FUNGUS-FLORA. 



LACTARIUS. Fries, (figs. 2, 3, p. 301, vol. ii.) 



PiLEUS rather rigid, flesby, becoming more or less de- 

 pressed, often marked with concentric zones; gills decurrent 

 or adnate, unequal, often branched, rather rigid, exuding 

 a white or coloured milk when bruised ; stem stout, central 

 or very rarely excentric, its substance continuous with 

 that of the pileus; spores subglobose, minutely echinulate, 

 white, or sometimes with a very faint tinge of yellow. 



Lactarius, Fries, Epi<3r., p. 333 ; Cke., Hdbk., p. 305. 



The presence of white or coloured milk which flows in 

 drops from the pileus, and especially the gills, when 

 wounded, is the most important generic character, and is 

 the only one separating the present genus from Bussula. 



Every part of the fungus contains numerous anastomosing 

 laticiferous cells filled with a densely granular liquid latex — 

 or milk as termed by systematists — which escapes in drops 

 when the tissue is broken. The latex is, in the majority of 

 species, persistently white ; in a few species the latex is 

 white at first, and gradually changes to some other colour 

 when exposed to the air ; in a still smaller number of species, 

 the latex is coloured before escaping from the cells. In some 

 species the latex is tasteless, or mild ; in others again it is 

 intensely acrid or peppery, even when only a very small 

 quantity is applied to the tongue. These peculiarities of 

 colour and taste of the latex are of specific importance, and 

 require to be noted. 



VOL. in. B 



