6–9µ long _Peck_.

West Virginia, North Carolina, New Jersey, Pennsylvania. Solitary and in groups, in pine and mixed woods. July to September. _McIlvaine._

The exceptional color of L. indigo will halt anyone with ordinary observing power. It is unnecessary to describe it further. Being a large, stout plant it frequently lifts the leaf mat as it pushes upward, making leaf-mounds under which it is hidden, as do many of the Cortinarii. But even in such instances there are usually a few solitary plants standing prominently forth as sentinels.

It is edible, but coarse. Good flavor.

=L. chelido´nium= Pk. =Pileus= 2–3 in. broad, at first convex, then nearly plane and umbilicate or centrally depressed, _grayish-yellow or tawny_, at length varied with bluish and greenish stains, often with a few narrow zones on the margin. =Gills= _narrow_, close, sometimes forked, anastomosing or wavy at the base, _grayish-yellow_. =Stem= 1–1.5 in. long, 4–6 lines thick, short, subequal, hollow, colored like the pileus. =Spores= globose, 7.5µ. =Milk= sparse, _saffron-yellow_; taste mild.

Sandy soil, under or near pine trees. Saratoga and Bethlehem.

The milk of this species resembles in color the juice of celandine, Chelidonium majus. It is paler than that of L. deliciosus. By this character and by the dull color of the pileus, the narrow lamellæ, short stem and its fondness for dry situations, it may be separated from the other species. Wounds of the flesh are at first stained with the color of the milk, then with blue, finally with green. A saffron-color is sometimes attributed to the milk of L. deliciosus, which may indicate that this species has been confused with that, or that the relationship of the two plants is a closer one than we have assigned to them. _Peck_, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Mt. Gretna, Pa. In mixed woods, gravelly low ground. September, October. _McIlvaine._

A score or more solitary specimens were found and eaten. The substance and flavor are not distinguishable from L. deliciosus, which is lauded to the summit of good toadstools.

=L. subpurpu´reus= Pk.—_sub_, under; _purpureus_, purple. =Pileus= at first convex, then nearly plane or subinfundibuliform, more or less spotted and zonate when young, and moist _dark-red with a grayish luster_. =Gills= close, _dark-red_, becoming less clear and sometimes greenish-stained with age. =Stem= equal or slightly tapering upward, soon hollow, often spotted with red, colored like the pileus, sometimes hairy at the base. =Spores= subglobose, 9–10µ. =Milk= _dark-red_.

=Pileus= 2–3 in. broad. =Stem= 1.5–3 in. long, 3–5 lines thick.

Damp or mossy ground in woods and swamps. July and August.

At once known by the peculiar dark-red or purplish hue of the milk, which color also appears in the spots of the stem and in a more subdued tone in the whole plant. The color of the pileus, gills and stem is modified by grayish and yellowish hues. In age and dryness the zones are less clear, and dried specimens can scarcely be distinguished from L. deliciosus. _Peck_, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

I have not seen this species.

III.—RUSSULARIA.

* VISCIDI. _Pileus viscid._

=L. pal´lidus= Fr.—_pale._ =Pileus= 3–6 in. broad, flesh-color or clay-color to _pallid, somewhat tan_, fleshy, umbilicato-convex, depressed, obtuse, margin broadly and for a long time involute, smooth, gluey, _zoneless_. =Flesh= pallid. =Stem= 2 in. and more long, about ¾ in. thick, somewhat equal, stuffed then _hollow_, even, smooth, of the same color as the pileus. =Gills= somewhat decurrent, arcuate, rather broad, 1½-2 lines and more; somewhat thin, crowded, somewhat branched, whitish at length of the same color as the pileus. =Milk= white, unchangeable. _Fries._

Taste _somewhat mild_. Stature that of L. deliciosus, _but more lax in texture and always pallid_. There is a variety with the pileus inclining to dingy-brown. _Stevenson._

Mixed woods. September to October.

=Spores= echinulate, almost round, 8µ _W.G.S._; 7–11µ _Cooke_; 9–10×7–8µ _Massee_.

North Carolina, _Schweinitz_, _Curtis_; Massachusetts, _Frost_; Minnesota, _Johnson_; Rhode Island, _Bennett_.

