**Limaci´ni.Pileus viscid, etc.
**Limaci´ni.Pileus viscid, etc.
**Limaci´ni.Pileus viscid, etc.
L. insul´susFr.—tasteless.Pileus2–4 in. broad, convex and umbilicate, then funnel-shaped, glabrous, viscid,more or less zonate, yellowish, the margin naked.Gillsthin, close, adnate or decurrent, some of them forked at the base, whitish or pallid.Stem1–2 in. long, 4–6 lines thick, equal or slightly tapering downward, stuffed or hollow, whitish or yellowish, generally spotted.Spores7.6–9µ.Milkwhite, taste acrid.
Thin woods and open, grassy places. Greenbush and Sandlake, N.Y. July and August.
Our plant has the pileus pale yellow or straw color, and sometimes nearly white, but European forms have been described as having it orange-yellow and brick-red. It is generally, though often obscurely, zonate. The zones are ordinarily more distinct near the margin, where they are occasionally very narrow and close. The milk in the Greenbush specimens had a thin, somewhat watery appearance.Peck, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.
West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey. July to September. Common in mixed woods and grassy places.McIlvaine.
Edible.Cordier,Curtis.
L. insulsus is another peppery member of Lactarius which has suffered unjustly. I have eaten it since 1881, and think it the best of the hot milk species. Its flesh is not as coarse as others, and is of better flavor. There is little difference in quality between it and L. deliciosus.
L. hys´ginusFr.Gr—a crimson dye.Pileus2–3 in. broad, rigid, at first convex, then nearly plane, umbilicate or slightly depressed, even, viscid, zoneless or rarely obscurely zonate,reddish-incarnate, tan-color or brownish-red, becoming paler with age, the thin margin inflexed.Gillsclose, adnate or subdecurrent, whitish, becoming yellowish or cream-colored.Stem1–2 in. long, 4–8 lines thick, equal, glabrous, stuffed or hollow, colored like the pileus, or a little paler, sometimes spotted.Milkwhite, taste acrid.
Woods. Sandlake and Canoga, N.Y. July and August. Not common.
The reddish hue of the pileus distinguishes this species from its allies. The gluten or viscidity of the pileus in our specimens was rather tenacious and persistent.Peck, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.
Sporessubglobose, whitish on black paper, yellowish on white paper, 9–10µPeck; 10×7–8µMassee.
Mt. Gretna, Pa., 1897. Mixed woods. August, September.
Not very acrid. The entire acridity disappears in cooking. Several specimens were found and eaten, enough to prove it esculent and of good quality.
***Piperati.Pileus dry, etc.
***Piperati.Pileus dry, etc.
***Piperati.Pileus dry, etc.
L. plum´beusFr.—likeplumbum, lead.Pileus2—5 in. broad, compact, convex, then infundibuliform, dry, unpolishedsooty or brownish-black.Gillscrowded, white, or yellowish.Stem1.5–3 in. long, 3–6 lines thick, solid, equal, thick.Milkwhite, acrid,unchangeable.Spores6.3–7.6µ.
The specimens which I have referred to this species were found in the Catskill mountains several years ago, growing in hemlock woods, under spruce and balsam trees. I have not met with the species since. The pileus in the larger specimens had a minutely tomentose appearance, but in the dried specimens this has disappeared. They also varied in color from blackish-brown to pinkish-brown and grayish-brown, but they can scarcely be more than a mere form or variety of the species the description of which, as given by Fries, I have quoted. In the Handbook the pileus is described as dark fuliginous-gray or brown, and Gillet describes it as black-brown, dark fuliginous or lead color, and adds that the plant is poisonous and the milk very acrid and burning. Cordier says that the flesh is white and the taste bitter and disagreeable.Peck, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.
Poisonous.Gillet.
L. pergame´nusFr.—parchment.White.Pileusfleshy, pliant, convex then plano-depressed, spread, zoneless, slightly wrinkled, smooth.Stemstuffed, smooth, changing color.Gillsadnate, very narrow,horizontal, very crowded, branched, white, then straw-color.Milkwhite, acrid.
Very much allied to L. piperatus, but differing in thestembeing stuffed, at length softer internally, elongated, 3 in., unequal, attenuated downward and here and there ascending,quite smooth; in thepileusbeingthinner, pliant, elastic, most frequently irregular and excentric, for the most part flexuous, at first convex (not umbilicate), thenrather plane, the surface very smooth, but unpolished andwrinkledin a peculiar manner; and in thegillsbeing adnate, not decurrent,very crowded, very narrow(scarcely 1 line broad), alwaysstraight and horizontal, not arcuate or extended upward,soon straw-color. The flesh is very milky, but the gills are sparingly so.Fries.
