78 



Thirty-eighth Report on" the State Museum. 



flora were commenced m the thirty-third report and continued in sub- 

 sequent ones. For the present report a monograph has been prepared 

 of our species of Lactarms, or milky-juice fungi, and also one of the 

 genus (subgenus of Fries) Pluteus. 



The genus Lactarius is a large one, at present represented in our 

 State by forty species. Some of these rank as edible, others as poison- 

 ous While the genus as such is easily recognized and accurately sepa- 

 rated from all other genera, some of the species that compose it approach 

 each other so closely and vary so considerably that without clear and 

 explicit descriptions they are liable to be confused and their discrimi- 

 nation unsatisfactory. In this monograph it has been the design to make 

 the specific descriptions so complete and at the same time to give such 

 prominence to the distinguishing characters, that no difficulty need be 

 experienced in the identification of our species. The spore characters 

 are also given, a part of the description that is sometimes of great im- 

 portance, and yet one that has generally been omitted by authors. A 

 synoptical table has been prepared, by means of which, with good fresh 

 specimens it is believed, the name of any species described in the 

 monograph may be easily and quickly ascertained. These monographs 

 constitute a part of the report marked E. The revision of our specimens 

 of Sphaeriaceous fungi, which was commenced last year, has been con 

 tinned and completed. This revision, as was explained in my preceding 

 report, was necessary m order to bring the arrangement and nomencla- 

 ture of our species into harmony with the recent Saccardoan system 

 which, from present indications, is destined to supersede the old Friesian 



It is desirable, not only that our Agarics and other fleshy Hvmeno- 

 niycetous fungi, which so generally shrivel and change color in drying 

 should be Illustrated by sketches of the fresh plant colored according to 

 nature, but also that magnified drawings of the microscopic characters 

 of the smaller and minute fungi should be made and accompany the 

 specimens m the Herbarium. A considerable number of such sketches 

 were made the past season, at the time the specimens were collected, 

 i-rom these I have prepared three plates of figures designed to illustrate 

 as tar as possible, the characters of the new species described in the 

 lollowing pages 



Thanks are hereby rendered to those botanists who have kindly aided 

 me m the prosecution of my labors, both by the contribution of speci- 

 mens and of information. ^ 



Most respectfully submitted, 



' ^ , ' CHAS. H. PECK. 



Albany, December 31, 1884. 



I 



