Order Hymenomycetes.^ Tribe Pileati.'^ 



Plate XV. 



AGARICUS RUFUS, >%oi; 



Rufous Milky Ayaric. 



Series Leucosporus.* Sub-genus Galoerheus.* 



Oen. Clutr. Galoreheus. Veil none. Stem naked, firm, subequal, diiFused into the pileus. Pileus fleshy, 

 firm, piano-depressed, umbilicate, margin even, when young involute. Gills unequal, often forked, narrow, attenuated 

 behind, adnato-decurrent. The whole plant abounding in a milky juice. Spores white (buff in A.fuUginostis). 

 Large or middle-sized, persistent, frequently acrid fungi, growing on the ground. 



Spec. Cliar. A. kufl's. Pileus from two to four inches broad, at first more or less umbonate, with a depression 

 round the umbo, the margin waved, slightly tm-ued in, afterwards expanded and piano-depressed or infmidibuliform. 

 Dry, adpresso-tomentose, zoneless, dull, uniform bay-red, fleshy, fii-m ; milk white, intensely acrid, not changing. 

 Gills at fii-st pale, then salmon-buff, deeurrent, narrow, here and there forked. Stem from two to three inches high, 

 half an inch thick, nearly equal, but contracted at the base so as to be seldom quite perpendicular, extremely fii-m 

 and elastic, rufescent, stuffed, in age partly hollow, the base downy. In the pine woods of Germany, one of the 

 commonest Agarics. Fries considers A. hehus the same plant, affected by a different soil, and gives the following 

 characteristics. " Pileus fleshy, soft to the touch, piano-depressed, dry, sUky-squamulose, zoneless, pallid brick-red ; 

 stem stuffed, then hollow, pubescent ; gills fine, thick together, ochry white, milk scanty, white, acrid ; the pileus 

 often cracking, pale and coarse, and the milk watery when growing in marshy places." 

 Agaricus rufus, ScopvU, Fries, Berkeley. 



■ — - ruber, Persoo/i. 



helvus, Fries. 



Hah. In sandy peat under Seotcli Fnies. keston, Kent ; late autumn. In Hampshire in a similar site. 



" The section Lackirlm of Eries, Lactlfluus of Persoon, is perhaps the most naturally formed class of 

 Agarics ; all that are included in it, beside the milky fluid they contain, possess similar characteristics and 

 an almost uniform habit ; yet this uniformity of appearance, makes the determination of species extremely 

 difficult, which, considering tlieir different peculiarities, renders these Funguses not exempt from danger ; to 

 this may be added the differences of oj)imon prevailing even among mycologists, with regard to the properties 

 of those individuals, wliich are commonly esteemed among the most innocent ". Tliis opinion of Vittadini, 

 does not encom-age us in forming the acquaiutance of the class Lactariiis ; but difficulty is a stimulus to 

 some dispositions, and at any rate if it frighten the student, should induce the teacher to take greater pains. 



There is little fear of English folk committing any rashness in respect to Funguses as an article of food, 

 but it will assist discrimination if the decidedly dangerous are known as weU as the decidedly safe ; besides, 



' From vix!]v, a membrane, and ^ivkt^s, a fungus. ^ Yrom piletis, a caj}. 



XevKos, white, and (nvopos, a seed. ■* From yoKa, milk, and p/a, to Jhno. 



3 From XevKos, 