In woods. October.
Sporessubglobose, rather irregular, 6–8µC.B.P.; broadly elliptical, echinulate, 7×5–6µMassee.
Eaten on the continent and Nova Scotia. Edible.Cooke.
North Carolina,Curtis; New England,Frost; Ohio,Morgan.
L. pipera´tusFr.—piper, pepper. (PlateXLI, fig. 1, p. 160.)Pileus4–9 in. broad,white, fleshy, rigid, umbilicate when young, reflexed (margin at first involute) at the circumference, when full grown whollyfunnel-shaped, for the most part regular, even, smooth, zoneless.Fleshwhite.Stem1–2 in. long, 1–2 in. thick, solid, obese, equal or obconical, even, obsoletely pruinose, white.Gillsdecurrent, crowded, narrow, scarcely broader than 1 line, obtuse at the edge,dividing by pairs, arcuate then allextended upwardin a straight line, white, here and there with yellow spots.Milkwhite, unchangeable, plentiful and very acrid.
Compact, firm, dry, inodorous. The pileus becomes obsoletely yellow when old. Although the gills are spotted with yellow, they do not change to straw color like those of L. pergamenus.Fries.
Sporeswhite, nearly smooth, 6.3–7.6µPeck; subglobose, 8–9µ diameterMassee; 5×6µW.G.S.
Pennsylvania, West Virginia, 1881–1885. New Jersey, Pennsylvania in woods and on grassy places. July to October.McIlvaine.
Edible.Curtis.
L. piperatus is a readily distinguished species. It is very common. In 1881, after an extensive forest fire in the West Virginia forests, I saw miles of the blackened district made white by a growth of this fungus. It was the phenomenal growth which first attracted my attention to toadstools. I collected it then in quantity and used it, with good results, as a fertilizer on impoverished ground.
It has been eaten for many years in most countries, yet a few writers continue to warn against it. It is the representative fungus of its class—meaty, coarse, fair flavor. It is edible and is good food when one is hungry and can not get better. It is best used as an absorbent of gravies.
L. decepti´vusPk.—deceiving.Pileus3–5 in. broad, compact, at first convex and umbilicate, then expanded and centrally depressed or subinfundibuliform,obsoletely tomentose or glabrousexcept on the margin, white or whitish, often varied with yellowish or sordid stains, themargin at first involute andclothed with a dense, soft or cottony tomentum, then spreading or elevated and more or less fibrillose.Gillsrather broad, distant or subdistant, adnate or decurrent, some of them forked, whitish, becoming cream-colored.Stem1–3 in. long, 8–18 lines thick, equal or narrowed downward, solid, pruinose-pubescent, white.Sporeswhite, 9–12.7µ.Milkwhite, taste acrid.
Woods and open places, especially under hemlock trees. Common. July to September.
Trial of its edible qualities was made without any evil consequences. The acridity was destroyed by cooking.Peck, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.
Alabama,U. and E.; New York,Peck, 38th Rep.; West Virginia, 1881–1885, Pennsylvania, New Jersey. Woods and open places. July to October.McIlvaine.
In common with all peppery Lactarii the present species loses the quality in cooking. The edible qualities then depend upon texture, substance, flavor. The species is coarse but meaty and of fair flavor.
L. velle´reusFr.—vellus, fleece.Pileus2–5 in. broad, compact, at first convex and umbilicate, then expanded and centrally depressed or subinfundibuliform, thewhole surface minutely velvety-tomentose, soft to the touch, white or whitish, the margin at first involute, then reflexed.Gillsdistant or subdistant, adnate or decurrent, sometimes forked, whitish becoming yellowish or cream-colored.Stem.5–2 in. long, 6–16 lines thick, firm, solid, equal or tapering downward, pruinose-pubescent, white.Milkwhite, taste acrid.Sporeswhite.
Woods and open places. Common. July to September.Peck, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.
Sporeswhite, nearly smooth, 7–9µ.Peck; 4×8µW.G.S.
West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey. Woods and open places. July to October.McIlvaine.
Poisonous according to some authors.Cordier.Edible.Leveille.Eaten it for eighteen years.McIlvaine.
This common, very acrid species is characterized by the downy covering of its cap.
It is a coarse species, but meaty. Its acridity is lost in cooking, when it makes a fair dish.
