Mushrooms of the genus Milkniki: photos and descriptions of species. Milky mushroom - edible Milky mushroom changes color to yellow when soaked
Milkweeds grow in forests and forest clearings, in the tundra, forest-tundra, and sometimes in swamps and meadows. In Europe, most species of this genus are considered inedible, or even poisonous. In Slavic countries, many milkweeds are classified as conditionally edible mushrooms and are used as food in salted or pickled form.
General information about the mushroom
The milkweed is a genus of lamellar mushrooms of the Russulaceae family, which has about 400 species. From Latin, the name of the genus of mushrooms is translated as “milk” or “milk-giving.” People often call them lacticians.
Characteristics of the milk mushroom
hat
The average diameter of a milkweed cap reaches 8 cm, but there are also specimens with caps up to 30-40 cm in diameter. In young mushrooms, the edge of the cap is adjacent to the stem; it gradually straightens out to a flat, plano-concave or funnel-shaped shape. Sometimes there is a tubercle in the center. The edge is smooth, less often wavy. The color of the caps of different species of milkweed varies from white, gray, yellow, orange, brown to blue, purple, pink and even olive-black. Color may also change as the mushroom ages. The surface of the cap is also variable: from smooth or velvety to scaly or pubescent.
Pulp
The fresh pulp of milkweeds has a sharp, burning taste, or, on the contrary, it is fresh or mildly spicy, sometimes sweetish. The color of the pulp is usually white with a brown, gray, fawn or cream tint. The pulp changes color when cut and with age. Its smell is weak and vague, sometimes absent, specific only to certain species.
Leg
The leg is cylindrical, narrows or widens towards the base, club-shaped or swollen; the color matches the cap. The diameter of the stalk is 1.5-2 cm, height 5-8 cm. The surface is dry and smooth, sometimes sticky or slimy. Gradually the leg becomes spongy and hollow.
Milkweeds grow in various types of forests around the world. In relation to the plants with which fungi form mycorrhiza, there are both specific and nonspecific species.
The fruiting season for most lactiferous species begins in July and lasts until mid-autumn.
In Europe, lacticaria are considered inedible or poisonous mushrooms. In Slavic countries they are classified as conditionally edible and consumed salted or pickled.
During the process of salting and pickling, fermentation occurs in the milkweed and it receives a characteristic sourish taste, which is valued in Russian pickles. Since the milkweed is a fleshy mushroom, after preliminary boiling it is used to prepare various dishes. The bitterness of the milkweed disappears after heat treatment; well-fried mushrooms have a piquant, spicy, slightly bitter aftertaste. In Finland, milkfish are prepared by baking over a fire or grill.
Types of lacticaria mushroom
Conditionally edible mushroom.
The cap is 2-10 cm in diameter, smooth, with a wavy edge. The skin is moist, bare, smooth, ocher, dark in the center, with concentric zones. The leg is up to 10 cm high, 1.5 cm in diameter, cylindrical, hollow, hard, bare, smooth, lighter than the cap. The pulp is dense, white, pungent, and the smell is not pronounced. The milky juice is white and does not change in air.
A conditionally edible mushroom, used salted. Before cooking, soak or boil for a long time.
The cap is 3-7 cm in diameter, the shape is convex, later spread out, the surface is lumpy, dry, velvety, the edge is wavy. The color is brownish-gray. The leg is 3-5 cm in height, up to 1.5 cm in thickness, cylindrical in shape, tapering towards the base, dense, velvety, grayish-cream. The pulp is white, dense, red when cut, the taste is hot and pungent, there is no smell. The milky sap is abundant, thick, white, and becomes bright coral in the air.
The mushroom grows in small groups in deciduous, broad-leaved, and sometimes in mixed forests of Eurasia. The season lasts from July to September.
Conditionally edible mushroom.
The cap is 3-6 cm in diameter, in a young mushroom it is convex, the edge is tucked, later depressed with a tubercle in the center and a wavy edge. The skin is dry, scaly, ocher. The stem is 2-4 cm in height, up to 0.5 cm in thickness, cylindrical in shape, the color matches the cap. The pulp is dense, white, has a pungent taste and no odor. The milky juice is white and does not change in air.
Grows in open forests, in groups, in Eurasia, North America. Fruits in August.
Conditionally edible mushroom.
The cap is 3-8 cm in diameter, in young mushrooms it is convex, the edge is pubescent, later depressed with a smooth edge. The skin is slimy, yellowish in color, with purple spots. The leg is 3-5 cm high, up to 1.5 cm in diameter, cylindrical in shape, hard, hollow, mucous, the color matches the cap. The pulp is white, dense, fresh, the smell is not pronounced. The milky sap is white and turns purple in the air.
It grows in groups in deciduous and mixed with birch forests of Eurasia and North America. The season continues in August-September.
Conditionally edible mushroom.
The cap is 8-10 cm in diameter, thick, depressed, the edge is turned up, fringed. The skin is sticky, smooth, glabrous, orange-ocher in color, with concentric zones. The leg is 6-10 cm in height, up to 3 cm in thickness, cylindrical in shape, smooth, dry, hollow, light ocher in color. The pulp is light ocher in color, dense, the taste is sharp, the smell is not pronounced. The milky juice is white and does not change in air.
