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EDIBLE AND POISONOUS MUSHROOMS OF CANADA
LACTARIUS MUCIDUS Burl. Not recommended
Figure 83, page 46
piLEUS 1-3 in. broad, at first convex, umbilicate, becoming expanded and
depressed to infundibuliform, grayish, putty-colored at margin to brownish in
center, viscid, glabrous, not zoned, margin inrolled at first, then spreading.
FLESH white, not firm, thin, latex white, drying greenish gray to bluish gray,
acrid, lamellae adnate, close to subdistant, rather narrow, some forked,
white, staining greenish gray, sometimes with a tinge of bluish when wounded.
STIPE %-2 in. long, 14-^8 J^i. thick, equal or tapering upward, slightly viscid,
glabrous or somewhat rivulose-wrinkled, colored like the pileus or paler,
stuffed becoming hollow, spores white, ellipsoid to subglobose, 7.5-10 X 6-8 m,
ornamented with a coarse reticulum of lines and bands and a few separate
warts.
On the ground, usually in conifer woods. July-Oct.
This is close to L. trivialis but is somewhat darker in color and the spores
are smaller. The color change of the latex is slow and must be checked care-
fully or the fungus might be confused with L. cinereus. The spores of the latter
are a little smaller. L. varius Pk. is scarcely viscid. It can be distinguished
microscopically by the structure of the cuticle of the pileus. In L. mucidus the
cuticle is composed of elongated, gelatinized hyphae, whereas in L. varius it is
composed of much interwoven, very slightly gelatinized hyphae.
The edible qualities are not known but it is not recommended because of
the acrid latex.
LACTARIUS NEGATOR (Pers. ex Fr.) Lundell Not recommended
Figures 69, 70, page 45
PILEUS 2-6 in. broad, firm, at first convex, umbilicate, becoming expanded
and depressed in the center, olive brown to umber, darker on disk, not zoned,
glabrous or with agglutinated fibrils, viscid when moist, margin at first yellowvillose.
FLESH firm, thick, whitish, latex white, unchanging, acrid, lamellae
slightly decurrent, narrow, crowded, pale yellow, becoming black when
bruised, gray on drying, stipe 1-214 in- long. Vi-^ in. thick, equal, glabrous,
viscid when moist, colored like the pileus or paler, often with darker spots,
stuffed or hollow, spores yellowish to cream colored, ellipsoid to subglobose,
7-9 X 5.5-7 M, ornamented with a nearly complete reticulum of fairly heavy
lines and occasional separate warts.
It grows on the ground, singly or in groups, in mixed woods. July-Sept.
This is an extremely unattractive mushroom, although it is said to be
eaten in Europe. The acrid latex and repellent colors will probably deter most
people from eating it. It was formerly known as L. turpis (Weinm.) Fr. but
this name is illegitimate under the present rules of nomenclature.
It might be confused with L. atroviridis Peck which has more green in the
color of the pileus and has a rough, scabrous surface.
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