JOURNAL 



OF THE -" *^ 



Elisha Mitchell Scientific Society 



Volume XXXIV JUNE, 1918 Nos. 1 and 2 



THE LACT'AKIAS OF NOKTH CAROLINA 



By W. C. Coker 



Plants fleshy, the cells of the cap flesh in great part vesicular as in 

 Russula, when broken exuding a milky juice (latex) which is white or 

 colored (occasionally almost watery) and mild or acrid ; gills adnate or 

 decurrent; stem central, its flesh continuous with that of the cap; 

 spores globose to short-elliptic, warted or with combined warts and 

 ridges, very rarely smooth. In a few species the milk may be mild 

 at one time and acrid at another. 



This genus is distinguished from Russula mainly by the milky 

 juice, but there are certain more intimate distinguishing characters 

 that are usually present and that one soon learns to recognize, e. g., the 

 cap in this genus is often zoned and the texture is usually less fragile 

 than in Russula. The abundance of the milk varies greatly in differ- 

 ent species, and in some, especially after maturity, it may disappear 

 at times. Berkeley and Ravenel describe a species of Lactarius with- 

 out milk that they name L. illachrymans, and it is reported from 

 North Carolina by Curtis, but I have found so many species of Lac- 

 tarius without milk when dry or old that I agree with Miss Burling- 

 ham in not considering this a good species without further evidence. 



In practically all texts the spores of Lactarius are described as 

 white, but this is not correct for many species. They vary with the 

 species from pure white through cream, buff, yellowish, to ochraceous 

 or light cinnamon and have sometimes a tint of pink or salmon. 



All species with pleasant taste when fresh are supposed to bo edible, 

 and many of the peppery ones that have been considered poisonous 

 have now been found to be harmless. The peppery taste disappears 