Edible. _Cooke._

=L. quie´tus= Fr.—calm, mild. =Pileus= 3 in. broad, fleshy, depressed, obtuse, margin deflexed, smooth, at first viscid, _somewhat cinnamon_, flesh-color, disk darker, _somewhat zoned_, soon dry, _somewhat silky_, opaque, _becoming pale_. =Flesh= white then reddish. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, ½ in. and more thick, stuffed, _spongy_, smooth, reddish, _at length beautifully rust-color_. =Gills= adnato-decurrent, somewhat forked at the base, 1½-2 lines broad, _white then soon brick-red_. =Milk= white, unchangeable, _sweet_. _Fries._

In woods. August to November. _Stevenson._

=Spores= echinulate, 8–10×6–7µ _Massee_; 10–12µ _Cooke_.

Nova Scotia, _Somers_; New York, _Peck_, Rep. 42.

Edible. _Cooke._ Eaten in France and held in estimation.

=L. theio´galus= Fr. _Gr_—brimstone; milk. =Pileus= 2–5 in. broad, fleshy, thin, convex, then depressed, even, _glabrous_, viscid, _tawny-reddish_. =Lamellæ= adnate or decurrent, close, pallid or reddish. =Stem= 1–3 in. long, 4–10 lines thick, stuffed or hollow, even, colored like the pileus. =Spores= _yellowish, inclining to pale flesh-color_, subglobose, 7.5–9µ. =Milk= white, _changing to sulphur-yellow_, taste tardily acrid, bitterish.

Woods and groves. Common. July to October.

Our plant does not fully accord with the description of the species as given by Fries. _Peck_, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

=Spores= subglobose, 7–8µ diameter _Massee_; subglobose, 7.5–9µ _Peck_.

West Virginia, 1881–1885; Mt. Gretna, Pa. July, 1897; New Jersey, common in mixed woods. July to frost. _McIlvaine._

L. theiogalus possesses all the good qualities of the hot milk species. While I ate it whenever I chose in West Virginia, I did not again eat it until 1897 at Mt. Gretna. There several partook of it and thought it rather coarse, but of good flavor. It requires long cooking.

=L. fuligino´sus= Fr.—_fuligo_, soot. =Pileus= 1–2.5 in. broad, firm, becoming soft, convex plane or slightly depressed, even, _dry_, zoneless, _dingy ash-color or buff-gray_, appearing as if covered with a dingy pruinosity, the margin sometimes wavy or lobed. =Gills= adnate or subdecurrent, subdistant, whitish then yellowish, becoming _stained with pink-red or salmon-color where wounded_. =Stem= 1–2 in. long, 3–5 lines thick, equal or slightly tapering downward, firm, stuffed, colored like the pileus. =Spores= globose, _yellowish_, 7.5–10µ. =Milk= white, taste tardily and sometimes slightly acrid.

Thin woods and open grassy places. Greenbush and Sandlake, N.Y. July and August. _Peck_, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

A form with the pileus colored like that of L. lignyotus, but with the gills much closer than in that species, was found in a swamp near Sevey. July. _Peck_, 43d Rep.

POISONOUS. _Barla and Reveil_, _Cordier_.

=L. fumo´sus= Pk. =Pileus= 1.5–2.5 in. broad, firm, convex, then expanded and slightly depressed in the center, smooth, dry, smoky-brown or sordid-white. =Gills= close, adnate or slightly rounded behind, white, then yellowish. =Stem= 3–5 lines thick, firm, short, smooth, stuffed, generally tapering downward. =Spores= distinctly echinulate, yellow, 6µ in diameter. =Flesh= and =Milk= white; taste at first mild, then acrid.

=Plant= 1.5–2 in. high.

Grassy ground in open woods. Greenbush. July.