Grows in small groups in mixed forests of Eurasia in September.
Conditionally edible mushroom.
The diameter of the cap is 3-9 cm, the shape is flat or depressed with a tubercle, the edge is smooth. The skin is dry, velvety, brown or sandy. The leg is 3-7 cm high, up to 1 cm thick, cylindrical in shape, hard, bare, color like a cap. The pulp is white, dense, fresh, no smell. The milky sap is white and turns pink in the air.
Distributed in deciduous and mixed forests of Eurasia. Grows in large groups from August to September.
Conditionally edible mushroom.
The hat is 13-18 cm in diameter, flat, the edge is turned up. The surface is dry, pubescent, white or cream in color, later with brown spots. The pulp is fleshy, hard, white, has a pungent taste, a sour-fruity smell, unpleasant. The milky juice is white or creamy. The leg is cylindrical, tapering downward, 3-7 cm in height, 2-4 cm in diameter, solid. The surface is bare, white.
Grows in deciduous forests of Eurasia.
Conditionally edible mushroom.
The cap is 3-6 cm in diameter, in a young mushroom it is convex, the edge is curved, later it is spread out or depressed, the edge is ribbed. The color of the cap is reddish-brown, the surface is smooth, matte. The leg is about 0.6 cm thick, 3-5 cm high, cylindrical in shape, thin, color like a cap. The pulp is loose, brittle, reddish-brown in color, the smell is unpleasant, camphorous, the taste is insipid or sweetish. The milky juice is abundant, whitish, and does not change in air.
Grows in coniferous, mixed and deciduous forests in the temperate zone of Eurasia and North America. The season lasts from August to September.
Conditionally edible mushroom.
The cap is 3-8 cm in diameter, flat, then depressed, thin-fleshy, the edge is wavy. The skin is sticky, gray, with concentric circles. The leg is 4-8 cm high and 0.7-1.5 cm thick, cylindrical, hollow, hard, brown in color. The pulp is white, dense, the smell is not pronounced, the taste is sharp. The milky juice is white.
Distributed in mixed and deciduous forests, grows in small groups in Eurasia and North America.
Conditionally edible mushroom.
The diameter of the cap is 4-10 cm, the shape is convex, later funnel-shaped, the edge is bent. The color of the cap is dark brown or chocolate, the surface is dry and velvety. The leg is 4-10 cm high, 1-1.5 cm thick, cylindrical, velvety, light. The pulp is whitish, turns pink when cut, dense, fragile. The smell is weak, fruity, the taste is pungent. The milky juice is thick, white, and turns pink in the air.
Mycorrhiza forms with oak and beech. Distributed in deciduous forests of Europe. Fruiting begins in July and lasts until mid-September.
Conditionally edible mushroom.
The cap is 3-6 cm in diameter, the shape is convex, later flattened, the edge is turned up, the color is flesh-gray. The surface is dry, pubescent. The leg is 0.5-1 cm in diameter, high, smooth, loose, light. The pulp is white, fresh, and has a coconut aroma. The milky juice is white and does not change in air.
Grows in deciduous and mixed forests, from August to October.
Conditionally edible mushroom.
The cap is 4-8 cm in diameter, dry, convex in shape, in the old mushroom it is flat or depressed, orange-brown. The leg is 0.5-1.5 cm thick, 3-7 cm tall, orange-brown in color. The pulp is brittle and white.
Grows in forests, next to oak trees.
A conditionally edible mushroom, common in North and Central America and Asia.
The diameter of the cap is 5-15 cm, the color is blue, the shape is convex, gradually becoming depressed. The edge is turned up. The surface is sticky. The leg is 2-6 cm high, 1-2.5 cm in diameter, cylindrical, the color matches the cap. The pulp is light or bluish. The milky juice is blue, acrid, and turns green in the air. There is no smell.
Grows in deciduous and coniferous forests.
Conditionally edible mushroom.
The cap is 3-7 cm in diameter, convex in shape with a tubercle and a pubescent edge, later spread out. The surface is velvety, wrinkled, chestnut, brown or black-brown in color. The leg is 6-8 cm high, 0.5-2 cm thick, cylindrical in shape, solid, velvety, color like a cap. The pulp is hard, white or pale yellow, turns red when cut, and has no pronounced odor. The milky sap is non-caustic, white, and turns yellow in air.
A rare species, it grows in coniferous forests in small groups or singly. The season begins in mid-August and lasts until the end of September.
Conditionally edible mushroom.
The cap is 4-8 cm in diameter, flat in shape, funnel-shaped in the old mushroom. The color is lilac-pink, the surface is pubescent. The stem is 3-8 cm high, 0.8-1.2 cm in diameter, cylindrical, hollow, buffy. The pulp is whitish-pink in color and has a mushroom smell. The milky juice is white, abundant, caustic.
