CLASSIFICATION OF AGARICS 137 



Avhite. GILLS white, at first exuding drops of tcater^ soi-<li(l when 

 old or bruised, rather close, adnexed, few forked, interspaces venose, 

 shorter ones present. STEM 4-6 cm. long, 1-2.5 cm. thick, whitish, 

 short, stout, stuffed then cavernous. SPORES tohitc in mass, sub- 

 globose, T.5-1U niicr. CYSTIDIA numerous; subhymenium narrow, 

 not sharply differentiated. TASTE acrid. ODOK stronglu 

 amygdaline, hecomiyig foetid. 



Gregarious. In mixed Avoods in the north ; in oak, maple, etc., in 

 southern Michigan. July, August and September. 



The odor of the fresh young plant is like oil of bitter almonds or 

 cherry bark; wdien old or decaying it becomes quite disagreeable. 

 The margin of the young pileus is strongly incurved. Xot edible. 



Micro-chemical tests: G. (Flesh and gills quickly light blue, then 

 dark blue.) S V. (Gills slowly deep blue.) F S. (Cystidia coloreu 

 brow n. ) 



112. Russula pectinatoides Pk. 



N. Y. State Mus. Bull. 116, 1907. 

 Illustrations: Ibid, PL 105, Fig. 6-10. 



PILEUS 3-7 cm. broad, rather firm, becoming fragile, thin, convex, 

 then piano-depressed, viscid when moist, covered by a thin separable 

 pellicle, radiately rugose-striate on the margin, often halfway to 

 the center, or strongly tubercular -striate, dingy straw color, brown- 

 ish, yellowish-brown or umber-brown. FLESH w^hite, thin, becom- 

 ing fragile, slightly ashy under the cuticle, not changing. GILLS 

 whitish, close to subdistant, thin, distinct, equal, moderately broad, 

 broadest in front, narrowed behind, often stained or broken halfway 

 from stem, some forked at base. STEM 2-5 cm. long, .5 to 1 cm. 

 thick, white or dingy, subequal, glabrous, spongy-stuft'ed then hol- 

 low, even. SPORES whitish or creamy-white in mass, subglobose, 

 6-8 micr. diam. TASTE mild or slightly and tardily acrid. ODOR 

 not noticeable. 



Gregarious. Grassy places, lawns, groves and woods. Through- 

 out the state. July and August. 



Cooke's illustrations of R. jiectinata and R. consobrina var, 

 sororia remind one very much of this plant. Peck points out that 

 it differs from these by its mild taste, adnate gills and grayish 

 color under the cuticle. It is also close to R. foetentula, which 

 -sometimes lacks the odor. R. subfoetens Smith as known to Romell, 

 also reminded me of this species. The color of R. pectinatoides, the 