The peculiar smoky hue of the pileus and yellow spores enable this species to be easily recognized. The flesh when wounded slowly changes to a dull pinkish-color. Related to L. fuliginosus. _Peck_, 24th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

** IMPOLITI. _Pileus downy, etc._

=L. ru´fus= Fr.—red. =Pileus= 2–4 in. broad, convex and centrally depressed, then funnel-shaped, generally with a small umbo, glabrous, sometimes slightly floccose or pubescent when young, especially on the margin, zoneless, _bay-red or brownish-red_, shining. =Gills= narrow or moderately broad, sometimes forked, close, subdecurrent, yellowish or reddish. =Stem= 2–4 in. long, 3–5 lines thick, nearly equal, firm, stuffed, paler than or colored like the pileus. =Spores= white, 7.6–10µ. =Milk= white, taste very acrid.

Low woods and swamps. North Elba. August. Rare.

The red Lactarius is known by its rather large size, dark-red pileus and intensely acrid taste. It has been found but once in our state. The flesh is pinkish and the stem sometimes pruinose. It is designated by authors as very poisonous and extremely poisonous. Cordier even says that worms never attack it. _Peck_, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Massachusetts, _Frost_; New York, _Peck_, Rep. 23, Rep. 38.

I have not recognized this species. It is given as markedly POISONOUS.

=L. glycios´mus= Fr. _Gr_—sweet; _Gr_—scent. =Pileus= ½-1½ in. broad, thin, convex nearly plane or depressed, often with a small umbo or papilla, _minutely squamulose_, ash-colored, grayish-brown or smoky-brown, sometimes tinged with pink, the margin even or slightly and distinctly striate. =Gills= narrow, close, adnate or decurrent, whitish or yellowish. =Stem= ½-1½ in. long, 1–3 lines thick, equal, glabrous or obsoletely pubescent, stuffed, rarely hollow, whitish or colored like the pileus. =Milk= white, taste acrid and unpleasant, sometimes bitterish, odor _aromatic_. _Peck_, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Smell agreeable, of melilot, as that of L. camphoratus.

=Spores= spheroid, echinulate, 6–8µ _K._; subglobose, size variable, 6–10µ _Massee_.

The American plant, so far as observed, does not have the red hues ascribed to the European.

Haddonfield, N.J., _T.J. Collins_; Scranton, Pa., _Dr. J.M. Phillips_; Chester county, Pa., September, 1887, on ground in woods, _McIlvaine_.

This small Lactarius was found on several occasions. Its odor is attractive, but its taste is not. Cooked it is of high flavor, but will not be liked by many.

=L. aqui´fluus= Pk.—watery. =Pileus= fragile, fleshy, convex or expanded, at length centrally depressed, dry, smooth, or sometimes appearing as if clothed with a minute appressed tomentum, reddish tan-colored, the decurved margin often flexuous. =Gills= rather narrow, close, whitish, becoming dull reddish yellow. =Stem= more or less elongated, equal or slightly tapering upward, colored like the pileus, smooth, hollow, the cavity irregular as if eroded. =Spores= subglobose, rough, 7.6µ. =Flesh= colored like the pileus. =Milk= sparse, watery.

=Plant= 3–8 in. high. =Pileus= 3–6 in. broad. =Stem= 5–10 lines thick.

Swamps and wet mossy places in woods. Sandlake and North Elba. August and September.

The relationship of this plant is with L. serifluus, to which it was formerly referred, but from which I am now satisfied it is distinct. The hollow stem is a constant character in our plant, and affords a ready mark of distinction. The plant, though large, is very fragile, and breaks easily. The taste is mild or but slightly acrid. Sometimes there is an obscure zonation on the pileus, which, in large specimens, is apt to be irregular and much worm-eaten. The milk looks like little drops of water when first issuing from a wound, but it becomes a little less clear on exposure to the atmosphere. The decided but agreeable odor of the dried specimens persists a long time. _Peck_, 28th Rep.

This plant is sometimes cespitose. The pileus when dry is tawny-gray and scaly or cracked scaly. The margin may be even or coarsely sulcate-striate. The flesh is grayish or reddish-gray. The color of the lamellæ varies from creamy-white to tawny-yellow. The stem often has a conspicuous white myceloid tomentum at its base. I have never found this plant with a white or milky juice, and therefore I am disposed to regard it not as a variety of L. helvus, but as a distinct species. Its mild taste and agreeable odor suggested a trial of its edible qualities. It is harmless, but the lack of flavor induces me to omit it from the list of edible species. _Peck_, 50th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Var. _brevis´simus_ Pk. Pileus 1–1.5 in. broad, grayish-buff. Gills crowded, adnate, yellowish or cream-color. Stem very short, 6–8 lines long.

