Xiang-Hua Wang & Pei-Gui Liu

Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Biogeography, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sci-ences, Kunming 650204, P. R. China

Wang X. H. & Liu P. G. (2010) Type study on Japanese species of Lactarius described by S. Imai. – Sydowia 62 (2): 325-335.

Holotype material and/or authentic collections of five Japanese taxa (deposited in the herbarium SAPA), described by S. Imai in 1935 were re-examined, viz. Lactarius akanensis, L. avellaneus, L. deliciosus f. laeticolor, L. deliciosus f. virescens, and L. flavidulus. For L. deliciosus f. laeticolor a lectotype was desig-nated. The neotypification of L. deliciosus f. virescens is pending because no original material is available. The morphological analysis shows that the five enumerated taxa belong to Lactarius subgen. Piperites. Lactarius akanensis is a member of the L. trivialis-complex. Lactarius avellaneus is characterized by an ixolattice with incrustations in the pileipellis and the latex staining yellow. Lactarius flavidulus belongs to Lactarius subgen. Piperites sect. Zonarii, in which it is remarkable due to the gray-greenish discolouration of the latex and lamellae. Detailed macromorphological and micromorphological descriptions and illustrations are presented.
Key words: Japan, lectotypification, Russulaceae, Taxonomy.