firm; soon expanded and more or less depressed, glutinous, dingy
greenish-gray, often more or less zoned with drop-like markings; margin
at first incurved and downy. =Gills= slightly decurrent, crowded,
narrow, whitish or with an ochraceous tinge. =Stem= 1–2 in. long, up to
1 in. thick at the apex, where it expands into the thick flesh of the
pileus, often attenuated at the base, viscid, colored like the stem or
paler, soon hollow. =Milk= persistently white, very acrid. =Spores=
subglobose, 7–8×6µ.
In woods, on the ground, very rarely on trunks.
L. turpis somewhat resembles the present species but differs in the
darker olive-brown pileus and the yellow down on the incurved margin,
especially when young. _Massee._
=Pileus= 2–4 in. broad, fleshy, rarely subzonate, convex, the margin
generally involute and adpresso-tomentose (quite smooth, _Fries_); at
length more or less depressed, dull cinereous-green, at first viscid,
more or less pitted. =Milk= white, not changeable. =Gills= rather
narrow, pale ochraceous, scarcely forked, not connected by veins. =Stem=
1 in. long, ¼-½ in. thick, paler than the pileus, attenuated downward,
obtuse, smooth, at length hollow, sometimes pitted, very acrid. _Berk._
Edible. Coarse.
** LIMACI´NI. _Pileus viscid, etc._
=L. insul´sus= Fr.—tasteless. =Pileus= 2–4 in. broad, convex and
umbilicate, then funnel-shaped, glabrous, viscid, _more or less zonate,
yellowish_, the margin naked. =Gills= thin, close, adnate or decurrent,
some of them forked at the base, whitish or pallid. =Stem= 1–2 in. long,
4–6 lines thick, equal or slightly tapering downward, stuffed or hollow,
whitish or yellowish, generally spotted. =Spores= 7.6–9µ. =Milk= white,
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´ginus= Fr. _Gr_—a crimson dye. =Pileus= 2–3 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. =Gills= close, adnate or subdecurrent, whitish, becoming
yellowish or cream-colored. =Stem= 1–2 in. long, 4–8 lines thick, equal,
glabrous, stuffed or hollow, colored like the pileus, or a little paler,
sometimes spotted. =Milk= white, 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.
=Spores= subglobose, whitish on black paper, yellowish on white paper,
9–10µ _Peck_; 10×7–8µ _Massee_.
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._
=L. plum´beus= Fr.—like _plumbum_, lead. =Pileus= 2—5 in. broad,
compact, convex, then infundibuliform, dry, unpolished _sooty or
brownish-black_. =Gills= crowded, white, or yellowish. =Stem= 1.5–3 in.
long, 3–6 lines thick, solid, equal, thick. =Milk= white, acrid,
_unchangeable_. =Spores= 6.3–7.6µ.
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´nus= Fr.—parchment. _White._ =Pileus= fleshy, pliant, convex
then plano-depressed, spread, zoneless, slightly wrinkled, smooth.
=Stem= stuffed, smooth, changing color. =Gills= _adnate_, very narrow,
_horizontal_, very crowded, branched, white, then straw-color. =Milk=
white, acrid.
Very much allied to L. piperatus, but differing in the _stem_ being
stuffed, at length softer internally, elongated, 3 in., unequal,
attenuated downward and here and there ascending, _quite smooth_; in the
_pileus_ being _thinner, pliant_, elastic, most frequently irregular and
excentric, for the most part flexuous, at first convex (not umbilicate),
then _rather plane, the surface very smooth_, but unpolished and
_wrinkled_ in a peculiar manner; and in the _gills_ being adnate, not
decurrent, _very crowded, very narrow_ (scarcely 1 line broad), always
_straight 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.
=Spores= subglobose, rather irregular, 6–8µ _C.B.P._; broadly
elliptical, echinulate, 7×5–6µ _Massee_.
Eaten on the continent and Nova Scotia. Edible. _Cooke._
North Carolina, _Curtis_; New England, _Frost_; Ohio, _Morgan._
=L. pipera´tus= Fr.—_piper_, pepper. (Plate XLI, fig. 1, p. 160.)
