h, sometimes paler,
usually first grayish when covered with the olive colored slime. The
gills are decurrent, white, then yellow. It occurs in autumn.

LACTARIUS Fr.

The genus _Lactarius_ is easily distinguished from nearly all the other
agarics by the presence of a milky or colored juice which exudes from
wounded, cut, or broken places on the fresh plant. There are a few of
the species of the genus _Mycena_ which exude a watery or colored juice
where wounded, but these are easily told from _Lactarius_ because of
their small size, more slender habit, and bell-shaped cap. By careful
observation of these characters it is quite an easy matter to tell
whether or not the plant at hand is a _Lactarius_. In addition to the
presence of this juice or milk as it is commonly termed, the entire
plant while firm is quite brittle, especially the gills. There are
groups of rounded or vesiculose cells intermingled with thread-like
cells in the substance of the cap. This latter character can only be
seen on examination with the microscope. The brittleness of the plant as
well as the presence of these groups of vesiculose cells is shared by
the genus _Russula_, which is at once separated from _Lactarius_ by the
absence of a juice which exudes in drops.

In determining the species it is a very important thing to know the
taste of the juice or of the fresh plant, whether it is peppery, or
bitter, or mild, that is, tasteless. If one is careful not to swallow
any of the juice or flesh of the plant no harm results from tasting any
of the plants, provided they are not tasted too often during a short
time, beyond the unpleasant sensation resulting from tasting some of
the very "hot" kinds. It is important also to know the color of the milk
when it first exudes from wounds and if it changes color on exposure to
the air. These tests of the plant should be made of course while it is
fresh. The spores are white, globose or nearly so in all species, and
usually covered with minute spiny processes. There are a large number of
species. Peck, 38th Report, N. Y. State Mus., pp. 111--133, describes 40
American species.

[Illustration: FIGURE 118.--Lactarius corrugis. Showing corrugated cap,
and white milk exuding. Dark tawny brown, gills orange brown (natural
size, often larger). Copyright.]

=Lactarius volemus= Fr. =Edible.=--This species is by some termed the
orange brown lactarius because of its usual color. It was probably
termed _Lactarius