REPOR I ON EDIBLE I UNG1 I 895 99 i.pi 



Hygrophorus puniceus Fr. 

 Red Hygrophorus 



plate 52, fig. r-y 



Pileus thin, fragile, conical or campanulate, becoming expanded and 

 otteri wavy or lobed, glabrous, viscid, bright red, paler when old; lamellae 

 broad, thick, distant, yellow, often reddish; stem equal or somewhat ventri- 

 cose, hollow, yellow or red and yellow, usually white at the base; spores 

 elliptic, .0003 to .0004 of an inch long, .0002 broad. 



The red hygrophorus is a rather large but very tender, fragile species. 

 Its bright red cap makes it a beautiful and conspicuous object. It is. how- 

 ever, often irregular and lobed or split on the margin. Its color is apt to 

 fade to yellow when old. The whole plant is so fragile that it must be 

 handled with care to prevent its breaking in pieces. 



The gills are rather broad and moderately distant from each other. 

 Their color is yellow or reel and yellow and their attachment to the stem 

 slight. The stem is rather thick and sometimes narrowed toward each end. 

 It is hollow, at least when mature, and is usually yellow at the top, red in 

 the middle and white at the base. The cap is 1 to 3 inches broad ; stem J 

 to 3 inches long, 4 to 6 lines thick. 



It grows in damp or mossy places both in woods and open grounds 

 and appears from ful'y to September. It surpasses our other bright red 

 species in size. It max be separated from the carmine hygrophorus, H. 

 cocci neus, by its larger size, the narrow attachment of the gills to the 

 stem ami the white color of the base of the stem. From the vermilion 

 hygrophorus, H. m i n iatus, it is distinguished by its glabrous, viscid cap. 

 All of these species are edible, and no harm would come to the eater if one 

 should be mistaken for either of the others. The red hygrophorus is very 

 tender and sapid and may be classed as an excellent though not an abundant 

 mushroom. 



