It is mild and sweet when raw. It
is found in thin woods and in wood margins, sometimes under trees in
pastures, from August to October.

_Russula virescens. Fr._

THE GREEN RUSSULA. EDIBLE.

[Illustration: Figure 150.--Russula virescens. Two-thirds natural size.
Caps pale-green. Gills white.]

Virescens, being green. The Pileus is grayish-green; at first globose,
then expanded, convex, at last depressed at the center; firm, adorned
with flaky greenish or yellow patches, produced by the cracking of the
skin; two to four inches broad, margin striate, often white.

The gills are white, moderately close, free or nearly so, narrow as they
approach the stem, some being forked, others not; very brittle, breaking
to pieces at the slightest touch.

The stem is shorter than the diameter of the cap, smooth, white, and
solid or spongy. The spores are white, rough, and nearly globose.

This plant is especially sweet and nutty to the taste when young and
unwilted. All Russulas should be eaten when fresh. I have found the
plant over the state quite generally. It is a prime favorite with the
squirrels. You will often find them half eaten by these little nibblers.
Found in open woods from July to September. It is one of the best
mushrooms to eat and one that is very easily identified. It is quite
common about Chillicothe, Ohio. Its mouldy color is not as prepossessing
as the brighter hues of many far less delicious fungi, but it stands the
test of use.

_Russula variata. Ban._

VARIABLE RUSSULA. EDIBLE.

Pileus is firm, convex becoming centrally depressed or somewhat
funnel-form, viscid, even on the thin margin, reddish-purple, often
variegated with green, pea-green sometimes varied with purple, flesh
white, taste acrid or tardily acrid.

The gills are thin, narrow, close, often forked, tapering toward each
end, adnate or slightly decurrent, white.

The stem is equal or nearly so, solid, sometimes cavernous, white. The
spores are white, subglobose, .0003 to .0004 of an inch long, .0003
broad. _Peck_, Rep. State Bot., 1905.

This plant grows in open beech woods, rather damp, and appears in July
and August. The caps are often dark purple, often tinged with red, and
sometimes the caps contains shades of green. I found the plants
plentifully in Woodland Park, near Newtonville, Ohio, in July, 1907. We
ate them on several occasions and found them very good. The greenish
margin and purplish center will mark the plant.