Agaricaceae 

 i 



Russuia. the West Virginia mountains, I began testing this Russula and soon 

 found that it was harmless. At least twenty persons ate it in quantity, 

 during its season, for four years. Yet, in my many published articles, I 

 continued, out of regard for the opinions of others and in excess of 

 caution, to warn against all bitter and peppery fungi. But from that 

 time until the present I have eaten it, and I have made special effort to 

 establish its innocence by getting numbers of my friendly helpers to eat it. 

 It was suggested by one of its prosecutors that perhaps I was mis- 

 taking another fungus for it. In October, 1898, I sent to Professor 

 Peck a lot of the Russula I was eating. He wrote: "It seems to be 

 R. emetica as you state. It certainly is hot enough for it." 



R. pectina'ta Fr. pccten, a comb. Pileus 3 in. broad, at first gluey, 

 toast-brown, then dry, becoming pale, tan, with the disk always darker, 

 fleshy, rigid, convex then flattened and depressed or concavo-infundi- 

 buliform (basin-shaped) ; margin thin, pectinato-sulcate (deeply ribbed), 

 here and there irregularly shaped. Flesh white, light yellowish under 

 the pellicle, which is not easily separable. Stem curt, 2 in. long, % I 

 in. thick, rigid, spongy-stuffed, longitudinally slightly striate, shining 

 white, often attenuated at the base. Gills attemiato-free behind, broader 

 toward the margin, somewhat crowded, equal, simple, white. 



Odor weak, but nauseous, approaching that of R. fcetens. Fries. 



Spores 8-9/n diameter Massee. 



New York, Peck, 43d Rep. West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey. 

 Common in woods, grassy, mossy places. July to frost. Mcllvaine. 



Named from the furrows of the margin being like the teeth of a comb. 



Both the appearance and smell of this Russula will detect it. The 

 peculiar comb-like furrows of its margin, viscid or varnished-looking 

 cap, and strong but more spicy smell than cherry-bark are noticeable. 



It is edible, but so strong in flavor that a piece of one will spoil a 

 dish if cooked with other kinds. 



R. ochroleu'ca Fr. Gr. pale yellow ; Gr. white. Pileus yellow, 

 becoming pale, fleshy, flattened or depressed, polished, with an adnate 

 pellicle, the spreading margin becoming even. Stem spongy, stuffed, 

 firm, slightly reticulato-wrinkled , white, becoming cinereous. Gills 

 rounded behind, united, broad, somewhat equal, white becoming pale. 



Odor obsolete, but pleasant. The pileus is never reddish. It agrees 



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