Black mucky soil in roads in woods. Township 24, Franklin county. September.

Plant fragrant; sometimes cespitose. _Peck_, 51st Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Angora, West Philadelphia, in moist oak woods. August, 1897, Philadelphia Myc. Center.

Flesh rather hard when cooked, and insipid. Good as an absorbent or in emergency.

=L. lignyo´tus= Fr.—_lignum_, wood. =Pileus= 1–4 in. broad, broadly convex plane or slightly depressed, dry, with or without a small umbo, generally rugose-wrinkled, _dark-brown, appearing subpulverulent or as if suffused with a dingy pruinosity_, the margin sometimes crenately lobed and distinctly plicate. =Gills= moderately close or subdistant, adnate, white or yellowish, _slowly changing to pinkish-red or salmon color where wounded_. =Stem= 1–3 in. long, 2–6 lines thick, equal or abruptly narrowed at the apex, even, glabrous, stuffed, colored like the pileus, sometimes plicate at the top. =Milk= white, taste mild or tardily and slightly acrid.

Var. _tenu´ipes_. =Pileus= about 1 in. broad. =Stem= slender, 2–3 in. long and about 2 lines thick.

Wet or mossy ground in woods and swamps. Adirondack mountains and Sandlake. July and August. Not rare in hilly and mountainous districts. _Peck_, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

=Spores= globose, yellowish, 9–11.3µ _Peck_; pale ochraceous, subglobose, minutely echinulate, 9–10µ diameter _Massee_.

West Virginia mountains, 1881–1885; Eagle’s Mere; Mt. Gretna, Pa. Solitary and gregarious, moist woods and wooded places. July to September. _McIlvaine._

In my long experience with the plant I have not seen any change of color, save that, like the white milk of other species, it darkens slightly to a cream color. I have found it distinctly umbilicate and quite umbonate in the same patch.

L. lignyotus is one of the best of Lactarii and quite equal to L. volemus.

=L. corru´gis= Pk.—having wrinkles or folds. =Pileus= 3–5 in. broad, firm, convex, then nearly plane or centrally depressed, _rugose reticulated_, covered with a _velvety pruinosity or pubescence, dark reddish-brown or chestnut-color_, fading with age to tawny-brown. =Gills= close, dark cream-color or subcinnamon, _becoming paler_ when old, sordid or brownish where bruised or wounded. =Stem= 3–5 in. long, 6–12 lines thick, equal, solid, glabrous or merely pruinose, paler than but similar in color to the pileus. =Spores= subglobose, 10–13µ. =Milk= copious, white, taste mild.

Thin woods. Sandlake, Gansevoort and Brewerton, N.Y. August and September.

This curious Lactarius is related to L. volemus, from which it may be separated by its darker colors and its corrugated pileus. The flexuous reticulated rugæ present an appearance similar to that of the hymenium of a Merulius. The pileus is everywhere pruinose-pubescent and the gills bear numerous spine-like or acicular cystidia or spicules, 4–5µ long. These are so numerous on and near the edges of the gills that they give them a pubescent appearance. _Peck_, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

I found many at Mt. Gretna, Pa., up to 6½ in. in diameter. Flesh not so firm as L. volemus. Stem equal, rugulose, flattened in old specimens. Milk very slightly acrid.

Better in taste and quality than L. volemus.

=L. lute´olus= Pk.—yellowish. =Pileus= 2–3 in. broad, fleshy, rather thin, convex or nearly plane, commonly umbilicately depressed in the center and somewhat rugulose, pruinose or subglabrous, buff-color. =Flesh= white, taste mild. =Milk= copious, flowing easily, white or whitish. =Gills= close, nearly plane, adnate or slightly rounded behind, whitish, becoming brownish where wounded. =Stem= 1–1.5 in. long, 3–5 lines thick, short, equal or tapering downward, solid, but somewhat spongy within, colored like the pileus. =Spores= globose, 7.6µ broad.

