Keport of the State Botanist. 113 



The taste of the milk and flesh in many species is very acrid, or hot 

 and biting like that of Cayenne pepper ; in others it is mild or but 

 tardily and slightly acrid. This character is of great utility in distin- 

 guishing the species, and it is necessary to observe it by actually tasting, 

 but not swallowing the milk or flesh, if we would satisfactorily identify 

 our specimens. 



Several of the species are edible, others are affirmed by authors to 

 be poisonous. In some instances authors do not agree in respect to 

 the quality of the species, for while one affirms, for example, that L. in- 

 sulsus and L. piperatus are edible, another declares them to be poison- 

 ous. It is most prudent to avoid the use of such acrid species, for al- 

 though their acridity is dispelled or destroyed by cooking, they are said 

 by Gillet to be indigestible, and only acceptable to the strongest 

 stomachs. 



Most of the Lactarii grow on the ground, a few on decaying wood. 

 They are found in deep woods and swamps and in grassy grounds and 

 open places. They occur in Summer and Autumn, and are most abun- 

 dant in warm, showery weather. The species have been arranged by 

 Fries m groups, depending partly on the color and quality of the milk 

 and partly on the naked or pruinose character of the lamellae. This 

 latter character does not appear to me to be sufficiently constant and 

 obvious to be satisfactory. I have, therefore, made the color of the 

 milk the only basis of the primary grouping of our species. 



Sy?wpsis of the Species. 



Milk at first bright-colored, unchangeable i 



Milk at first white, changing color on exposure to trie air 2 



Milk white or whitish, unchangeable 7 



1 Young lamellae and milk indigo-blue Indigo. 



1 Young lamellae and milk dark-red ... subpurpureus. 



1 Young lamellae and milk orange-red deliciosus. 



1 Young lamellae and milk saffron-yellow Chelidonium. 



2 Milk becoming pinkish-red 3 



2 Milk becoming yellow 4 



2 Milk becoming lilac-color uvidus. 



3 Pileus dingy-gray or buff -gray (partly) fuliginosus. 



3 Pileus dingy -brown (partly) lignyotus. 



4 Margin of the mature pileus glabrous 5 



4 Margin of the mature pileus tomentose-hairy 6 



5 Pileus distinctly spotted, taste acrid chrysorheus. 



5 Pileus not distinctly spotted, taste tardily acrid theiogalus. 



6 Stem spotted scrobiculatus. 



6 Stem not spotted cilicioides. 



7 Pileus viscid when moist 8 



7 Pileus not viscid 13 



8 Margin of the pileus distinctly tomentose-hairy torminosus. 



8 Margin of the pileus glabrous or nearly so 9 



9 Pileus greenish-brown or yellowish-brown, tinged with green..sordidus. 



9 Pileus some other color, glabrous and viscid 10 



10 Pileus some shade of red or yellow 11 



10 Pileus some other color 12 



15 