L. involu´tusSoppitt.—involved. Every part white or with a very slight ochraceous tinge.Pileus1–2 in. across, flesh about 1½ lines thick, equal up to the margin, compact, rigid, convex, soon becoming plane or slightly depressed, margin strongly and persistently involute, extreme edge minutely silky, remainder even and glabrous.Gillsvery slightly decurrent, densely crowded, not ½ line broad, sometimes forked.Stem⅔-1 in. long, 2–3 lines thick, equal, or slightly thickened at the base, glabrous, even, solid, very firm.Milkwhite, unchangeable, not scanty, very hot.Sporesobliquely elliptical, smooth, 5×3µ.
Very firm and rigid, resembling in habit L. vellereus in miniature. Most nearly allied to L. scoticus, but known at once by the exceedingly narrow, densely-crowded gills and the smooth, elliptical spores.Massee.
West Virginia, 1881–1885, plentiful. Angora, West Philadelphia. August, September, 1897. In mixed woods.McIlvaine.
Much smaller than L. piperatus.Pileusconvex, then plane with depressions in center, margin involute.Gillsslightly decurrent, densely crowded, very narrow.Stemshort, firm, solid.Milkwhite, very hot.
L. involutus is readily mistaken for small forms of L. vellereus and L. piperatus. The extremely narrow gills, so close and firm that it takes sharp eyes to follow them, are a distinguishing mark.
Its flesh is of same consistency as L. piperatus—hard and coarse. It loses its pepperiness in cooking and is a good emergency plant, or solvent.
II.—Dapetes—daps, food.Milkhighly colored, etc.
II.—Dapetes—daps, food.Milkhighly colored, etc.
II.—Dapetes—daps, food.Milkhighly colored, etc.
America is rich in this section. Fries records but two species, L. deliciosus and L. sanguifluus, while America has four. The edible properties of three are known to be good; L. subpurpureus has not come under observation, but is added to complete the series as it is probably edible and is well marked by its dark-red milk.McIlvaine.
L. delicio´susFr.—delicious. (PlateXLI, fig. 3, p. 160.)Pileus2–6 in. broad,orange-brick-color, yellowish or grayish-orange, becoming pale, fleshy, when quite youngdepressed in the center, margin naked, involute, then plano-depressed or broadly funnel-shaped with the margin unfolded, smooth, slightly viscid,zoned(zones sometimes obsolete).Fleshsoft, not compact, pallid, colored at the circumferenceonly by the juice.Stem1–2 in. and more long, 1 in. thick, stuffed then hollow, at length fragile, equal or attenuated at the base, spotted in a pitted manner, of the same color as the pileus or paler.Gillssomewhat decurrent, crowded, narrow, arcuate, often branched, typicallysaffron-yellow, butbecoming pale and always becoming green when wounded.Milkaromatic, from the first red-brick-saffron.Fries.
Sporeswhite, spheroid, echinulate 7–8µK.; 6µW.G.S.; echinulate, 9–10×7–8µMassee; subglobose, 7.6–10µPeck.
In woods, under firs, etc.
Pileusdingy orange-red becoming pale, often greenish. Every part turns to a homely green when bruised. It is from 3 to 5 in. across, thick, convex, then depressed in center, margin at first curved in.Gillsdecurrent, narrow, saffron-color.Milksaffron-red or orange changing to green; sweet scented but slightly acrid. I have never seen but one specimen with milk distinctly orange, and changing to green. The milk in this species varies in color, much depending upon moisture. It grows in patches, sometimes in clusters.
Edible.Curtis.
There is no question of its edibility. Old and modern writers applaud it. Each cooks to his liking and thinks his own way best. It requires forty minutes' stewing or baking; less time if roasted or fried. It can be cooked in any way, but, like all Lactarii, it must be well cooked.
L. in´digoSchw.—(PlateXLI, fig. 2, p. 160.)Pileus2–5 in. broad, at first umbilicate with the margin involute, then depressed or infundibuliform,indigo-blue with a silvery-gray luster, zonate, especially on the margin, sometimes spotted, becoming paler and less distinctly zonate with age or in drying.Gillsclose,indigo-blue, becoming yellowish and sometimes greenish with age.Stem1–2 in. long, 6–10 lines thick, short nearly equal, hollow, often spotted with blue, colored like the pileus.Milkdark-blue.
Dryplaces, especially under or near pine trees. Not rare but seldom abundant. July to September.Peck, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.
