PLATE VI. 



EDIBLE RUSSULAS. 



2. Russula heterophylla. 



Russula virescens. 

 Russula lepida. 



5. I^ussula alutacea. 



DESCRIPTION. PiLEUs. Many colored; white, drab, green, purple or bright red; cuticle very thin, peeling from the 



edge, adherent toward the centre; bell-shaped, at first compressing the gills, then expanded, until finally the centre 



of the cap becomes depressed or concave. 

 GiLiiS. Generally pure white, sometimes creamy or buff; nearly or quite equal in length, rigid, brittle, breaking into unequal 



segments if pressed. 

 Stem. Stout, solid or stuffed; in substance the same as the flesh of the cap, often tapering quite abruptly to a point at the 



base. 

 VoLVA, ring, and veil all entirely absent at every age of the plant. 

 Spores. White. Taste, excellent raw, like nuts; odor none. 

 Grows in woods, woody paths or clearings; often found gnawed by squirrels or other animals. 



TO COOK. Remove the skin as far as it peels easily, and wash the centre of the cap clean; then place on a gridiron 

 and let them heat through; butter plentifully, aud salt and pepper to the taste, then place them in a hot dish in the oven, and 

 after broiling a beefsteak or chicken put it thereon that the gravy may run out and be absorbed by the mushrooms. 



N. B. The noxious members of this family resemble the esculent so closely that, to the amateur, tasting each one as gath- 

 ered is the only guide; the hurtful ones being always hot and acrid. Equal gills, extreme brittleness, and dry, firm texture are 

 characteristic of the whole Russula family. 