Distributed in deciduous and coniferous forests, grows in September-October.
Conditionally edible mushroom.
The cap is 2.5-8 cm in diameter, convex in shape, later flat, white or yellowish in color. The pulp is white, turns brown when exposed to air, the taste is insipid, the smell is unpleasant. The milky juice is white, does not change in air, sticky, abundant. The leg is 2.5-6 cm long, 0.5-1.2 cm thick, white or cream, dry, velvety.
The mushroom grows in deciduous and mixed forests of North America and Japan.
Conditionally edible mushroom.
The cap is 2-6 cm in diameter; in a young mushroom it is convex, then funnel-shaped. The color is orange, the surface is velvety, dry. The stem is 3-8 cm high, 0.8-1.2 cm thick, cylindrical in shape, dense, the color matches the cap. The pulp is dense, orange, odorless. The milky juice is white, watery, and does not change color in air.
Mycorrhiza forms with birch, oak and spruce and grows from mid-July to October.
Conditionally edible mushroom.
The diameter of the cap is up to 10 cm, the shape is convex, then funnel-shaped. The surface is smooth, slimy, yellowish-white. The leg is 3-7 cm long, 1-2.5 cm in diameter, cylindrical in shape, tapering downward, hollow, white. The pulp is white, non-acidic. The milky juice is white.
Grows in pine and mixed forests. The season lasts from August to October.
Conditionally edible mushroom.
The cap is 4-12 cm in diameter, convex, funnel-shaped and depressed in old mushrooms. The surface is smooth, slimy, pale. The leg is 7-9 cm high, 1.5 cm thick, cylindrical, hollow, color like a cap. The pulp is thick, white or cream in color, the smell is pleasant, the taste is pungent. The milky juice is abundant and white.
Grows next to oak and beech from July to August.
Conditionally edible mushroom.
The diameter of the cap is 3-6 cm, the shape is round, the edge is turned up, wavy. The color is grayish-flesh, with concentric zones, the surface is moist, mucous. The stem is 3-5 cm high, 0.5-1 cm thick, tapers towards the base, the color matches the cap. The pulp is dense, white, the smell is weak, mushroom. The milky juice is abundant, white or yellowish in color. The taste is very spicy.
Distributed in Europe and Asia in deciduous, broad-leaved and mixed forests. Fruiting in early August and until the end of September.
Conditionally edible mushroom.
The cap is 4-8 cm in diameter, flat-convex in shape, dented in old mushrooms. The surface is dry, brown, with dark concentric zones. The stem is 3-6 cm high, 0.5-1 cm thick, cylindrical in shape, solid, color like a cap. The pulp is dense, brittle, white, later turns brown, the taste is weak, the smell is hay, specific. The milky juice is white, non-caustic.
Mycorrhiza forms only with oak. Grows abundantly in deciduous and mixed forests. The season lasts from the beginning of July to the end of September.
Conditionally edible mushroom.
The cap is 2-6 cm in diameter, in a young mushroom it is flat-convex, the edge is curved, later it is spread out, depressed. The color of the cap is pink-red, with red concentric zones. The flesh is light and turns green with age. The milky sap is white and turns green in air. The stem is 3-5 cm high, 0.2-0.8 cm thick, curved, hollow, color like a cap.
Grows in deciduous and mixed forests, next to birch, from mid-August to late September.
Conditionally edible mushroom.
The cap is 3-5 cm in diameter, convex in shape, prostrate in old mushrooms, the surface is dry and reddish. The stem is 0.4-0.8 cm thick, 2-5 cm high, loose, later hollow, widens towards the base, the color matches the cap. The pulp has a weak pungent taste. The milky sap is white and turns yellow in air.
Distributed from July to September in mixed and deciduous forests.
Conditionally edible mushroom.
The cap is 8-15 cm in diameter, fleshy, hemispherical or convex in shape, later flattened, mucous. Color from violet-lilac to pale-brown. The leg is 5-10 cm high, cylindrical, the color matches the cap. The pulp is white, sharp, the milky juice is white, burning.
It grows in Eurasia, in large groups, in coniferous and deciduous forests.
Conditionally edible mushroom.
The cap is 3-8 cm in diameter, convex at first, grayish-brown or wine-brown in color. The leg is 3-8 cm high, cylindrical, solid, light. The pulp is white, fragile, and has a sharp taste. The milky juice is white and hot.
Found in Eurasia and North America, in large groups, in deciduous and mixed forests.
Conditionally edible mushroom.
The diameter of the cap is 8-15 cm, the center is depressed, the shape is funnel-shaped, the color of the cap is lilac-brown, with concentric zones. The leg is 5-10 cm high, cylindrical, hollow, cream-colored. The pulp is white, dense, and turns purple when exposed to air. The taste is island-bitter.
Grows in deciduous and mixed forests of Eurasia.
Conditionally edible mushroom.
The cap is 3-7 cm in diameter, dry, buffy, flat-convex in shape, with a curved edge. The stem is 0.6-1.3 cm thick, 7 cm high, cylindrical in shape, hollow, fibrous, color like a cap. The pulp is brownish-reddish in color, brittle. The milky juice is watery and white.