Dry woods. East Milton, Mass. August. _H. Webster._

This species is related to Lactarius volemus and L. hygrophoroides, but its smaller size and short stem will distinguish it from the former and its close gills from the latter. Its paler buff-color will separate it from both. Some specimens have a narrow encircling furrow or depressed zone near the margin and a slightly darker shade of color on the margin. The milk constitutes a remarkable feature of the species. According to the notes of the collector it is exceedingly copious, rather sticky, serous in character with white particles in suspension. It flows from many points as soon as the plant is disturbed and it stains the gills. It is impossible to collect an unstained specimen, so free is the flow of the milk. He, Mr. Webster, says: “I have never succeeded in picking a specimen so quietly as to prevent an instant and copious flow of its milk.” Torrey Bull., Vol. 23, No. 10, 1896.

Angora, West Philadelphia, August, 1897. In oak woods. August, September. _McIlvaine._

Quite frequent there. My attention was directed to it by the “narrow encircling furrow or depressed zone near the margin.”

It is of like quality to L. volemus.

=L. Gerar´dii= Pk. =Pileus= 1.5–4 in. broad, broadly convex plane or slightly depressed, dry, generally rugose-wrinkled, with or without a small umbo or papilla, _dingy-brown_, the thin spreading margin sometimes flexuous lobed or irregular. =Gills= _distant_, adnate or decurrent, _white or whitish_, the interspaces generally uneven. =Stem= 1–2 in. long, 3–6 lines thick, subequal, stuffed or hollow, colored like the pileus. =Spores= globose, _white_, 9–11.3µ. =Milk= white, _unchangeable_, taste _mild_.

Woods and open places. Poughkeepsie, _W.R. Gerard_. Greenbush, Sandlake and Croghan, N.Y. July to September.

This Lactarius closely resembles the Sooty lactarius in color, but differs from it in its more distant gills, white spores and constantly mild taste. Wounds of the flesh and gills do not become pinkish-red as in that plant. From L. hygrophoroides its darker color, hollow stem and more globose rougher spores separate it. _Peck_, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

In the color of the pileus and stem this species is like the larger forms of L. fuliginosus. _Peck_, 26th Rep.

Edible. Boston Myc. Club Bull.

*** GLABRA´TI. _Pileus smooth._

=L. vole´mus= Fr.—_volema pira_, a kind of large pear. (Plate XLI, fig. 4, p. 160) =Pileus= 2–5 in. broad, firm, convex, nearly plane or centrally depressed, rarely funnel-shaped, sometimes with a small umbo, generally even, _glabrous_, dry, _golden-tawny or brownish-orange_, sometimes darker in the center, often becoming rimose-areolate. =Gills= _close_, adnate or subdecurrent, white or yellowish, becoming sordid or brownish where bruised or wounded. =Stem= 1–4 in. long, 4–10 lines thick, subequal, variable in length, firm, solid, glabrous or merely pruinose, colored like the pileus, sometimes a little paler. =Milk= _copious_, white, taste mild, flat.

Var. _subrugo´sus_. =Pileus= rugose-reticulated on the margin. _Peck_, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

=Spores= globose, white, 9–11.3µ _Peck_; 5–6µ diameter _Massee_.

Very delicious raw and celebrated from early times. _Fries._

Common over the United States, well known everywhere and distinguished for its edible qualities. It is crisp and unless carefully cooked is hard and granular. It should have long, slow cooking, though it may be roasted or fried.

(Plate XLII.)

=L. hygrophoroi´des= B. and C.—resembling Hygrophorus. =Pileus= 1–4 in. broad, firm, convex or nearly plane, umbilicate or slightly depressed, rarely funnel-shaped, glabrous or sometimes with a minute velvety pubescence or tomentum, dry, sometimes rugose-wrinkled and often becoming cracked in areas, _yellowish-tawny or brownish-orange_. =Gills= _distant_, adnate or subdecurrent, white or cream-color, the interspaces uneven or venose. =Stem= .5–1 in. long, 4–8 lines thick, short, equal or tapering downward, _solid_, glabrous or merely pruinose, colored like the pileus. =Spores= subglobose or broadly elliptical, _nearly smooth_, 9–11.3µ. =Milk= white, taste mild.

