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.