Sporessubglobose, 7.6–9µ longPeck.
West Virginia, North Carolina, New Jersey, Pennsylvania. Solitary and in groups, in pine and mixed woods. July to September.McIlvaine.
The exceptional color of L. indigo will halt anyone with ordinary observing power. It is unnecessary to describe it further. Being alarge, stout plant it frequently lifts the leaf mat as it pushes upward, making leaf-mounds under which it is hidden, as do many of the Cortinarii. But even in such instances there are usually a few solitary plants standing prominently forth as sentinels.
It is edible, but coarse. Good flavor.
L. chelido´niumPk.Pileus2–3 in. broad, at first convex, then nearly plane and umbilicate or centrally depressed,grayish-yellow or tawny, at length varied with bluish and greenish stains, often with a few narrow zones on the margin.Gillsnarrow, close, sometimes forked, anastomosing or wavy at the base,grayish-yellow.Stem1–1.5 in. long, 4–6 lines thick, short, subequal, hollow, colored like the pileus.Sporesglobose, 7.5µ.Milksparse,saffron-yellow; taste mild.
Sandy soil, under or near pine trees. Saratoga and Bethlehem.
The milk of this species resembles in color the juice of celandine, Chelidonium majus. It is paler than that of L. deliciosus. By this character and by the dull color of the pileus, the narrow lamellæ, short stem and its fondness for dry situations, it may be separated from the other species. Wounds of the flesh are at first stained with the color of the milk, then with blue, finally with green. A saffron-color is sometimes attributed to the milk of L. deliciosus, which may indicate that this species has been confused with that, or that the relationship of the two plants is a closer one than we have assigned to them.Peck, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.
Mt. Gretna, Pa. In mixed woods, gravelly low ground. September, October.McIlvaine.
A score or more solitary specimens were found and eaten. The substance and flavor are not distinguishable from L. deliciosus, which is lauded to the summit of good toadstools.
L. subpurpu´reusPk.—sub, under;purpureus, purple.Pileusat first convex, then nearly plane or subinfundibuliform, more or less spotted and zonate when young, and moistdark-red with a grayish luster.Gillsclose,dark-red, becoming less clear and sometimes greenish-stained with age.Stemequal or slightly tapering upward, soon hollow, often spotted with red, colored like the pileus, sometimes hairy at the base.Sporessubglobose, 9–10µ.Milkdark-red.
Pileus2–3 in. broad.Stem1.5–3 in. long, 3–5 lines thick.
Damp or mossy ground in woods and swamps. July and August.
At once known by the peculiar dark-red or purplish hue of the milk, which color also appears in the spots of the stem and in a more subdued tone in the whole plant. The color of the pileus, gills and stem is modified by grayish and yellowish hues. In age and dryness the zones are less clear, and dried specimens can scarcely be distinguished from L. deliciosus.Peck, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.
I have not seen this species.
III.—Russularia.
III.—Russularia.
III.—Russularia.
*Viscidi.Pileus viscid.
*Viscidi.Pileus viscid.
*Viscidi.Pileus viscid.
L. pal´lidusFr.—pale.Pileus3–6 in. broad, flesh-color or clay-color topallid, somewhat tan, fleshy, umbilicato-convex, depressed, obtuse, margin broadly and for a long time involute, smooth, gluey,zoneless.Fleshpallid.Stem2 in. and more long, about ¾ in. thick, somewhat equal, stuffed thenhollow, even, smooth, of the same color as the pileus.Gillssomewhat decurrent, arcuate, rather broad, 1½-2 lines and more; somewhat thin, crowded, somewhat branched, whitish at length of the same color as the pileus.Milkwhite, unchangeable.Fries.
Tastesomewhat mild. Stature that of L. deliciosus,but more lax in texture and always pallid. There is a variety with the pileus inclining to dingy-brown.Stevenson.
Mixed woods. September to October.
Sporesechinulate, almost round, 8µW.G.S.; 7–11µCooke; 9–10×7–8µMassee.
North Carolina,Schweinitz,Curtis; Massachusetts,Frost; Minnesota,Johnson; Rhode Island,Bennett.
Edible.Cooke.
L. quie´tusFr.—calm, mild.Pileus3 in. broad, fleshy, depressed, obtuse, margin deflexed, smooth, at first viscid,somewhat cinnamon, flesh-color, disk darker,somewhat zoned, soon dry,somewhat silky, opaque,becoming pale.Fleshwhite then reddish.Stem2–3 in. long, ½ in. and more thick, stuffed,spongy, smooth, reddish,at length beautifully rust-color.Gillsadnato-decurrent, somewhat forked at thebase, 1½-2 lines broad,white then soon brick-red.Milkwhite, unchangeable,sweet.Fries.
