RUSSULA. 39 



•\ Pileus white or cream-colour at first ; becoming blackish, 

 or brownish-black with age. 



If Pileus clear yellow. 



ff f Pileus green or olive. 



ffff Pileus red of various shades, purple, brownish- 

 orange ; sometimes with more or less green intermixed. 



Sect. II. Taste Aciud. Always so from the first. 



* Gills yellow or ochraceous. 



f Pileus yellowish or ochraceous. 



If Pileus red or purplish. 



** Gills white or creamy- white; never with "a distinct 

 yellow or ochraceous tinge. 



f Pileus ochraceous or umber. 



f f Pileus red or purplish. 



Sect. I. TASTE MILD. 



* Gills ochraceous. 



Russula alutacea. Fr. 



Mild. Pileus 2-4: in. across, flesh rather thin, snow-white ; 

 campanulate then convex, at length expanded and somewhat 

 iimbilicate, even, with a distinct viscid pellicle, usually 

 deep blood-red, sometimes blackish-purple, but becoming 

 pale, especially at the disc ; gills at first free, thick, very 

 broad, connected by veins, all equal, rather distant, at first 

 pale yellow, then deep ochraceous, not pulverulent ; stem 

 solid, stout, equal, 2 in. long, even, white, often variegated 

 with red ; sometimes purple ; spores, 7-9 ^ ; taste mild. 



Bussula alutacea^ Fries, Epicr., p. 362 ; Cke., Hdbk., 

 p. 336; Cke., lUustr., pi. 1096 and 1097. 



In woods, especially beech. 