Grows in August-September in mixed and deciduous forests.
Poisonous and inedible types of laticifer mushroom
Inedible mushroom.
The diameter of the cap is 4-10 cm, the shape is convex, later spread out, the edge is curved. The surface of the cap is shiny, sticky, gray-green in color with dark concentric zones. The leg is 4-6 cm long, 2.5 cm in diameter, light. The pulp is white, odorless, the taste is sharp, peppery. The milky juice is thick and white.
Mycorrhiza forms with deciduous trees and grows in summer and autumn in small groups in deciduous forests of Europe and Asia.
Inedible mushroom.
The cap is 6-12 cm in diameter, the shape is flat, later funnel-shaped, the edge is curled. The color is pinkish-brown. The stem is 9 cm high, 1.5-2 cm thick, cylindrical in shape, the color matches the cap. The pulp is light yellow. The smell is strong, spicy, unpleasant. The taste is bitter. The milky juice is watery-white.
Grows in coniferous forests in the northern temperate zone. Fruiting season is from July to September.
Inedible mushroom.
The cap is 3-6 cm in diameter, the color is liver-brown, the surface is smooth. The stem is 3-6 cm in height, 0.6-1 cm in thickness, cylindrical in shape, color like a cap. The pulp is thin, cream or light brown, acrid.
Mycorrhiza forms with pine.
Inedible mushroom.
The cap is 1.5-3 cm in diameter, the young mushroom is flat, later goblet-shaped, the edge is wrinkled, the surface is matte, the color is ocher-brown. The stem is 0.5 cm in diameter, 2-3 cm high, cylindrical in shape, color like a cap. The pulp is brittle and brown. The milky juice is white.
Grows in mixed and deciduous forests, from mid-July to September.
Inedible mushroom.
The cap is 4-10 cm in diameter, convex in shape, later spread out. The surface is velvety, brownish-brown. The stem is 3-6 cm high, 1-1.5 cm thick, cylindrical in shape, tapering towards the base. The pulp is white, dense, the smell is weak, fruity, the taste is sharp, peppery, turns pink in the air. The milky juice is thick, white, and turns red in air.
Grows in small groups or singly in coniferous and mixed forests. The season starts in mid-August and lasts until the end of September.
Inedible mushroom.
The hat is 3-8 cm in diameter, convex in shape. Orange color, smooth surface.
The stem is 3-6 cm long, 0.8-1.5 cm in diameter, cylindrical in shape, tapering towards the base; in a young mushroom it is solid, later hollow, the color matches the cap. The pulp is dense, fibrous, the smell is orange. The milky juice is thick, sticky, and white.
Grows in deciduous forests, in small groups, in summer and autumn.
Inedible mushroom.
The diameter of the cap is 4-8 cm; the young mushroom has a convex shape, later spread out. The edge is folded. The color is steel-gray with a violet tint, the surface is smooth and moist. The pulp is odorless, has a pungent taste, white or yellowish, and turns purple when cut. The milky juice is abundant, white, and turns purple in air. The leg is 4-7 cm high, 1-2 cm thick, strong, cylindrical.
A rare mushroom that grows in damp deciduous and mixed forests from early August to late September.
Milkworms are bred either by buying ready-made mycelium, or by growing it from the spores of a wild mature mushroom. Mycelium is sown from May to September. In winter, it is planted in heated greenhouses. In the greenhouse, the lactic mycelium is planted in a polyethylene bag filled with substrate with slits through which the mushrooms will germinate. The mycelium develops over 5 years.
The area for planting mycelium is well fertilized with peat. Deciduous trees under 4 years of age must grow on its territory.
The purchased mycelium is sown in a prepared substrate from a mixture of disinfected soil and hardwood sawdust. Moss, fallen leaves, husks or straw are also added.
The soil at the planting site is first disinfected with a lime solution (50 g per 10 liters of water), pouring the solution into the holes under the tree.
The wells are filled halfway with the substrate. Pieces of lactiferous mycelium are laid on top and completely filled with substrate. The soil is compacted, pieces of moss and fallen leaves are laid on top.
In dry times, the area is watered with at least 30 liters of water per week. On hot days it is protected from overheating. For the winter they are insulated with fallen leaves.
The harvest appears from July to August.
Calorie content of milkweed mushroom
The nutritional value of milkweeds is very variable. Young mushrooms contain more nutrients; fresh mushrooms contain almost 90% water. Milk plants contain essential amino acids, fats and fatty acids.
- The bitter milky juice of lacticaria, when ingested by the human body, causes vomiting, diarrhea, and eating disorders, which is why lacticaria are often classified as inedible mushrooms.
- The natural bitter taste of these mushrooms repels pests, so milkweeds are practically not susceptible to attack by insect larvae and worms.
During the autumn period, the issue of collecting mushrooms is always relevant. Not all people are well versed in certain varieties. In our article we want to talk about the common milkweed. What kind of mushroom is this, what does it look like and is it edible?
What is the name of the mushroom associated with?
