CLASSIFICATION OF AGARICS 131 



105. Russula virescens Fr. (Edible) 



Epicrisis, 1836-38. 



.Illustrations: Cooke, 111., PI. 1039. 



Gillet, ChampigTions de France, No. 639. 



Bresadola, Fungh. mang. e. vel., PL 69. 



Michael, Fiihrer f. Pilzfrennde, Vol. II, No. 62. 



Atkinson, Mushrooms, PI. 36, Fig. 1, 1900. 



Marshall, Mushroom Book, PL 18, p. 69 (poor). 



Gibson, Edible Toadstools and Mushrooms, PI. 11, p. 126, 



1903. 

 Peck, N. Y. State Mus. Hep. 48, PL 31, 1896. 

 Hard, Mushrooms, Fig. 150, p. 189, 1908. 

 Mcllvaine, Amer. Fungi., PL 41, Fig. 6, p. 184, 1900. 



PILEUS 5-12 cm. broad, at the very first globose, soon convex and 

 expanded, often somewhat depressed on disk, firm, dry, as if velvety, 

 the surface (especially the disk) broken into many floccose or pul- 

 verulent areas or patches, green or grayish green, the margin not 

 striate or rarely so, cuticle scarcely distinguishable or separable. 

 FLESH white. GILLS white, rather close, narrowed toward the 

 stem, almost or entirely free, few shorter or forked. STEM 3-7 cm. 

 long, 1-2 cm. thick, white, firm, equal or subequal, solid or spongy. 

 SPORES white, subglobose, 6-8 micr. CYSTIDIA none. No differ- 

 entiated subhymenium. TASTE mild. ODOR none. 



Oak and maple or mixed woods, probably throughout the state. 

 Occasional. July and August. 



Under this name was included in this country, for a time, 

 a more common form with viscid striate cap which has been 

 segregated by Peck under the name of R. crustosa. The two seem to 

 run into each other at times, but Peck distinguishes the pileus of 

 R. crustosa "by its smooth, not wartj^ center, its paler color and 

 usually striate margin." The latter is also distinctly viscid when 

 young but this depends considerably on the weather conditions. 

 R. virescens might be confused with green specimens of R. variata 

 whose surface is sometimes areolate, but the gills of R. virescens 

 are not as pure white, are not decurrent nor much forked, and the 

 taste is mild. 



Microchemical tests: G. (Flesh and gills slowly bright blue.) 

 F S. (No effect.) S V. (No' effect.) 



