Lactarius Persoon: S. F. Gray
A Natural Arrangement of British Plants I: 623. 1821.

Principle characteristics of the genus Lactarius:

• Spore deposit white to cream to ochre
• Lamellae attached
• Fruiting bodies exuding a latex when cut or broken.
• Latex watery, milky, to brightly colored, sometimes staining flesh
• Spores with amyloid ornamentation
• Flesh with clusters of sphaerocysts

Keys and descriptions of the genus Lactarius:

• Illinois Mycological Society: Lactarius
• University of Michigan Herbarium Fungus Monographs: North American species of Lactarius by Hesler & Smith
• Methven, A.S. (1997). The Agaricales (Gilled Fungi) of California. 10. Russulaceae II. Lactarius. Mad River Press: Eureka, CA.
• Hesler, L.R. & Smith, A.H. (1979). North American Species of Lactarius. University of Michigan Press: Ann Arbor, MI.

Lactarius species known to occur in California:

1. Lactarius alnicola var. alnicola
2. Lactarius alpinus var. mitis
3. Lactarius argillaceifolius var. megacarpus
4. Lactarius aspideoides
5. Lactarius atrobadius
6. Lactarius caespitosus
7. Lactarius californiensis
8. Lactarius circellatus var. borealis
9. Lactarius controversus
10. Lactarius cocoseolens
11. Lactarius deliciosus
    1. var. areolatus
    2. var. deliciosus
    3. var. olivaceosordidus
12. Lactarius desjardinii
13. Lactarius deterrimus
14. Lactarius fallax
    1. var. concolor
    2. var. fallax
15. Lactarius glutigriseus
16. Lactarius hysginus var. americanus
17. Lactarius kaufmanii var kauffmanii
18. Lactarius luculentus var. laetus
19. Lactarius manzanitae
20. Lactarius necator
21. Lactarius occidentalis
22. Lactarius olivaceo-umbrinus
23. Lactarius pallescens var. pallescens
24. Lactarius pallidiolivaceus
25. Lactarius pseudomucidus
26. Lactarius pubescens
27. Lactarius repraesentaneus
28. Lactarius resimus var. resimus
29. Lactarius riparius
30. Lactarius rubidus
31. Lactarius rubrilacteus
32. Lactarius rubriviridus
33. Lactarius rufulus
34. Lactarius rufus
35. Lactarius scrobiculatus
    1. var. canadensis
    2. var. montanus
    3. var. pubescens
36. Lactarius subflammeus
37. Lactarius substriatus
38. Lactarius subvillosus
39. Lactarius subviscidus
40. Lactarius thiersii
41. Lactarius torminosus var. nordmanensis
42. Lactarius uvidus var. montanus
43. Lactarius xanthogalactus

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