WHITE-SPORED AGARICS. 



71 



U. herbarium) collected at Blowing Rock, N. C., September, 1899. 

 The plant is said to be one of the best esculents, and has been prized 

 as an article of food from 

 ancient times. Great cau- 

 tion should be used in dis- 

 tinguishing it from the fly 

 agaric and from other ama- 

 nitas. 



Amanita rubescens Fr. 

 Edible, but use great cau- 

 tion. The reddish amanita, 

 Amanita rubescens, is so 

 called because of the sordid 

 reddish color diffused over 

 the entire plant, and espec- 

 ially because bruised por- 

 tions quickly change to a 

 reddish color. The plant 

 is often quite large, from 

 12-20 cm. high, the cap 

 8-12 cm. broad and the 

 stem 8-12 mm. in thick- 

 ness, but it is sometimes 

 much smaller. It occurs 

 during the latter part of 

 the summer and in early 

 autumn, in woods and open 

 places. 



The pileus is oval to 

 convex, and becoming ex- 

 panded when old. It is 

 smooth or faintly striate on 

 the margin, and covered 

 with numerous scattered, 

 thin, tloccose, grayish 

 scales, forming remnants of 

 the larger part of the volva 

 or outer veil. The color of 

 the cap varies correspond- 

 ingly, but is always tinged more or less distinctly with pink, 

 red, or brownish red hues. The gills are white or whitish and 

 free from the stem. The stem is nearly cylindrical, tapering some 



FIGURE 73. Amanita rubescens. Plant partly expanded. 

 Dull reddish brown, stains reddish where bruised; for 

 other details see text (natural size). Copyright. 



