My studies of North American Russulas have now progressed to the point where I venture a treatment of Russula emetica and some of its allies. Taxonomic and nomenclatural disagreement and confusion have been rampant in this group as in seemingly all groups of fleshy fungi whoe members are widespread, common, and highly variable and where types are lacking for commonly and widely used 19th century specific and infraspecific names. In recent years, however, what might be called a typification by consensus has developed for names such as R. emetica and R. fragilis through the publications of Singer in continental Europe and the United States, of Romagnesi in France, and of Rayner in England. Typification in fact, by the designation of lectotypes or neotypes, has yet to come.