Common milkweed is a conditionally edible mushroom that belongs to the Russula family. It got its name due to the fact that its pulp contains ducts with milky juice. As soon as the fruiting body is slightly damaged, the juice begins to flow out. Very old specimens in dry years may not contain milky fluid.
Common milkweed: photo and description
Milky mushrooms are lamellar mushrooms of the Russula family. The radius of the mushroom cap can be from 4 to 11 centimeters. Its surface always shines, even in sunny but dry weather. Circles are visible on top of it. As the mushroom ages, the color of the cap also changes. If young representatives have a dark bluish color and a convex cap shape, then the old ones acquire a purple or brown color, and subsequently yellow and rusty. The cap gradually becomes flatter and even depressed. Its surface is quite dense, and sometimes there are even pits on it. The edges of the cap can be wavy or curved, and often even curl inward.
The height of the leg reaches 8-10 centimeters. It can be colored gray or red. The shape of the leg is cylindrical. But inside she is empty. The common milkweed has incredibly brittle but dense flesh. It crumbles easily. This is due to the fact that there are practically no fibers in its composition. The pulp inside but near the surface is colored brown. The milky juice makes it bitter. When it comes into contact with air, the milky liquid turns yellow.
Most of the milkweeds were considered inedible by experts because their juice was too caustic. However, it is incredibly difficult to distinguish between different types of mushroom because they are so similar. Even experienced mushroom pickers do not always cope with this task. Therefore, novice mushroom pickers should not take them into the basket at all. There are no doppelgängers in lacticians.
People call these mushrooms differently: alder mushrooms, smooth mushrooms, hollow mushrooms, gray milk mushrooms, yellow hollow mushrooms.
Where do milkies grow?
The first common milkweeds appear in the second half of July. You can collect them until the end of September. Mushrooms grow actively, of course, in damp, rainy weather. They prefer damp places, which is why they grow in lowlands in mixed, coniferous and deciduous forests. As a rule, they are collected under birch or coniferous trees. Mushrooms hide in moss or tall grass. Insects do not touch the lacticaria. Mushrooms also grow along the banks of ponds and swamps. But mushrooms do not like hot regions, preferring more moderate latitudes. Therefore, they are found in the forests of European countries, in the central and middle regions of Russia, in the Urals, Western Siberia and even in the Far East.
The common lacticaria mushroom (photos and descriptions are given in the article) has many types. However, as already mentioned, outwardly it is quite difficult to distinguish them. Therefore, it is worth looking at some varieties in more detail.
Hot milky mushroom
The stinging milkweed is a conditionally edible species. It is very rarely found in our forests. As a rule, it grows on clay soils. It can also grow in well-lit forests among shrubs. Most mushrooms grow singly and only occasionally in groups. You can meet them from early August to early October. The mushroom has a small cap, the diameter of which is approximately six centimeters. It is smooth to the touch and slightly concave in the center. On top it is painted gray-beige. The mushroom contains a very caustic milky juice that does not change color when in contact with air. The stem of the mushroom is painted the same color as the cap. This type of milkweed belongs to the third category. Such mushrooms can only be salted, and they must first be boiled or soaked.
Camphor milkweed
Another variety of the common lacticaria (photo is given in the article) is the camphor lacticaria. It is also rare to find such a mushroom in our forests. They do not grow alone, but gather in groups. They grow from late July to early October. The yield of mushrooms is completely independent of weather conditions. They grow in damp places in any forest.
The camphor milkweed has a convex tuberculate cap. In old mushrooms it becomes funnel-shaped. The edges of the cap are uneven, with a characteristic waviness. The color of the mushroom can be brown and reach a red-orange hue. And in the center of the cap there is a dark purple area.
Milky sticky
The sticky milkweed is conditionally edible, according to some experts, and inedible, according to others. The size of its cap is average, about five centimeters. In young mushrooms it has a convex shape, and in old ones, on the contrary, it has a concave shape. The caps are painted gray and have an olive tint, but there are also brown specimens. Most often, this type of milkweed can be found in deciduous forests or between spruce and pine trees in mid-summer.
Milky gray-pink
This type of milk mushroom is popularly called differently - inedible mushroom, amber milk mushroom, gray-pink milk mushroom, etc. Gray-pink milk mushroom is considered an inedible mushroom.
Its cap is gray-pink in color, which is how it got its name. In diameter it can reach from 8 to 15 centimeters. The hat has a round shape. Its central part may have a tubercle or a depression. In young mushrooms, the edges of the cap are neat and curved inward. With age, the edges begin to open up. In general, the color of this type of mushroom is very difficult to describe. There are brown gray and pink shades. The surface of the hat is dry and velvety.
The flesh of the mushroom is thick and brittle. It has a very intense aroma and pungent taste. The milky juice has a watery appearance and is released in small quantities. Adult mushrooms may not contain any juice at all. The thick and short stems of the mushroom, as a rule, do not exceed 5-8 centimeters in height. In cases where the gray-pink lacticaria (photo and description are given in the article) grows in mosses, the height of the leg can be significantly greater.