Grassy ground and borders of woods. Albany, Greenbush and Sandlake. July and August.

This plant has almost exactly the color of L. volemus, but differs from it in its distant gills, short stem, less copious milk and less globose spores. Its flesh is white, with a thickness about equal to the breadth of the gills. It is probably edible, but has not yet been tested. The typical L. hygrophoroides is described as having the pileus yellowish-red and pulverulent, and the gills luteous. It is also represented as a small plant; but our specimens, while not fully agreeing with this description, approach so closely to it in some of their forms that they doubtless belong to the same species. We have therefore extended the description so that it may include our plant. In wet weather the pileus sometimes becomes funnel-form by the elevation of the margin. _Peck_, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Mt. Gretna, Pa., 1897, grassy grounds and borders of woods. Mixed, moist woods and grassy borders. July to September. _McIlvaine._

=Pileus= up to 4 in. across. =Stem= 1–2½ in., tapering, equal or tapering downward. When growing in woods the stem is longer than when growing on borders.

Its edible qualities are excellent.

=L. mitis´simus= Fr.—_mitis_, mild. =Pileus= 1–3 in. broad, _golden-tawny_, zoneless, fleshy, thin, somewhat rigid, convex, _papillate_, depressed, papilla vanishing, even, smooth, somewhat slippery when moist. =Flesh= pallid. =Stem= elongated, 1–3 in. long, ⅓-½ in. thick, stuffed, then hollow, even, smooth, of the same color as the pileus. =Gills= adnato-decurrent, somewhat arcuate, then tense and straight, 1–1½ lines and more broad, thin, crowded, a little paler than the pileus, most frequently stained with minute red spots. =Milk= white, _mild_, plentiful.

Thin; very much allied to L. subdulcis, but distinguished by the _taste_ being _mild, then somewhat bitterish_, and especially by the _bright, golden-tawny, resplendent_ color of the pileus and stem. _Fries._

In mixed and pine woods. August to November. _Stevenson._

=Spores= 6–8×5–6µ _Massee_; 10µ _Cooke_; spheroid, echinulate, 6–7µ _C.B.P._

California, _H. and M._

Edible. _Cooke._ Eaten on the continent.

(Plate XLIII.)

=L. subdul´cis= Fr.—_sub_; _dulcis_, sweet. =Pileus= .5–2 in. broad, thin, convex, then plane or slightly funnel-shaped, with or without a small umbo or papilla, glabrous, even, zoneless, moist or dry, tawny-red, cinnamon-red or brownish-red, the margin sometimes wavy or flexuous. =Gills= rather narrow, thin, close, whitish, sometimes tinged with red. =Stem= 1–2.5 in. long, 1–3 lines thick, equal or slightly tapering upward, slender, glabrous, sometimes villous at the base, stuffed or hollow, paler than or colored like the pileus. =Spores= 7.6–9µ. =Milk= white, taste mild or tardily and slightly acrid, sometimes woody or bitterish and unpleasant. =Flesh= whitish, pinkish or reddish gray, odor _none_.

Fields, copses, woods, swamps and wet places. July to October. Very common.

This species grows in almost every variety of soil and locality. It may be found in showery weather on dry, rocky soil, on bare ground or among mosses or fallen leaves. In drier weather it is still plentiful in swamps and wet, shaded places, and in sphagnous marshes. It sometimes grows on decaying wood. It is also as variable as it is common. Gillet has described the following varieties:

Var. _cinnamo´meus_. =Pileus= cinnamon-red, sub-shining. =Stem= stuffed, then hollow; taste mild, becoming slightly acrid or bitter.

Var. _ru´fus_. =Pileus= dull chestnut-red; becoming more concave. =Stem= spongy; taste mild.

Var. _ba´dius_. =Pileus= bay-red, shining as if varnished, with an obtuse disk and an inflexed, elegantly crenulate margin. =Stem= very glabrous, hollow.

