MICHIGAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 89 



The large size, globose young pileus, orange-red color and the changing 

 flesh easily distinguish itf R. depaUens Fr. in which the flesh turns ashy, 

 has not with certainty been found. It is said to have whitish gills, and the 

 color of the pileus is dirty red to fawn. R. decolorans apjjears to prefer the 

 regions of the pine and fir, both in this country and in Europe. 



55. RussuLA OBSCURA Romell. 

 (The ashy-stemmed red Russula.) 



Pileus 5-7 cm. broad, rather pliant, convex then ]3lanp-depressed, dull, 

 dork blood-red, pileus sometimes blackish on disk, thin, the pellicle continuous 

 and separable, hardly viscid when moist, subpruinose when dry, even or 

 slightly striate in age. Flesh whitish, becoming ashy. Gills white at 

 first, then dingy straw-color, moderately broad, narrowly adnate, close, 

 mostly forked at base, ec^ual, interspaces sometimes venose. Stem w'hite, 

 becoming ashy or blackish, rarely tinged red, subeciual^ 4-6 cm. long, 10-15 

 mm. thick, spongy-stufi'ed, rigid, soon soft, obscurely wTinkled. Spores 

 pale ochraceous in mass. Taste mild. Odor none. 



Gregarious or scattered, in iow^ woods of southern Michigan. July and 

 Aug. It is found frequently around Stockholm. The examples pointed 

 out by Romell did not seem to possess such a 1:)lackish stem as some of 

 ours. "^ This species does not remind me of R. decolorans, being a more 

 slencler and smaller plant. It might be confused with R. nigrescentipes, Pk., 

 but that species is said to have w^hite spores. Russula depaUens Fr. seems 

 to be close to it, except that it is said to be a firm plant belonging to the 

 Rigid AE group. 



56. Russula aurata Fr. 



(The golden Russula.) 



Pileus 5-8 cm. broad, at first convex-expanded, then more or less de- 

 pressed in the centre, somewhat viscid or shining, the margin at length striate, 

 daffodil-yellow or orange more or less mixed with pur]jle, scarlet or brown, 

 the yellow usually dominant on the disk, altho the red and yellow may ex- 

 change places, with an adnate, thin peflicle. Gills daffodil-yellow on the 

 edge, white or pale yellow on the side, broad, shining, eciual and free. Stem 

 white, tinged yellow% slightly striate, somewhat shining, cylindrical or slightly 

 thickened at the base, 3-6 cm. long. Spores pale yellow, globose, echinulate, 

 Taste at first mild then slowdy and slightly acrid. Flesh spongy, white or 

 whitish, yellow under the pellicle. 



Summer and autumn. 



This is a very distinct- species, not easily forgotten when once seen; its 

 •/ivid orange-red pileus is as striking among the Russulas, as is that of Amanita 

 muscuria among our Amanitas. The edge of the gills is marked by a bright 

 yellow which pervades the wdiole surface of the plant. It has not been re- 

 ported in Michigan, but it is to be expected that some one will soon report it. 

 It is a frecjuent Russula in Sweden under pines, and has been found in Penn- 

 sylvania and West Virginia by Mcllvaine under pines. White reports it 

 from Connecticut, while Peck has apparently not }-et seen it in New York. 



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