124 THIRTy-EIGHTH REPORT ON THE StATE MuSEUM. 



but differ in tlieir squamulose pileus. The specific name proves to be 

 inappropriate, as the species has been found in a much lower region than 

 that of its original discovery. 



Lactarius helvus, Fr. 



Pale-red Lactarius. 



Pileus fleshy, /ra!^?7e, convex, then plane or depressed, subumbonate, 

 dry, silky or floccose-squanudose and rivulose, pale-testaceous, becoming 

 paler; lamellae decurrent, thin, close, wliitish-ochraceous; stem stuffed 

 or hollow, jn'umose-pubescent; milk sparse, subacrid, white. 



Var. aquifluus. L. aquijluiis Peck. Milk sparse, luatery, taste 

 mild or subacrid , spores .0003 to .00035 ^^-'i odor weak in the fresh 

 plant, more decided in the dried specimens, aromatic and agreeable. 



Pileus 2 to 6 in. broad, stem 3 to 6 in. long, 4 to 10 lines thick. 



Mossy ground in swamps and marshes. Adirondack mountains, 

 Sandlake and Karner. July and August. 



Our specimens agree so closely with the description of L. helvus, as 

 given by Fries, and of which a translation is here given, that we have 

 referred them to that species, distinguishing them merely as a variety 

 on account of the watery milk. Fries regards such a milk as belonging 

 to a degenerate or abnormal state of the species, and the result of too 

 much moisture. But unless L. alpinus, shall prove to be a dwarf 

 form of L. helvus, only this form of the species has been detected 

 within our limits and indeed in this country. It scarcely seems 

 probable that a species would occur constantly and repeatedly, in 

 various widely separated localities, in a degenerate condition only. 

 It would seem probable that occasionally, in a dry time or in a 

 more dry locality, it would revert to its normal condition. But this has 

 not yet been observed to happen in our plant, therefore we have pre- 

 ferred to consider it a variety. The milk sometimes presents a slightly 

 turbid appearance, less clear than water. The pileus becomes quite 

 fragile when old, and the thin margin is then spreading and sometimes 

 flexuous. The color is a grayish-red or pale tawnj-red. The stem is 

 nearly equal, but in young plants it is often narrowed toward the apex. 

 It is glabrous or pruinose and soon hollow, often a little paler than the 

 pileus and slightly striate at the apex from the decurrent lamellae. The 

 flesh is tinged with pink or a pale pinkish-gray. The plant is sometimes 

 caespitose. 



Lactarius vellerius, Fr. 



Fleecy Lactarius. 

 Agaricus Listen Sow. A. piperattis Poll. 



Pileus compact, at first convex and umbilicate, then expanded and 

 centrally depressed or subinfundibuliform, the whole surface minufehj 

 velvety -tomentose, soft to the touch, white or whitish, the margin at first 

 involute, then reflexed ; lamellae dista^it or subdistani, adnate or decur- 

 rent, sometimes forked, whitish becoming yellowish or cream-colored ; 

 stem firm, solid, equal or \.a.^Qvir\g do-wn-wa.xd, pruinose-pubescent, white; 

 spores white, nearly smooth, .0003 to .00035 •"•; milk white, taste acrid. 



Pileus 2 to 5 in. broad, stem .5 to 2 in. long, 6 to 16 lines thick. 



Woods and open places. Common. July to September. 



I 