=Pileus= 4–9 in. broad, _white_, fleshy, rigid, umbilicate when young,
reflexed (margin at first involute) at the circumference, when full
grown wholly _funnel-shaped_, for the most part regular, even, smooth,
zoneless. =Flesh= white. =Stem= 1–2 in. long, 1–2 in. thick, solid,
obese, equal or obconical, even, obsoletely pruinose, white. =Gills=
_decurrent, crowded, narrow_, scarcely broader than 1 line, obtuse at
the edge, _dividing by pairs_, arcuate then all _extended upward_ in a
straight line, white, here and there with yellow spots. =Milk= white,
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._
=Spores= white, nearly smooth, 6.3–7.6µ _Peck_; subglobose, 8–9µ
diameter _Massee_; 5×6µ _W.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´vus= Pk.—deceiving. =Pileus= 3–5 in. broad, compact, at
first convex and umbilicate, then expanded and centrally depressed or
subinfundibuliform, _obsoletely tomentose or glabrous_ except on the
margin, white or whitish, often varied with yellowish or sordid stains,
the margin at first involute and _clothed with a dense, soft or cottony
tomentum_, then spreading or elevated and more or less fibrillose.
=Gills= rather broad, distant or subdistant, adnate or decurrent, some
of them forked, whitish, becoming cream-colored. =Stem= 1–3 in. long,
8–18 lines thick, equal or narrowed downward, solid, pruinose-pubescent,
white. =Spores= white, 9–12.7µ. =Milk= white, 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´reus= Fr.—_vellus_, fleece. =Pileus= 2–5 in. broad, compact,
at first convex and umbilicate, then expanded and centrally depressed or
subinfundibuliform, the _whole surface minutely velvety-tomentose, soft
to the touch_, white or whitish, the margin at first involute, then
reflexed. =Gills= distant 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. =Milk= white, taste acrid. =Spores= white.
Woods and open places. Common. July to September. _Peck_, 38th Rep. N.Y.
State Bot.
=Spores= white, nearly smooth, 7–9µ. _Peck_; 4×8µ _W.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´tus= Soppitt.—involved. Every part white or with a very
slight ochraceous tinge. =Pileus= 1–2 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. =Gills= very
slightly decurrent, densely crowded, not ½ line broad, sometimes forked.
=Stem= ⅔-1 in. long, 2–3 lines thick, equal, or slightly thickened at
the base, glabrous, even, solid, very firm. =Milk= white, unchangeable,
not scanty, very hot. =Spores= obliquely 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. =Pileus= convex, then plane with
depressions in center, margin involute. =Gills= slightly decurrent,
densely crowded, very narrow. =Stem= short, firm, solid. =Milk= white,
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. =Milk= highly 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´sus= Fr.—delicious. (Plate XLI, fig. 3, p. 160.) =Pileus=
2–6 in. broad, _orange-brick-color, yellowish or grayish-orange_,
becoming pale, fleshy, when quite young _depressed in the center_,
margin naked, involute, then plano-depressed or broadly funnel-shaped
with the margin unfolded, smooth, slightly viscid, _zoned_ (zones
sometimes obsolete). =Flesh= soft, not compact, pallid, colored at the
circumference only by the juice. =Stem= 1–2 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. =Gills= somewhat decurrent, crowded, narrow, arcuate, often
branched, typically _saffron-yellow_, but _becoming pale and always
becoming green when wounded_. =Milk= _aromatic, from the first
red-brick-saffron_. _Fries._
=Spores= white, spheroid, echinulate 7–8µ _K._; 6µ _W.G.S._; echinulate,
9–10×7–8µ _Massee_; subglobose, 7.6–10µ _Peck_.
In woods, under firs, etc.
=Pileus= dingy 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.
=Gills= decurrent, narrow, saffron-color. =Milk= saffron-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´digo= Schw.—(Plate XLI, fig. 2, p. 160.) =Pileus= 2–5 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. =Gills= close, _indigo-blue_,
becoming yellowish and sometimes greenish with age. =Stem= 1–2 in. long,
6–10 lines thick, short nearly equal, hollow, often spotted with blue,
colored like the pileus. =Milk= _dark-blue_.
=Dry= places, especially under or near pine trees. Not rare but seldom
abundant. July to September. _Peck_, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.
=Spores= subglobose, 7.6–9µ long _Peck_.
