EU3SULA. 39 



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

 or brownish-black with age. 



tf Pileus clear yellow. 

 tff Pileus green or olive. 



tfff Pileus red of various shades, purple, brownish- 

 orange ; sometimes with more or less green intermixed. 



Sect. II. TASTE ACRID. Always so from the first. 



* Gills yellow or oshraceous. 

 f Pileus yellowish or ochraceous. 

 ff Pileus red or purplish. 



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

 yellow or ochraceous tinge. 



f Pileus ochraceous or umber, 

 ff Pileus red or purplish. 



Sect. I. TASTE MILD. 



* Gills ochraceous. 



Russula alutacea. Fr. 



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

 eampanulate then convex, at length expanded and somewhat 

 umbilicate, 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 /x, ; taste mild. 



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

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



In woods, especially beech. 