In woods. August to November.Stevenson.
Sporesechinulate, 8–10×6–7µMassee; 10–12µCooke.
Nova Scotia,Somers; New York,Peck, Rep. 42.
Edible.Cooke.Eaten in France and held in estimation.
L. theio´galusFr.Gr—brimstone; milk.Pileus2–5 in. broad, fleshy, thin, convex, then depressed, even,glabrous, viscid,tawny-reddish.Lamellæadnate or decurrent, close, pallid or reddish.Stem1–3 in. long, 4–10 lines thick, stuffed or hollow, even, colored like the pileus.Sporesyellowish, inclining to pale flesh-color, subglobose, 7.5–9µ.Milkwhite,changing to sulphur-yellow, taste tardily acrid, bitterish.
Woods and groves. Common. July to October.
Our plant does not fully accord with the description of the species as given by Fries.Peck, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.
Sporessubglobose, 7–8µ diameterMassee; subglobose, 7.5–9µPeck.
West Virginia, 1881–1885; Mt. Gretna, Pa. July, 1897; New Jersey, common in mixed woods. July to frost.McIlvaine.
L. theiogalus possesses all the good qualities of the hot milk species. While I ate it whenever I chose in West Virginia, I did not again eat it until 1897 at Mt. Gretna. There several partook of it and thought it rather coarse, but of good flavor. It requires long cooking.
L. fuligino´susFr.—fuligo, soot.Pileus1–2.5 in. broad, firm, becoming soft, convex plane or slightly depressed, even,dry, zoneless,dingy ash-color or buff-gray, appearing as if covered with a dingy pruinosity, the margin sometimes wavy or lobed.Gillsadnate or subdecurrent, subdistant, whitish then yellowish, becomingstained with pink-red or salmon-color where wounded.Stem1–2 in. long, 3–5 lines thick, equal or slightly tapering downward, firm, stuffed, colored like the pileus.Sporesglobose,yellowish, 7.5–10µ.Milkwhite, taste tardily and sometimes slightly acrid.
Thin woods and open grassy places. Greenbush and Sandlake, N.Y. July and August.Peck, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.
A form with the pileus colored like that of L. lignyotus, but with the gills much closer than in that species, was found in a swamp near Sevey. July.Peck, 43d Rep.
POISONOUS.Barla and Reveil,Cordier.
L. fumo´susPk.Pileus1.5–2.5 in. broad, firm, convex, then expanded and slightly depressed in the center, smooth, dry, smoky-brown or sordid-white.Gillsclose, adnate or slightly rounded behind, white, then yellowish.Stem3–5 lines thick, firm, short, smooth, stuffed, generally tapering downward.Sporesdistinctly echinulate, yellow, 6µ in diameter.FleshandMilkwhite; taste at first mild, then acrid.
Plant1.5–2 in. high.
Grassy ground in open woods. Greenbush. July.
The peculiar smoky hue of the pileus and yellow spores enable this species to be easily recognized. The flesh when wounded slowly changes to a dull pinkish-color. Related to L. fuliginosus.Peck, 24th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.
**Impoliti.Pileus downy, etc.
**Impoliti.Pileus downy, etc.
**Impoliti.Pileus downy, etc.
L. ru´fusFr.—red.Pileus2–4 in. broad, convex and centrally depressed, then funnel-shaped, generally with a small umbo, glabrous, sometimes slightly floccose or pubescent when young, especially on the margin, zoneless,bay-red or brownish-red, shining.Gillsnarrow or moderately broad, sometimes forked, close, subdecurrent, yellowish or reddish.Stem2–4 in. long, 3–5 lines thick, nearly equal, firm, stuffed, paler than or colored like the pileus.Sporeswhite, 7.6–10µ.Milkwhite, taste very acrid.
Low woods and swamps. North Elba. August. Rare.
The red Lactarius is known by its rather large size, dark-red pileus and intensely acrid taste. It has been found but once in our state. The flesh is pinkish and the stem sometimes pruinose. It is designated by authors as very poisonous and extremely poisonous. Cordier even says that worms never attack it.Peck, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.
Massachusetts,Frost; New York,Peck, Rep. 23, Rep. 38.
I have not recognized this species. It is given as markedly POISONOUS.
