al size.
Caps greenish-umber to reddish.]

Furca, a fork, so called from the forking of the gills. This is not
peculiar, however, to this species. The pileus is two to three inches
broad; greenish, usually greenish-umber, sometimes reddish; fleshy;
compact; nearly round, then expanded, depressed in the center; even;
smooth; often sprinkled with a silky luster, pellicle separable, margin
at first inflexed, then expanded, always even, sometimes turned upward.
The flesh is firm, white, dry, somewhat cheesy.

The gills are adnate or slightly decurrent, somewhat crowded, broad,
narrowed at both ends, many forked, shining white. The spores, 7-8x9u.

The stem is two to three inches long, solid, white, rather firm, even,
equal or tapering downward. The spores are round and spiny.

I have found it frequently on the wooded hillsides of the state. The
taste when raw is mild at first, but soon develops a slight bitterness
which, however, is lost in cooking. Fried in butter they are excellent.
July to October.

_Russula rubra, Fr._

THE RED RUSSULA.

[Illustration: Figure 155.--Russula rubra. Two-thirds natural size. Caps
bright-vermilion. Gills forked and tinged with red.]

Rubra means red, so called from the cap being concolorous, bright
vermillion; showy, becoming pale with age, center of the cap usually
darker; compact, hard, fragile, convex, expanded, somewhat depressed,
dry, no pellicle, often cracked when old. The flesh is white, often
reddish under the cuticle.

The gills are adnate, rather crowded, white at first, then yellowish,
many forked and with some short ones intermixed, frequently tinged with
red at the edge. Spores 8-10u, cystidia pointed.

The stem is two to three inches long, solid, even, white, often with a
faint reddish hue. The spores are nearly round and white.

It is very acrid to the taste, and because of this acridity it is
usually thought to be poisonous, but Captain McIlvaine says he does not
hesitate to cook it either by itself or with other Russulae. It is found
very generally in the state and is quite plentiful in the woods about
Chillicothe, from July to October.

_Russula purpurina. Quel & Schulz._

THE PURPLE RUSSULA. EDIBLE.

[Illustration: Figure 156.--Russula purpurina. Two-thirds natural size.
Caps rosy-pink to light-yellow. Gills yellowish in age.]

Purpurina means purple. The pileus is fleshy, margin acute, subglobose,
then plane, at length depressed in the center, slig