Where does the inedible milk mushroom grow?
Gray-pink milkweed is a mushroom that grows in swamps. It can be found among pines and birches, in mosses. It grows from August to September. When favorable conditions occur, there can be a lot of mushrooms.
In Russia, such a mushroom is often classified as conditionally edible. But in foreign literature it is defined as mildly poisonous. And in our country, such mushrooms are often considered inedible. It is worth noting that this species can be classified as low-value. Therefore, collecting milkweed makes sense in the complete absence of commercial varieties. Mushrooms have a very strong specific smell, which usually scares away mushroom pickers.
Related species
The inedible milk mushroom has related species that grow in different regions. One of them is the zoneless milkweed, which is common in Eurasia. This mushroom is found in deciduous forests. Can grow in groups or alone. They appear from July to September, but in lean years they may not grow at all.
The zoneless milkweed is an edible mushroom. It is perfect for pickling and pickling. For cooking, it is recommended to collect only young mushrooms.
Another related species is oak milk mushroom, or zonal. It is distributed everywhere, preferring deciduous forests with birches, beeches and oaks. Oak milk mushroom is conditionally edible, so it needs to be soaked before cooking to remove unnecessary bitterness.
Edible milkweeds
As we have already mentioned, the common milk mushroom has many similar varieties. Previously, we listed some types of edible and conditionally edible species. They also include the purple-tinged milkweed, non-caustic, fragrant, faded, white, brownish.
Among the laticifers there are also poisonous representatives that are incredibly dangerous to humans. It is better to never put such mushrooms in your basket. When collecting milkweeds, you need to be very careful not to take a poisonous mushroom. And to do this, you need to have an idea of what inedible species look like.
Thyroid milky
The shield millet is a poisonous species. The mushroom cap reaches five centimeters in diameter. When young, it has curved edges, which later gradually open up. The surface of the cap is covered with a large amount of mucus. The cap is yellow with a brownish or rusty tint. When pressed, its color changes to gray or brown. The thyroid milkweed, like other varieties, has a milky sap that initially flows white and then turns blue.
Other types of poisonous milkweeds
Gray milkweed is also a poisonous species. Its name clearly characterizes its peculiarity. The mushroom cap is small, reaches no more than three centimeters in diameter, and is colored gray. Mushrooms prefer to grow under alder trees.
Other poisonous forms include pink milky, dark brown, pale sticky, brown, lilac, bitter, wet, watery milky, prickly.
Harm and benefits from milkmen
The common lacticaria mushroom (photo given in the article) contains valuable amino acids - leucine, glutamine, tyrosine and arginine. In addition, the pulp contains fatty acids: stearic, butyric, palmitic and acetic. Mushrooms are rich in essential oils, phosphatides and lipoids. Common milkweed (smooth) contains fiber and glycogen, but lacks starch. No less interesting is the set of microelements of mushrooms: Ca, K, P, J, Cu, Zn, As. Surprisingly, an antibiotic called lactarioviolin has been found in certain varieties, which is effective in the fight against tuberculosis.
Other varieties of laticifers have a positive effect, for example, in cholelithiasis, purulent and acute conjunctivitis. And some contain an antibacterial substance that is effective in the fight against Staphylococcus aureus.
Common milkweed is an excellent mushroom for pickling and pickling. During such processing, a fermentation process occurs in it, due to which a characteristic sour taste appears, which is highly valued in Russian pickles. The milkweed is a fairly fleshy mushroom, so it can be used after preliminary boiling for preparing other dishes.
Most of the bitterness present in mushrooms disappears during heat treatment, so thoroughly fried milk mushrooms can also be eaten. When finished, smoothies will have a characteristic slightly bitter taste, as if seasoned with black pepper. Northern peoples have long respected milkweeds, using them in cooking. The natural bitterness of mushrooms repels pests from them. For this reason, smoothies are least susceptible to damage by all kinds of worms and insects. In Finland, for example, since time immemorial there has been a recipe for cooking milkfish on a grill or fire.
Still, smoothies must be prepared with extreme caution, since these are conditionally edible mushrooms. The mushrooms are pre-soaked. This is done in order to neutralize the bitterness of the milky juice, which can cause eating disorders, diarrhea and vomiting in people.
conclusions
Gladysh, or common milkweed, is a mushroom whose taste properties can only be appreciated by true gourmets and true mushroom pickers. Properly prepared milkfish are tasty and have their fans. However, it is worth remembering about the preliminary primary processing of smoothies. It’s not for nothing that milkweed has long been popular in its salted form. To prepare such mushrooms, you need to spend a lot of time on all the preparatory stages. The process is not at all simple and even labor-intensive. At one time, people appreciated the long period of fruiting of mushrooms and their high yield. Currently, the economic importance of milkweed has decreased significantly due to difficulties in preparing it. But from them they have learned to obtain valuable antibiotics, which are widely used in modern medicine.
This genus includes the well-known clams, saffron milk caps, milk mushrooms and more than 400 species, most of which are considered poisonous. All milkweeds found in Russia are used for food, most often salted or pickled. What all these species have in common is the ability to secrete a slightly bitter milky juice when damaged.