L. glycios´musFr.Gr—sweet;Gr—scent.Pileus½-1½ in. broad, thin, convex nearly plane or depressed, often with a small umbo or papilla,minutely squamulose, ash-colored, grayish-brown or smoky-brown, sometimes tinged with pink, the margin even or slightly and distinctly striate.Gillsnarrow, close, adnate or decurrent, whitish oryellowish.Stem½-1½ in. long, 1–3 lines thick, equal, glabrous or obsoletely pubescent, stuffed, rarely hollow, whitish or colored like the pileus.Milkwhite, taste acrid and unpleasant, sometimes bitterish, odoraromatic.Peck, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.
Smell agreeable, of melilot, as that of L. camphoratus.
Sporesspheroid, echinulate, 6–8µK.; subglobose, size variable, 6–10µMassee.
The American plant, so far as observed, does not have the red hues ascribed to the European.
Haddonfield, N.J.,T.J. Collins; Scranton, Pa.,Dr. J.M. Phillips; Chester county, Pa., September, 1887, on ground in woods,McIlvaine.
This small Lactarius was found on several occasions. Its odor is attractive, but its taste is not. Cooked it is of high flavor, but will not be liked by many.
L. aqui´fluusPk.—watery.Pileusfragile, fleshy, convex or expanded, at length centrally depressed, dry, smooth, or sometimes appearing as if clothed with a minute appressed tomentum, reddish tan-colored, the decurved margin often flexuous.Gillsrather narrow, close, whitish, becoming dull reddish yellow.Stemmore or less elongated, equal or slightly tapering upward, colored like the pileus, smooth, hollow, the cavity irregular as if eroded.Sporessubglobose, rough, 7.6µ.Fleshcolored like the pileus.Milksparse, watery.
Plant3–8 in. high.Pileus3–6 in. broad.Stem5–10 lines thick.
Swamps and wet mossy places in woods. Sandlake and North Elba. August and September.
The relationship of this plant is with L. serifluus, to which it was formerly referred, but from which I am now satisfied it is distinct. The hollow stem is a constant character in our plant, and affords a ready mark of distinction. The plant, though large, is very fragile, and breaks easily. The taste is mild or but slightly acrid. Sometimes there is an obscure zonation on the pileus, which, in large specimens, is apt to be irregular and much worm-eaten. The milk looks like little drops of water when first issuing from a wound, but it becomes a little less clear on exposure to the atmosphere. The decided but agreeable odor of the dried specimens persists a long time.Peck, 28th Rep.
This plant is sometimes cespitose. The pileus when dry is tawny-gray and scaly or cracked scaly. The margin may be even or coarselysulcate-striate. The flesh is grayish or reddish-gray. The color of the lamellæ varies from creamy-white to tawny-yellow. The stem often has a conspicuous white myceloid tomentum at its base. I have never found this plant with a white or milky juice, and therefore I am disposed to regard it not as a variety of L. helvus, but as a distinct species. Its mild taste and agreeable odor suggested a trial of its edible qualities. It is harmless, but the lack of flavor induces me to omit it from the list of edible species.Peck, 50th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.
Var.brevis´simusPk. Pileus 1–1.5 in. broad, grayish-buff. Gills crowded, adnate, yellowish or cream-color. Stem very short, 6–8 lines long.
Black mucky soil in roads in woods. Township 24, Franklin county. September.
Plant fragrant; sometimes cespitose.Peck, 51st Rep. N.Y. State Bot.
Angora, West Philadelphia, in moist oak woods. August, 1897, Philadelphia Myc. Center.
Flesh rather hard when cooked, and insipid. Good as an absorbent or in emergency.
L. lignyo´tusFr.—lignum, wood.Pileus1–4 in. broad, broadly convex plane or slightly depressed, dry, with or without a small umbo, generally rugose-wrinkled,dark-brown, appearing subpulverulent or as if suffused with a dingy pruinosity, the margin sometimes crenately lobed and distinctly plicate.Gillsmoderately close or subdistant, adnate, white or yellowish,slowly changing to pinkish-red or salmon color where wounded.Stem1–3 in. long, 2–6 lines thick, equal or abruptly narrowed at the apex, even, glabrous, stuffed, colored like the pileus, sometimes plicate at the top.Milkwhite, taste mild or tardily and slightly acrid.
Var.tenu´ipes.Pileusabout 1 in. broad.Stemslender, 2–3 in. long and about 2 lines thick.
