120 



color of the pileus. Not only is this a variable character, but 

 two collectors may describe the same color in different terms. 

 Much difficulty can be avoided if a collector uses some standard 

 color scheme, as Saccardo's Cliromotaxia. Perhaps the most 

 complete and satisfactory color chart is Repertoire de Coideiirs 

 published by the French Society of " Chrysanthemistes," which 

 gives .365 distinct colors in various tones, including the repro- 

 duction of the colors recognized by Saccardo. The color de- 

 scription should be made as soon as possible after collection 

 and should include the color of young, mature, and old speci- 

 mens. If the pileus is zonate, the zonation should be described 

 carefully. 



It is also necessary to note the character of the surface of the 

 pileus. In some species the pileus is never viscid, in others 

 viscid only in wet weather, and in still other forms, the viscidity 

 is more or less persistent. When Lactariae are collected in dry 

 weather, special means must be used to determine positively 

 whether the pileus is viscid when wet. This may be determined 

 by standing the mushrooms in water for a short time or by plac- 

 ing them in the grass where they will be covered with dew dur- 

 ing the night. As a rule the other surface characters will be 

 preserved in drying, but sometimes these may be fugacious. 

 For example, the pileus of young plants may have a tomentose 

 covering in whole or in part, which will disappear in the mature 

 specimens. The extreme edge of the pileus is often minutely 

 tomentose at first and later glabrous. On the other hand, the 

 pileus may be glabrous at first and later squamulose or rimulose. 

 Any such peculiarities should be mentioned in the field-notes. 



Gills. — The color of the gills should be observed both in 

 young and mature plants, and note made whether the- color 

 changes with age, or where the gills are wounded. Although 

 the arrangement of the gills can be told from the dried specimen, 

 it can be determined more readily from the fresh mushroom. 

 This is especially true in cases where the gills branch. A draw- 

 ing showing the number of gill series, the branching and the 

 closeness is better than a description. The color of the spores 

 differs in the species, so that a rough spore-print ought to be 

 made in order to see the color in mass. 



