CLASSIFICATION OF AGARICS 125 



This group is cioselj" related to the Piperites division of the genus 

 Lactarius. Some of the species, e. g. R. delica, are very similar to 

 L. vellerius, L. dcceptivus, etc., when the latter are dried out by the 

 wind or dry weather and then lack the milky juice. The Compactae 

 are a very natural group, easily distinguishable. 



99. Russula delica Fr. (Edible) 



Epicrisis, 1836-38. 



Illustrations : Cooke, 111., PL 1068. 



Gillet, Champignons de France, !Xo. 607. 

 Bresadola, Fung. Trid., Vol. 2, PL 201. 

 Ibid, Fung. maug. e. veL, PL Q'S. 

 Kickeu, Bliitterpilze, PL 15, Fig. 1. 

 Patouillard, Tab. Analyt., Xo. 514. 

 ^ Peck, N. Y. State Mus. Eep. 54, PL 71, Fig. 1-5 (as R. 



hrevipes Pk.j. 

 Ibid, N. Y. State Mus. Kep. 43, PL 2, Fig. 5-8 (as R. hrevipes 



Pk.). 



PILEUS 8-15 cm. broad, firm, convex-umbilicate then depressed 

 to infundibuliform, dull icliite, sometimes with rusty-brown stains, 

 unpolished, glabrous, pubescent or obscurely tomentose, even, dry, 

 margin at first involute not striate. FLESH compact, white or 

 whitish, not changing where bruised. GILLS subdecurrent, nar- 

 rowed behind, broader in the middle, suhdistant, or distant, thickish, 

 short and long alternating, few forked, white or tohitish, edge often 

 distinctly greenish. STEM 2-5 cm. long, 1.5-2 cm. thick, short, stout, 

 solid, equal or subequal or tapering down, white becoming dingy, 

 not turning hlackish when bruised, glabrous or subtomentose above, 

 often with a narrow pale-green zone at apex, SPORES globose, 

 9-10 (rarely 11 or 12) micr., tuberculate, white in mass. TASTE 

 mild to tardily but weakly acrid. ODOR none. 



Gregarious, in sandy soil. In maple, birch, oak and coniferous 

 woods throughout the state; most abundant along the Great Lakes 

 in conifer regions. -luly-October. Common locally. 



Var. hrevipes Pk. (=R. hrevipes Pk., X. Y'. State Mus. Rep. 43, 

 1890), has been found at New Richmond. The gills are crowded 

 and the pileus is smaller, 4-6 cm. broad. It was found in hard clay 

 soil, through which it pushed with difficulty. It is apparently an 

 ecological variety conditioned by dry weather and hard soil. It is 

 uncommon. 



