A CATALOGUE OP BRITISH POISONOUS FUNGI. 177 



Section. Flesh, pale reddish buff, firm, slight. Stem stuffed, 

 then hollow below. Milk white, unchanging. Gills salmon-buff, 

 crowded, unequal, sub-furcate, adnato-decuiTent. Odour slight. 

 Taste intensely caustic. Spores buff. 



06s. It is incontestably the most dangerous species of tlie genus, and has 

 been the cause of many fataUties. See chapter ix. Its poison is a terrible 

 caustic irritant, and a very small portion of one individual is enough to induce 

 symptoms. No doubt the likeness of several other species to this one has 

 caused them to be regarded as equally bad ; Lact. torminosus, in particular, has 

 shared the ill-fame and name of the Slayer. I would recommend fungus-eaters 

 to carefully avoid this evil mushroom. — W. D. H. 



(XXXIII.) LACTARIUS VELLEEEUS ; The Woolly White 

 Lac tar. 



Habitat. In woods. In twos and threes. 



Season. August to November. Common. 



Pileus. Four to seven inches across, white, thickly and finely 

 flocculose or tomentose ; convex, then plane, at length infundi- 

 buliform, firm. Max'gin incurved. 



Stem. One to three inches high, white, very stout, firm, blunt, 

 tomentose, larger above, naked. 



Section. Flesh white, thick, compact. Stem solid. Milk 

 scanty, white, yellowing. Gills pallid, ochrey at length, reddening 

 where bruised, narrow, distant, venate, furcate, arcuate, decurrent. 

 Odour slight, repelling. Taste acrid. Spores white. 



Ohs. There is no doubt this species is poisonous, though in what degree can- 

 not be stated. Yet Leveille and Barla both report it edible ; but that means 

 after due preparation. It is irritant. — W. D. H. 



Genus MARASMIUS. 



(XXXIV.) MARASMIUS PERONATUS ; The Hairy-foot. 

 (PL IV. fig. 5.) 



Habitat. AmonsT leaves in woods and odd corners. In clusters. 



Season. August to October. Pretty common. 



Fileus. One to two inches across, clay-yellow, or reddish-tan, 

 pale and shrivelled in drought or age, minutely silky ; campanu- 

 late, then convex, expanded, broadly umbonate, even. 



Stem. Two to three inches high, tint of pileus, slender, cylin- 

 drical, silky above, naked. Base enlarged, villose, strigose. 



Section. Flesh white, membranaceous. Stem fibrous, hollow 



N 



