REPORT OF THE STATE BOTANIST I906 ^"J 



Hygrophorus aurantiacoluteus B. & C, H. 

 c o s s u s (Sow.) Fr. and H. penarius Fr. have been omitted, 

 the specimens formerly referred to these species being doubtful. 



NEW YORK SPECIES OF RUSSULA 

 Russula Pers. 



Veil none; hymenophorum descending unchanged into the vesi- 

 culose trama; lamellae rigid, fragile, without a milky juice, acute 

 on the edge; spores globose or subglobose, often echinulate or ver- 

 rucose, white or yellow. 



Fleshy putrescent terrestrial fungi. 



This genus is closely related to the genus Lactarius, from which 

 it is easily distinguished by the absence of a milky juice. Young 

 plants of some species have the lamellae, when in vigorous growing 

 condition, adorned with small drops of water, but no milky or 

 colored juice issues from wounds as in species of Lactarius. The 

 pileus is destitute of concentric zones, but in the genus Lactarius such 

 markings are frequent. The red colors which are so conspicuous 

 and common in this genus are rarely if ever seen in Lactarius. In 

 the flavor of the flesh there is great similarity. In both genera 

 many species have a mild or an agreeable flavor and miany 

 others have an acrid, hot or peppery taste. This disagreeable flavor 

 is generally destroyed in cooking so that nearly all the species that 

 have been tried have been found to be edible. 



The genus was divided by Fries into five tribes or subgenera, 

 but these are not sharply limited and are scarcely satisfactory. 

 Nevertheless we have attempted to group our species as nearly as 

 possible in accordance with them. Some species also are so clearly 

 related to each other that they are liable to be confused unless great 

 care and close observation are exercised. It is important to observe 

 the color of the pileus in both young and mature plants, the charac- 

 ter of its surface and its margin, the character and color of the 

 lamellae, the taste of the flesh and the color of the spores. Though 

 the species are numerous their general appearance and form are so 

 peculiar and so much alike that it soon becomes easy to recognize 

 the generic character even in an unknown species. 



KEY TO THE SUBGENERA 



Margin of the mature pileus even i 



Margin of the mature pileus striate 2 



I Lamellae unequal, not often forked Compactae 



