Murrill: Illustrations of Fungi 



161 



covered with evanescent, greenish sHme ; flesh white, very thin ; 

 gills adnate-decurrent, thick, broad, ventricose, yellow, tinged with 

 green ; spores ellipsoid, hyaline, 7-8 X 5-6 /x ; stem cylindric, sub- 

 equal, tough, viscid, concolorous, 2.5-4 X 0-3-04 cm. 



This very striking species occurs rather rarely in pastures and 

 open woods in the eastern United States from New England to 

 North Carolina, and also in Europe. Its brilliant colors and the 

 greenish slime which envelops it make it conspicuous and easily 

 recognized. Dried specimens fade to pale-orange or yellow. 



Hygrophorus puniceus Fries 

 Red Hygrophorus 



Plate 27. Figure 5. X | 



Pileus fragile, conic to subexpanded, obtuse or slightly de- 

 pressed, 3-10 cm. broad; surface glabrous, viscid, not striate, 

 scarlet, fading out with age, especially at the center; flesh white, 

 tinged with red beneath the cuticle, mild and edible ; gills slightly 

 adnexed, broad, thick, distant, yellow, often becoming reddish ; 

 spores ellipsoid, hyaline, 8-10 X 4-5 a^; stem stout, subequal, 

 glabrous, slightly striate, concolorous or paler, white at the base, 

 hollow, 5-8 X 1-2 cm. 



This is our largest red species of the genus. It occurs spar- 

 ingly in moist woods in New York and New England, as well 

 as in Europe, and has also been reported from Ohio and Cali- 

 fornia. It is edible and very tender, although too rare to be con- 

 sidered for food. 



Hygrophorus nitidus Berk. & Curt. 



Shining Hygrophorus 



Plate 27. Figure 6. X | 



Pileus thin, fragile, convex, umbilicate, 1-2.5 cm. broad; sur- 

 face viscid, striatulate on the margin when moist, pale-yellow, 

 whitish when dry ; flesh thin, pale-yellow ; gills arcuate-decurrent, 

 distant, interveined, pale-yellow ; spores broadly ellipsoid, hyaline, 



6- 8X5-6/*; stem slender, fragile, viscid, concolorous, hollow, 



7- 10 X 0.2-0.4 cm. 



This small, yellow species occurs in groups or clusters in wet 

 places during late summer. Although edible, it is too small to 



