REPORT OF THE STATE BOTANIST 1905 



41 



are equally good to eat and equally unattractive in appearance. 

 Both are apparently equally acceptable to insect larvae and both 

 become black or nearly so in drying. 



Russula viridella n. sp. 



PALE GREEN RUSSULA 

 PLATE IOO, FIG. 1-7 



Pileus firm, subglobose, hemispheric or very convex, becoming 

 nearly plane or centrally depressed, sometimes nearly funnelform, 

 even on the margin, dry, soon minutely squamulose or furfuraceous, 

 specially toward the margin, pale grayish green, generally smooth 

 and paler or subochraceous in the center, flesh white, taste acrid; 

 lamellae thin, narrow, close, some of them forked, occasionally 

 anastomosing at the base, a few short ones intermingled, white; 

 stem equal or nearly so, even, solid or spongy within, white; 

 spores white tinged with yellow, globose or subglobose, .00024-. 0003 

 of an inch long, nearly as broad; cystidia subfusiform, .0025-. 003 

 of an inch long, .0006 broad. 



The pale green russula is related to the greenish russula, Rus- 

 sula virescens, and has nearly the same colors, but it may 

 be separated from the greenish russula by the minute squamules 

 or fragments of the epidermis of the cap, the thinner and closer 

 gills and by its acrid taste. When the cap is viewed in a certain 

 light it has a pruinose appearance. The white gills are closely 

 placed side by side and are sometimes connected with each other 

 by transverse branches near the base. The stem is nearly cylin- 

 dric, solid and white. It is very susceptible to the attacks of 

 insect larvae and is often found perforated by them even in young 

 plants. The acrid flavor of the fresh mushroom is destroyed by 

 cooking. 



The cap is 2.5-4 inches broad, the stem 2-3 inches long, and 5-8 

 lines thick. This species grows under hemlock trees and appears 

 in July. It is gregarious and Horicon is at present the only locality 

 where it has been found. It belongs to the section Rigidac. It is 

 a fine addition to our mycological flora and to our list of edible 

 mushrooms. 



Russula variata Banning 

 VARIABLE RUSSULA 

 PLATE IOI, FIG. I-5 



Pileus firm, convex becoming centrally depressed or somewhat 

 funnelform, viscid, even on the thin margin, reddish purple or 

 brownish purple often variegated with green, pea-green sometimes 



