Agaricaceae 



Kussuia. Frequent. July to October, in mixed woods. 



A common and variable species in size and color, but the cap is 

 always some shade of rose-red or lake. The flesh is compact and 

 cheesy. The gills sometimes edged with pink as they near the margin. 

 Taste mild. 



The crisp flesh of R. lepida requires forty minutes' slow stewing, if 

 stewed. It yields a delicate pink shade to the dish. Roasted or cooked 

 in a hot buttered pan it is excellent. 



R. ru'bra Fr. ruber, red. Pileus unicolorous, a cinnabar-ver- 

 milion, but becoming pale (tan) when old, disk commonly darker, com- 

 pact, hard but fragile, convex, then flattened, here and there depressed, 

 absolutely dry, without a pellicle, but becoming polished-even, often sinu- 

 ously cracked when old, margin spreading, obtuse, even, always per- 

 sistent. Flesh white, reddish under the cuticle. Stem 2-3 in. long, 

 about I in. thick, solid, even, varying white and red. Gills obtusely 

 adnate, somewhat crowded, whitish, then yellowish, with dimidiate and 

 forked ones intermixed. 



Very acrid, very hard and rigid, most distinct from all the others of 

 this group in the pileus becoming polished-even, although without a pel- 

 licle, in the flesh being somewhat clotted, and in the very acrid taste. 

 Gills often red at the edge. Fries. 



Spores whitish, Fries; spheroid, 8-io/u. K. 



Krapp says he has experienced grave inconveniences from eating it. 

 European authorities mark "poisonous." 



I do not hesitate to cook it either by itself or with other Russulse and 

 serve it at my table. It is easier cooked than R. virescens and others 

 of the crisp species, and has equal flavor. 



R. Linnse'i Fr. in honor of Linnaeus. Pileus 3-4 in. broad, uni- 

 colorous, dark purple, blood-red or bright rose, opaque, not becoming 

 pale, everywhere fleshy, rigid, piano-depressed, sometimes spread up- 

 ward, even, smooth, dry, without a separable pellicle, margin spreading, 

 obtuse, without striae. Flesh thick, spongy-compact, white. Stem I % 

 in. and more long, I in. and more thick, stout, firm, but spongy-soft 

 within, somewhat ventricose, obsoletely retictdated with fibers, intensely 

 blood-red. Gills adnate, somewhat decurrent, rather thick, not crowded, 

 broad (more than % in.), fragile, sparingly connected by veins, white, 



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