﻿30 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  nearly 
  hemispheric, 
  but 
  it 
  soon 
  becomes 
  convex 
  and 
  continues 
  to 
  

   expand 
  till 
  it 
  is 
  nearly 
  plane 
  or 
  centrally 
  depressed. 
  The 
  margin 
  

   is 
  even 
  when 
  young 
  and 
  generally 
  remains 
  so 
  in 
  maturity, 
  but 
  

   sometimes 
  it 
  becomes 
  radiately 
  striate. 
  The 
  surface 
  appears 
  to 
  

   the 
  naked 
  eye 
  to 
  be 
  pruinose 
  or 
  covered 
  with 
  a 
  bloom, 
  but 
  under 
  

   a 
  lens 
  it 
  is 
  seen 
  to 
  be 
  dusted 
  with 
  minute 
  particles 
  which, 
  under 
  

   the 
  action 
  of 
  water, 
  are 
  separable 
  and 
  give 
  reddish 
  stains 
  to 
  any 
  

   white 
  surface 
  against 
  which 
  the 
  moistened 
  cap 
  may 
  be 
  rubbed. 
  

   This 
  pruinosity 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  best 
  distinguishing 
  features 
  of 
  the 
  

   species. 
  A 
  little 
  boy 
  once 
  went 
  with 
  his 
  mother 
  to 
  look 
  for 
  mush- 
  

   rooms. 
  They 
  came 
  on 
  a 
  group 
  of 
  Mary's 
  russula 
  and 
  the 
  little 
  

   boy, 
  noticing 
  the 
  bloom 
  on 
  the 
  caps 
  and 
  recognizing 
  in 
  it 
  a 
  

   resemblance 
  to 
  the 
  bloom 
  of 
  plums, 
  cried 
  out 
  in 
  childish 
  glee 
  

   " 
  plummies, 
  plummies." 
  He 
  was 
  evidently 
  a 
  close 
  and 
  thoughtful 
  

   observer 
  and 
  could 
  distinguish 
  at 
  sight 
  this 
  russula 
  from 
  all 
  

   others. 
  The 
  flesh 
  of 
  the 
  cap 
  is 
  white, 
  but 
  has 
  a 
  pinkish 
  tint 
  

   immediately 
  beneath 
  the 
  cuticle 
  which 
  is 
  separable 
  on 
  the 
  margin 
  

   but 
  adnate 
  in 
  the 
  center 
  of 
  the 
  cap. 
  The 
  taste 
  is 
  mild, 
  but 
  occa- 
  

   sionally 
  a 
  specimen 
  may 
  be 
  found 
  in 
  which 
  it 
  is 
  slightly 
  and 
  

   tardily 
  acrid. 
  The 
  color 
  varies 
  from 
  deep 
  crimson 
  to 
  purple. 
  

   The 
  center 
  is 
  sometimes 
  more 
  highly 
  colored 
  than 
  the 
  margin 
  

   and 
  in 
  the 
  purple 
  specimens 
  the 
  margin 
  in 
  old 
  plants 
  is 
  apt 
  to 
  

   fade 
  to 
  a 
  whitish 
  color 
  and 
  to 
  become 
  striate. 
  The 
  gills 
  are 
  white 
  

   when 
  young 
  but 
  with 
  advancing 
  age 
  they 
  become 
  yellowish. 
  They 
  

   are 
  nearly 
  all 
  of 
  full 
  length 
  and 
  are 
  therefore 
  wider 
  apart 
  at 
  the 
  

   margin 
  of 
  the 
  cap 
  than 
  at 
  the 
  stem. 
  A 
  few 
  are 
  forked 
  at 
  the 
  

   base 
  and 
  the 
  interspaces 
  are 
  veiny. 
  The 
  stem 
  is 
  generally 
  cylin- 
  

   dric 
  but 
  occasionally 
  tapering 
  downward 
  or 
  pointed 
  at 
  the 
  base. 
  

   It 
  appears 
  to 
  the 
  naked 
  eye 
  to 
  be 
  smooth 
  but 
  under 
  a 
  lens 
  it 
  is 
  

   slightly 
  pulverulent. 
  It 
  is 
  solid 
  or 
  slightly 
  spongy 
  and 
  white 
  

   within 
  and 
  colored 
  like 
  or 
  a 
  little 
  paler 
  than 
  the 
  cap 
  externally 
  

   except 
  at 
  the 
  ends 
  where 
  it 
  is 
  white. 
  Forms 
  occasionally 
  occur 
  

   in 
  which 
  the 
  stem 
  is 
  entirely 
  white. 
  

  

  The 
  cap 
  is 
  1-3 
  inches 
  broad 
  ; 
  the 
  stem 
  1-2 
  inches 
  long, 
  3-5 
  lines 
  

   thick. 
  It 
  grows 
  both 
  in 
  woods 
  and 
  in 
  open 
  grassy 
  places 
  and 
  is 
  

   found 
  in 
  July 
  and 
  August. 
  It 
  is 
  not 
  as 
  highly 
  flavored 
  as 
  some 
  

  

  