ITS FUNGI
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coloured milk. The cap is about three inches across,
depressed in the centre, with the margin woolly and
curved inwards. Dull orange-red with darker bands.
High Beach and Lower Epping Forest.
Lactarius vellereus. Another of the milky agarics, found
everywhere in the most wooded parts. Wholly of a
dull white. The cap six to ten inches in diameter,
deeply depressed, almost funnel-shaped, and covered
with a dense fine woolliness. The gills are broad, and
run down into the short thick stem. Milk-white and
peppery.
Lactarius piperatus. Similar to the above, but not so
large. The top of the cap quite smooth; the gills
narrower and twice as numerous. Milk-white and
biting. Always considered to be poisonous in this
country, but sometimes eaten in America.
Russula emetica. The cap, about two inches across, is rosy
red, smooth, and shining. The stem as well as the
gills, of a pure white. The entire fungus is very fragile.
The cuticle of the cap peels off readily and shows pink
flesh beneath. Common to the whole Forest, but not
numerous.
Russula fellea. Similar in shape and size to the above, but
wholly of the colour of wheat straw, including the gills
and the flesh. It is intensely bitter. At High Beach,
Fairmead, Theydon, and towards Chingford.
Russula foetens. Stinking Russule. Often with the cap
six inches across, dirty amber yellow, soon depressed in
the centre, margin bent over, and marked with parallel
furrows. Stem short. Mostly of a strong stinking
odour, but occasionally found without smell. Scattered
over the entire Forest, in woody places.
Marasmius personatus. Very common everywhere amongst
dead leaves. Cap convex, two inches across, pale
purplish brown, quite dry and tough ; gills brown, but
the spores white. Stem three inches long, thick as a
clay-pipe. The lower half clothed with a dense pale-
yellowish down.
Boletus satanas. Cap convex, like half a globe, from four
to ten inches across, dirty white, rather sticky. Under
surface flat, bright livid crimson. Stem red and yellow,
two inches thick. When cut, bruised, or broken, quickly
turning in colour to a deep indigo-blue. Only recorded
in the Lower Forest.
Boletus luridus. Cap similar in form, semi-globose, but
not more than four inches across, olive-brown and
velvety. Under surface lurid red. Stem thick in
proportion, orange above and red or brown below
sprinkled with dots. Changing when wounded to
indigo-blue. High Beach and Fairmead, usually.
Boletus piperatus. Smaller and more slender, cap flattened
convex, about two inches across, tan-coloured with a
tinge of red. Under surface with large angular pores.
Stem slender. Flesh yellow. Taste very hot. High
Beach and Lower Forest.