90 
Mycologia 
globose. This change has been observed in some other species. 
With the spores of the fresh plants alike, the most valid grounds 
of separation seem to be removed. I believe it to be the American 
expression of A. pantherina Fries, though in this conclusion all 
will doubtless not agree. 
If we have not yet arrived at an agreement in regard to the 
species of Amanita, it is not strange that some of our larger and 
more difficult genera are still more or less confused. The species 
of Russula are so numerous and so difficult of determination that 
it will be some time before they are all unraveled. At Asheville, 
this genus is represented by a large number of species. A few of 
these are of special interest and four of them are discussed here 
as a slight contribution to the study of this perplexing group. 
Russula soualida Peck 
This species seems as yet not well understood in the United 
States. At Asheville, it is extremely variable. Peck describes 
it as dark-purple, often blackish at the disk. The forms here 
are so variable in color that they might easily be referred to 
different species. One form is pale-olive, with the margin almost 
white, one is a beautiful bright-purple, which approaches laven- 
der, and another closely agrees with Peck’s description. It is, 
however, so marked by such strong characters that it is easy 
to recognize it in all its disguises. The strong odor, which be- 
comes very pronounced and disagreeable as it dries, distinguishes 
it at once. The stipe also quickly becomes yellow if it is lightly 
4craped, and then dark-colored. The fact that the lamellae dis- 
color in drying assists materially in identifying dried specimens. 
It seems, however, to have been overlooked that this is a com- 
paratively well known European species. Romell, in his careful 
study of the Swedish species of Russula, distinguishes it, and it 
was described from his notes as R. graveolens. One who had 
seen Romell’s plant under his guidance could not fail to recognize 
it at once as our own R. squalida. It has every characteristic of 
our American plant. In colors, it agrees well with Peck’s descrip- 
tion. Maire in his latest work considers it R. xerampelina Fr., 
in part. 