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 a
large, 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´nium= Pk. =Pileus= 2–3 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. =Gills= _narrow_, close, sometimes
forked, anastomosing or wavy at the base, _grayish-yellow_. =Stem= 1–1.5
in. long, 4–6 lines thick, short, subequal, hollow, colored like the
pileus. =Spores= globose, 7.5µ. =Milk= sparse, _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´reus= Pk.—_sub_, under; _purpureus_, purple. =Pileus= at
first convex, then nearly plane or subinfundibuliform, more or less
spotted and zonate when young, and moist _dark-red with a grayish
luster_. =Gills= close, _dark-red_, becoming less clear and sometimes
greenish-stained with age. =Stem= equal or slightly tapering upward,
soon hollow, often spotted with red, colored like the pileus, sometimes
hairy at the base. =Spores= subglobose, 9–10µ. =Milk= _dark-red_.
=Pileus= 2–3 in. broad. =Stem= 1.5–3 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.
* VISCIDI. _Pileus viscid._
=L. pal´lidus= Fr.—_pale._ =Pileus= 3–6 in. broad, flesh-color or
clay-color to _pallid, somewhat tan_, fleshy, umbilicato-convex,
depressed, obtuse, margin broadly and for a long time involute, smooth,
gluey, _zoneless_. =Flesh= pallid. =Stem= 2 in. and more long, about ¾
in. thick, somewhat equal, stuffed then _hollow_, even, smooth, of the
same color as the pileus. =Gills= somewhat decurrent, arcuate, rather
broad, 1½-2 lines and more; somewhat thin, crowded, somewhat branched,
whitish at length of the same color as the pileus. =Milk= white,
unchangeable. _Fries._
Taste _somewhat 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.
=Spores= echinulate, almost round, 8µ _W.G.S._; 7–11µ _Cooke_; 9–10×7–8µ
_Massee_.
North Carolina, _Schweinitz_, _Curtis_; Massachusetts, _Frost_;
Minnesota, _Johnson_; Rhode Island, _Bennett_.
Edible. _Cooke._
=L. quie´tus= Fr.—calm, mild. =Pileus= 3 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_. =Flesh= white then reddish. =Stem= 2–3 in.
long, ½ in. and more thick, stuffed, _spongy_, smooth, reddish, _at
length beautifully rust-color_. =Gills= adnato-decurrent, somewhat
forked at the base, 1½-2 lines broad, _white then soon brick-red_.
=Milk= white, unchangeable, _sweet_. _Fries._
In woods. August to November. _Stevenson._
=Spores= echinulate, 8–10×6–7µ _Massee_; 10–12µ _Cooke_.
Nova Scotia, _Somers_; New York, _Peck_, Rep. 42.
Edible. _Cooke._ Eaten in France and held in estimation.
=L. theio´galus= Fr. _Gr_—brimstone; milk. =Pileus= 2–5 in. broad,
fleshy, thin, convex, then depressed, even, _glabrous_, viscid,
_tawny-reddish_. =Lamellæ= adnate or decurrent, close, pallid or
reddish. =Stem= 1–3 in. long, 4–10 lines thick, stuffed or hollow, even,
colored like the pileus. =Spores= _yellowish, inclining to pale
flesh-color_, subglobose, 7.5–9µ. =Milk= white, _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.
=Spores= subglobose, 7–8µ diameter _Massee_; subglobose, 7.5–9µ _Peck_.
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´sus= Fr.—_fuligo_, soot. =Pileus= 1–2.5 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. =Gills= adnate or
subdecurrent, subdistant, whitish then yellowish, becoming _stained with
pink-red or salmon-color where wounded_. =Stem= 1–2 in. long, 3–5 lines
thick, equal or slightly tapering downward, firm, stuffed, colored like
the pileus. =Spores= globose, _yellowish_, 7.5–10µ. =Milk= white, 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´sus= Pk. =Pileus= 1.5–2.5 in. broad, firm, convex, then
expanded and slightly depressed in the center, smooth, dry, smoky-brown
or sordid-white. =Gills= close, adnate or slightly rounded behind,
white, then yellowish. =Stem= 3–5 lines thick, firm, short, smooth,
stuffed, generally tapering downward. =Spores= distinctly echinulate,
yellow, 6µ in diameter. =Flesh= and =Milk= white; taste at first mild,
then acrid.
=Plant= 1.5–2 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._
=L. ru´fus= Fr.—red. =Pileus= 2–4 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. =Gills= narrow or
moderately broad, sometimes forked, close, subdecurrent, yellowish or
reddish. =Stem= 2–4 in. long, 3–5 lines thick, nearly equal, firm,
stuffed, paler than or colored like the pileus. =Spores= white, 7.6–10µ.
=Milk= white, 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.