Denniston—Russulas of Madison and Vicinity. 73 
ocher, that the unaided eye will scarcely distinguish it. In not¬ 
ing the condition of the gills, it is well where possible, to examine 
a portion under the microscope, for it is frequently found that 
the spores are tardy in developing, and until they are fully de¬ 
veloped, the gills remain perfectly white. In some species the 
spores cause the gills to have a powdered or dusty appearance. 
Probably most of our commoner Russulas are edible, although 
this is a point which needs further investigation. They are 
looked upon with suspicion by many people and this is no doubt 
because of the bright colors and the peppery taste of a number 
of species. According to Mcllvane, all of the Russulas are edi¬ 
ble, at least none of them are poisonous. He admits, however, 
That a number of them are extremely unpleasant in odor and 
taste. 
The species in which the question of edibility is most debated 
is probably R. emptied, a small form with a red cap, white gills 
and a peppery taste. Mcllvane claims to have eaten it in quan¬ 
tities with no unpleasant results. 
Miller says it is much eaten in Indiana and Illinois. Steven¬ 
son, on the other hand, says that it acts as an emetic and Peck 
gives it as deleterious. 
It is possible that the fungus varies in its effect on the human 
system but it is also possible that Mcllvane and others have mis¬ 
taken other closely allied species for R. emetica. 
It is probable that our two commonest species R. alutacea and 
re. integra are perfectly edible, since there is nothing unpleasant 
in their flavor when raw, and no adverse reports against them. 
The genus is a favorable one on which to experiment, for the 
worst that can be said against any of them is that they act as 
an emetic. 
Special emphasis should be placed on the following features 
to be recorded in field notes from the study of fresh specimens 
of Russula. 
General : All characteristics shall be given from fungi of 
different ages, and under different conditions of growth. 