The first and second varieties have occurred within our limits. The first also has the stem elastic and furnished with a whitish or grayish tomentum or strigose villosity at the base, when growing among moss in swamps. A form occurred in Sandlake, in which some of the specimens were proliferous. The umbo had developed into a minute pileus. With us the prevailing color of the pileus is yellowish-red or cinnamon-red. Sometimes the color is almost the same as that of L. volemus and L. hygrophoroides, and again it is a tan-color or a bay-red, as in L. camphoratus, from which such specimens are scarcely separable, except by their lack of odor. In young plants the pileus usually has a moist appearance, which is sometimes retained in maturity. Cordier pronounces the species edible, and says that he has tested it several times without inconvenience. _Peck_, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

=Spores= 10µ _Cooke_; 7µ _W.G.S._

West Virginia mountains, 1881–1885; Pennsylvania, New Jersey, everywhere on moist ground. July to October. _McIlvaine._

Edible. _Curtis._

The description of Fries as enlarged and modified by Professor Peck, together with that of the varieties placed to the credit of the species by Gillet, are given above in full. The species with its ascribed varieties is common and well known. Var. _ba´dius_ occurs in West Virginia and Pennsylvania. They are all edible and vary but little in quality. L. subdulcis requires long cooking.

=L. muta´bilis= Pk.—changeable. =Pileus= 2–4 in. broad, thin, convex or nearly plane, zonate when moist, reddish-brown, the disk and zones darker, zoneless when dry, flesh colored like the pileus. =Milk= sparse, white, taste mild. =Gills= narrow, close, adnate, whitish, with a yellowish or cream-colored tint when old. =Stem= 1–2 in. long, 3–5 lines thick, equal or tapering upward, stuffed or spongy within, glabrous, colored like the pileus. =Spores= subglobose, rough, 7.6µ broad.

Low, damp places. Selkirk and Yaphank, N.Y. June and September.

The species is allied to L. subdulcis, from which the larger size and zonate pileus separate it. The zones disappear in the dry plant, and this change in the marking of the pileus suggests the specific name. They appear to be formed by concentric series of more or less confluent spots and are suggestive of such species as L. deliciosus and L. subpurpureus. _Peck_, 43d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

West Virginia, Pennsylvania. Solitary but frequent. In moist woods and margins of woods. June to October. _McIlvaine._

I have been familiar with and eaten this plant since 1882, but thought it might be a variety of L. deliciosus, with light-colored milk.

L. mutabilis is an excellent species, equal to any Lactarius.

=L. camphora´tus= Fr.—_camphor._ =Pileus= 1–2 in. across, _brown_-brick-red, _somewhat zoned, sometimes zoneless_, fleshy, thin, depressed, dry, smooth. =Stem= short, 1–2 in., stuffed, somewhat undulated, of the same color as the pileus. =Gills= adnate, crowded, _yellowish-brick-color_. =Milk= mild, white, odor agreeable, spicy. _Fries._

_Strong smelling._ So like L. subdulcis that it can be distinguished safely only by its odor of melilot when dried. _Stevenson._

=Pileus= .5–1.5 in. broad. =Stem= 1–2 in. long, 2–3 lines. _Peck_, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

=Spores= spherical, echinulate, 6–7µ _Q._; subglobose, 8–9µ _Massee_; 7.6–9µ _Peck_.

Taste and smell not of camphor, but of melilot.

North Carolina, _Curtis_; South Carolina, _Ravenel_; Wisconsin, _Bundy_; New York, _Peck_, Rep. 23, Mon. 38th Rep.

West Virginia, Pennsylvania, July to October, in moist places. Mixed woods, etc. _McIlvaine._

Edible. _Gillet._

Its mild taste distinguishes it at once from L. rufus.

It has high but pleasant flavor. If the flavor is too evident to suit some tastes, it is well to mix milder species with it.

FIG. PAGE. FIG. PAGE. 1. RUSSULA CYANOXANTHA, 198 5. RUSSULA ROSEIPES, 209 2. RUSSULA EMETICA, 201 6. RUSSULA VIRESCENS, 194 3. RUSSULA FLAVIDA, 197 7. RUSSULA PUELLARIS, 208 4. RUSSULA SORDIDA, 190

RUS´SULA Pers.

Reddish.

(Plate XLV.)

=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.

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_.)

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.