When salted, they turn out dense, tasty and have a pleasant crunch. They can be cooked hot or cold. Any species is suitable for pickling, but milk mushrooms and duplyanka are especially good for the first method, and saffron milk caps and trumpets for the second. To get a delicious snack, follow a few simple steps:
- Clean the mushrooms from debris, as the stem retains bitterness during cooking, cut it off. Soak the mushrooms in a large saucepan, press down on top, completely submerging with water.
- Soak the milkweeds for a day, draining the water twice and refilling with clean water. During this time, the color of the solyushki will turn yellow, the nigella will turn burgundy, and the plates of the pepper milk mushrooms will turn green.
- Boil the mushrooms in unsalted water. After 15 min. Once boiling, remove from heat and cool.
- For pickling, take an enamel pan or bucket, wash and scald with boiling water. Lay out dill with currant leaves and mushrooms in layers, placing their caps up, sprinkle each with salt, periodically add garlic, cut in half. Place a flat plate or lid on top and place a weight.
Place the pan in a cool place, taste the mushrooms after a week, add salt if necessary. After a month, the mushrooms will be salted. They can be put into jars and stored in the refrigerator.
Recipe for fried milk mushrooms
They make a tasty and satisfying second course. It will require the following ingredients:
- mushrooms – 0.5 kg;
- sour cream 2 tbsp. l.;
- butter – 50 g;
- onion – 1 piece;
- bay leaf - 3 pcs.;
- garlic – 1 clove;
- salt to taste.
It is best to use saffron milk caps or volnushki; other types may be a little bitter. To get rid of the unpleasant aftertaste, cook milkweed as follows:
- Peel the mushrooms, remove the stem, cut into pieces. Soak them for 5 hours, rinsing and changing the water.
- Boil for 15 minutes. in unsalted water, add bay leaf for flavor. Cool, rinse.
- Fry the chopped onion until golden brown, add the mushrooms to the pan, and after 10 minutes. sour cream, salt and spices, simmer for another 7 minutes.
Serve mushrooms with boiled or fried potatoes. Prepare immediately before serving, as the dish cannot be stored for more than a day.
The milkweed contains microelements that are beneficial for the body. It can be used to prepare various dishes, but it tastes best when salted.
Milky (lat. Lactarius) is a genus of mushrooms of the Russulaceae family, order Russulaceae, class Agaricomycetes, department Basidiomycetes.
Milkweeds are distinguished by the presence of white or colorless juice in their pulp. Thanks to this feature, the Latin name appeared Lactarius- “giving milk”, “milk”. Milk mushrooms, volnushki, bitter mushrooms, serushki - all these mushrooms are part of the genus Lacticaria and are distinguished by similar characteristics.
Milky: photo and description of the genus of mushrooms. What do lacticians look like?
Milky mushrooms are mushrooms with thin or thick fleshy, dense but brittle fruiting bodies, mostly of medium or large size. Their cap and stem are homogeneous (homogeneous) and do not separate from each other without breaking, as, for example, in. There are stocky mushrooms with a thick stem, approximately equal in length to the diameter of the cap ( Lactarius deliciosus, Lactarius pubescens, Lactarius turpis), and there are also species in which a small cap fits on a long, relatively thin stalk ( Lactarius camphoratus, Lactarius lignyotus). Fungi of this genus lack both a private and a general veil.
The cap of milkweeds can be funnel-shaped, depressed, convex-spread or convex. In young mushrooms it is straight or convex with the edge turned down. White or brightly colored (yellow, orange, grey, pink, brown, blue, lilac, olive black), with a wavy, straight or ribbed edge. With age, some mushrooms change the color of their fruiting bodies.
The surface of the milkweed cap is dry or slimy, smooth, scaly, fleecy or velvety, plain or with concentric circular zones and depressions - lacunae. Cap size – from 8 to 40 cm ( Lactarius vellereus). The stunted milkweed (lat. Lactarius tabidus) and dark milky (lat. Lactarius obscuratus) the cap is capable of swelling by absorbing water.
The hymenophore of these mushrooms is lamellar. The lamellar plates descend to varying degrees on the stalk, attaching to it strongly in some species and slightly in others. The plates with anastomoses or notched are either white or painted in bright colors: pink, bluish, pale ocher, cream. Can change color when touched. For example, the plates of the lilac milky (lat. Lactarius violascens) are initially white or creamy yellow, turning purple when squeezed.
A characteristic feature of laticifers and russula in general is the mesh pattern on their spores. The cells themselves, intended for reproduction, are often spherical, broadly oval or oval in shape. The spore powder is white, ocher or yellowish-cream.
Spores of the aromatic milkweed under a microscope. Photo credit: Jason Hollinger, CC BY-SA 2.0
The leg of the milkweed is attached to the cap in the center; its shape is regular cylindrical, flattened or narrowed towards the base. It is white or the same color as the cap, sometimes hollow inside, more often with chambers or filled. The surface is smooth, dry, less often mucous and sticky.