Wet or mossy ground in woods and swamps. Adirondack mountains and Sandlake. July and August. Not rare in hilly and mountainous districts.Peck, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.
Sporesglobose, yellowish, 9–11.3µPeck; pale ochraceous, subglobose, minutely echinulate, 9–10µ diameterMassee.
West Virginia mountains, 1881–1885; Eagle’s Mere; Mt. Gretna,Pa. Solitary and gregarious, moist woods and wooded places. July to September.McIlvaine.
In my long experience with the plant I have not seen any change of color, save that, like the white milk of other species, it darkens slightly to a cream color. I have found it distinctly umbilicate and quite umbonate in the same patch.
L. lignyotus is one of the best of Lactarii and quite equal to L. volemus.
L. corru´gisPk.—having wrinkles or folds.Pileus3–5 in. broad, firm, convex, then nearly plane or centrally depressed,rugose reticulated, covered with avelvety pruinosity or pubescence, dark reddish-brown or chestnut-color, fading with age to tawny-brown.Gillsclose, dark cream-color or subcinnamon,becoming palerwhen old, sordid or brownish where bruised or wounded.Stem3–5 in. long, 6–12 lines thick, equal, solid, glabrous or merely pruinose, paler than but similar in color to the pileus.Sporessubglobose, 10–13µ.Milkcopious, white, taste mild.
Thin woods. Sandlake, Gansevoort and Brewerton, N.Y. August and September.
This curious Lactarius is related to L. volemus, from which it may be separated by its darker colors and its corrugated pileus. The flexuous reticulated rugæ present an appearance similar to that of the hymenium of a Merulius. The pileus is everywhere pruinose-pubescent and the gills bear numerous spine-like or acicular cystidia or spicules, 4–5µ long. These are so numerous on and near the edges of the gills that they give them a pubescent appearance.Peck, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.
I found many at Mt. Gretna, Pa., up to 6½ in. in diameter. Flesh not so firm as L. volemus. Stem equal, rugulose, flattened in old specimens. Milk very slightly acrid.
Better in taste and quality than L. volemus.
L. lute´olusPk.—yellowish.Pileus2–3 in. broad, fleshy, rather thin, convex or nearly plane, commonly umbilicately depressed in the center and somewhat rugulose, pruinose or subglabrous, buff-color.Fleshwhite, taste mild.Milkcopious, flowing easily, white or whitish.Gillsclose, nearly plane, adnate or slightly rounded behind, whitish,becoming brownish where wounded.Stem1–1.5 in. long, 3–5 lines thick, short, equal or tapering downward, solid, but somewhat spongy within, colored like the pileus.Sporesglobose, 7.6µ broad.
Dry woods. East Milton, Mass. August.H. Webster.
This species is related to Lactarius volemus and L. hygrophoroides, but its smaller size and short stem will distinguish it from the former and its close gills from the latter. Its paler buff-color will separate it from both. Some specimens have a narrow encircling furrow or depressed zone near the margin and a slightly darker shade of color on the margin. The milk constitutes a remarkable feature of the species. According to the notes of the collector it is exceedingly copious, rather sticky, serous in character with white particles in suspension. It flows from many points as soon as the plant is disturbed and it stains the gills. It is impossible to collect an unstained specimen, so free is the flow of the milk. He, Mr. Webster, says: “I have never succeeded in picking a specimen so quietly as to prevent an instant and copious flow of its milk.” Torrey Bull., Vol. 23, No. 10, 1896.
Angora, West Philadelphia, August, 1897. In oak woods. August, September.McIlvaine.
Quite frequent there. My attention was directed to it by the “narrow encircling furrow or depressed zone near the margin.”
It is of like quality to L. volemus.
L. Gerar´diiPk.Pileus1.5–4 in. broad, broadly convex plane or slightly depressed, dry, generally rugose-wrinkled, with or without a small umbo or papilla,dingy-brown, the thin spreading margin sometimes flexuous lobed or irregular.Gillsdistant, adnate or decurrent,white or whitish, the interspaces generally uneven.Stem1–2 in. long, 3–6 lines thick, subequal, stuffed or hollow, colored like the pileus.Sporesglobose,white, 9–11.3µ.Milkwhite,unchangeable, tastemild.
Woods and open places. Poughkeepsie,W.R. Gerard. Greenbush, Sandlake and Croghan, N.Y. July to September.
This Lactarius closely resembles the Sooty lactarius in color, but differs from it in its more distant gills, white spores and constantly mild taste. Wounds of the flesh and gills do not become pinkish-red as in that plant. From L. hygrophoroides its darker color, hollow stem and more globose rougher spores separate it.Peck, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.
