Lactarius

Belongs within: Russula.

Lactarius is a genus of fungi producing mushroom-like fruiting bodies with an abundant latex. Molecular analysis indicates that the gasteroid genera Arcangeliella and Zelleromyces are nested within Lactarius (Miller et al. 2001).

Characters (from Miller et al. 2001): Basidiome with an abundant latex, radially arranged lamellae, a pileus, a well developed stipe, heteromerous tissue composed of sphaerocytes and filamentous hyphae, relatively few sphaerocytes (especially in lamellae), amyloid ornamentation on basidiospores.

Lactarius Gray 1821MM01 (see below for synonymy)
    |  i. s.: L. chrysorrheusNU03
    |         L. corrugisHB02
    |         L. deliciosusKC01
    |         L. volemusHB02
    |--+--L. (sect. Lactifluus subsect. Albati) deceptivusMM01
    |  `--L. sect. Panuoidei [=Pleurogala Redhead & Norvell 1993]MM02
    |       `--L. panuoidesMM02
    `--+--L. (sect. Lactifluus subsect. Allardii) peckiiMM01
       |--L. (sect. Piperites subsect. Scrobiculati) scrobiculatusMM01
       |    |--L. s. var. scrobiculatusMM01
       |    `--L. s. var. pubescensMM01
       |--L. sect. PlinthogalusMM01
       |    |--L. (subsect. Plinthogalus) lignyotellusMM01
       |    `--L. (subsect. Fumosi) fumosusMM01
       `--+--‘Zelleromyces’ sculptisporusMM01
          |--L. (sect. Lactarius subsect. Lactarius) subpurpureusMM01
          |--Arcangeliella Cavara 1900MM01, KC01
          |    |--A. parvaMM01
          |    `--A. variegataMM01
          `--+--L. (sect. Piperites subsect. Aspideinii) speciosusMM01
             `--+--L. (sect. Russularia subsect. Russularia) subdulcisMM01
                `--Zelleromyces Singer & Sm. 1960MM01, KC01
                     |--Z. daucinusMM01
                     |--Z. stephensiiBB02
                     `--Z. striatusMM01

Lactarius Gray 1821^MM01 [=Galorrheus (Fr.) Fr. 1825 non Haw. 1812^KC01, Gloeocybe Earle 1909^KC01, Lactaria Pers.1797^KC01; incl. Hypophyllum Earle 1909 non Paulet 1808^KC01, Lactariella Schröt. 1889^KC01, Lactariopsis Henn. 1901^KC01, Lactifluus (Pers.) Roussel 1806^KC01]

*Type species of generic name indicated

References

[BB02] Binder, M., & A. Bresinsky. 2002. Derivation of a polymorphic lineage of Gasteromycetes from boletoid ancestors. Mycologia 94 (1): 85–98.

[HB02] Hibbett, D. S., & M. Binder. 2002. Evolution of complex fruiting-body morphologies in homobasidiomycetes. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B—Biological Sciences 269: 1963–1969.

[KC01] Kirk, P. M., P. F. Cannon, J. C. David & J. A. Stalpers. 2001. Ainsworth & Bisby’s Dictionary of the Fungi 9^th ed. CAB International: Wallingford (UK).

[MM01] Miller, S. L., T. M. McClean, J. F. Walker & B. Buyck. 2001. A molecular phylogeny of the Russulales including agaricoid, gasteroid and pleurotoid taxa. Mycologia 93 (2): 344–354.

[NU03] Nagao, H., S. Udagawa, N. L. Bougher, A. Suzuki & I. C. Tommerup. 2003. The genus Thecotheus (Pezizales) in Australia: T. urinamans sp. nov. from urea-treated jarrah (Eucalyptus marginatus) forest. Mycologia 95 (4): 688–693.