In the color of the pileus and stem this species is like the larger forms of L. fuliginosus.Peck, 26th Rep.
Edible. Boston Myc. Club Bull.
***Glabra´ti.Pileus smooth.
***Glabra´ti.Pileus smooth.
***Glabra´ti.Pileus smooth.
L. vole´musFr.—volema pira, a kind of large pear. (PlateXLI, fig. 4, p. 160)Pileus2–5 in. broad, firm, convex, nearly plane or centrally depressed, rarely funnel-shaped, sometimes with a small umbo, generally even,glabrous, dry,golden-tawny or brownish-orange, sometimes darker in the center, often becoming rimose-areolate.Gillsclose, adnate or subdecurrent, white or yellowish, becoming sordid or brownish where bruised or wounded.Stem1–4 in. long, 4–10 lines thick, subequal, variable in length, firm, solid, glabrous or merely pruinose, colored like the pileus, sometimes a little paler.Milkcopious, white, taste mild, flat.
Var.subrugo´sus.Pileusrugose-reticulated on the margin.Peck, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.
Sporesglobose, white, 9–11.3µPeck; 5–6µ diameterMassee.
Very delicious raw and celebrated from early times.Fries.
Common over the United States, well known everywhere and distinguished for its edible qualities. It is crisp and unless carefully cooked is hard and granular. It should have long, slow cooking, though it may be roasted or fried.
(Plate XLII.)Lactarius hygrophoroides.
(Plate XLII.)
Lactarius hygrophoroides.
Lactarius hygrophoroides.
Lactarius hygrophoroides.
L. hygrophoroi´desB. and C.—resembling Hygrophorus.Pileus1–4 in. broad, firm, convex or nearly plane, umbilicate or slightly depressed, rarely funnel-shaped, glabrous or sometimes with a minute velvety pubescence or tomentum, dry, sometimes rugose-wrinkled and often becoming cracked in areas,yellowish-tawny or brownish-orange.Gillsdistant, adnate or subdecurrent, white or cream-color, the interspaces uneven or venose.Stem.5–1 in. long, 4–8 lines thick, short, equal or tapering downward,solid, glabrous or merely pruinose, colored like the pileus.Sporessubgloboseor broadly elliptical,nearly smooth, 9–11.3µ.Milkwhite, taste mild.
Grassy ground and borders of woods. Albany, Greenbush and Sandlake. July and August.
This plant has almost exactly the color of L. volemus, but differs from it in its distant gills, short stem, less copious milk and less globose spores. Its flesh is white, with a thickness about equal to the breadth of the gills. It is probably edible, but has not yet been tested. The typical L. hygrophoroides is described as having the pileus yellowish-red and pulverulent, and the gills luteous. It is also represented as a small plant; but our specimens, while not fully agreeing with this description, approach so closely to it in some of their forms that they doubtless belong to the same species. We have therefore extended the description so that it may include our plant. In wet weather the pileus sometimes becomes funnel-form by the elevation of the margin.Peck, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.
Mt. Gretna, Pa., 1897, grassy grounds and borders of woods. Mixed, moist woods and grassy borders. July to September.McIlvaine.
Pileusup to 4 in. across.Stem1–2½ in., tapering, equal or tapering downward. When growing in woods the stem is longer than when growing on borders.
Its edible qualities are excellent.
L. mitis´simusFr.—mitis, mild.Pileus1–3 in. broad,golden-tawny, zoneless, fleshy, thin, somewhat rigid, convex,papillate, depressed, papilla vanishing, even, smooth, somewhat slippery when moist.Fleshpallid.Stemelongated, 1–3 in. long, ⅓-½ in. thick, stuffed, then hollow, even, smooth, of the same color as the pileus.Gillsadnato-decurrent, somewhat arcuate, then tense and straight, 1–1½ lines and more broad, thin, crowded, a little paler than the pileus, most frequently stained with minute red spots.Milkwhite,mild, plentiful.
Thin; very much allied to L. subdulcis, but distinguished by thetastebeingmild, then somewhat bitterish, and especially by thebright, golden-tawny, resplendentcolor of the pileus and stem.Fries.
In mixed and pine woods. August to November.Stevenson.
Spores6–8×5–6µMassee; 10µCooke; spheroid, echinulate, 6–7µC.B.P.
California,H. and M.
Edible.Cooke.Eaten on the continent.