Some species have depressions (lacunae) that are colored slightly darker than the rest of the skin of the leg. The height of the leg of the milkweed is 5-8 cm, its diameter is 1.5-2 cm.
The pulp of the milkweeds is fragile, white or with a brown, cream or fawn tint. In air it can change color. It contains conducting thick-walled hyphae with milky juice.
The color of the milky sap and its change in air are an important systematic feature by which species of the genus are distinguished. Most often it is white, but in some species in the air it slowly turns green, gray, yellow, purple, red, etc. In the North American milkweed it is blue (lat. Lactarius indigo) the juice, like the entire fruiting body, is blue.
Where and when do milky mushrooms grow?
Mushrooms of the genus lacticaria grow throughout the world, found on the following continents: Eurasia, Africa, Australia, North America, South America. But they are especially abundant in the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere. Here the laticifers form fruiting bodies in the summer in June-July. If the summer is dry, then “fruiting” is postponed to August-September. Since most species are cold-resistant and moisture-loving, they can bear fruit especially abundantly in the fall. But lacticifers do not grow for long, forming only 2 layers of fruiting bodies.
If there are prolonged rains in the spring, then the lacticifers will be very rare, since they do not like excessive moisture.
Mushrooms of this genus live in symbiosis with many species of deciduous (usually with) and coniferous trees. Brown milkman (lat. Lactarius lignyotus) forms mycorrhiza with, white milkweed (lat. Lactarius musteus) – s, brownish milky (lat. Lactarius fuliginosus) – with and beech, pale milky (lat . Lactarius vietus) - with birch.
Mushrooms usually grow in damp places of the forest or on its edges, but they are also found in parks and meadows where there are tree roots. They most often settle in the soil, sometimes on rotten wood or in moss. The temperature favorable for their development ranges from 10-20°C. The fruiting bodies live for 10-15 days, after which they rot. More often, lacticaria grow in groups, some of them can form “witch rings”, for example saffron milk caps and milk mushrooms.
Types of milkmen, names and photos
There are about 120 species of this genus in the world. About 90 of them are known in Russia. Their fruiting bodies vary in shape, color and size. Among the laticifers there are good edible mushrooms, conditionally edible and inedible, but there are no poisonous or deadly ones. And yet, some authors mention the inedible orange milkweed (lat. Lactarius porninsis) as poisonous. Perhaps the wet milkweed (lat. Lactarius uvidus).
Edible milkweeds
- The saffron milk cap is real,pine, or ordinary (lat. Lactarius deliciosus, "delicacy milky")
Other synonyms: saffron milk cap, noble, autumn. Grows in pine forests from June to October.
Young mushrooms have a convex cap, while mature mushrooms have a funnel-shaped cap. Its diameter is 3-11 cm, it is orange with olive dark zones. The flesh of the camelina is orange, brittle, the milky juice is orange, changing color in the air. The leg is 2-8 cm long, 2-2.5 cm in diameter, hollow, smooth, orange.
- Black breast, or nigella (lat. Lactarius necator, Lactarius turpis)
Edible mushroom. Russian synonyms: black duplyanka, chernysh, olive-black milk mushroom, gypsy, black lips, black spruce milk mushroom, pigtail, varen, olive-brown milk mushroom. Forms mycorrhiza with birch. Grows in August-October in birch and mixed forests, on the edges, prefers bright places.
The mushroom cap is often spread out, with a slightly depressed center and the edge turned downwards. Its diameter is from 7 to 20 cm, the color is olive-brown, almost black with or without barely noticeable dark olive circles. The pulp is white, browning when cut, brittle. The milky juice is white and has a sharp taste. The leg is up to 2.5 cm thick, up to 6 cm high, tapering downwards. There are depressed spots (lacunae) on its surface. The fruiting body of the blackberry becomes slimy in damp weather.
Basically, the mushroom is eaten salted; when pickled, it turns dark cherry. The preparation is stored for several years without losing its taste.
- Real breast milk (lat. Lactarius resimus)
In Russia, this milk mushroom has local and popular names: white, wet, raw or pravsky. It is found in the European part of Russia, Western Siberia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan. Grows in forests and groves where there are birch trees, from July to September.
The cap of the true milk mushroom is up to 20 cm in diameter, initially white and convex, later funnel-shaped and yellowish, with a curved, pubescent edge. There are faint watery rings on the cap. The leg is thick, cylindrical, 3-7 cm high, up to 5 cm in diameter. White or yellowish, with indentations of different colors, hollow. The plates are white with a yellowish tint, slightly descending along the stem.
The mushroom is eaten salted. It is recommended to soak it before salting.
- The breast is red-brown (lat. Lactarius volumemus)
Russian synonyms: milkweed, euphorbia, poddubyonok, podresnik, rednushka, gladykh, smoothysh. Grows in deciduous and coniferous forests in groups in July-October.
The cap is fleshy, yellowish or reddish-brown, without concentric zones, often with a tubercle in the middle, up to 15 cm in diameter. The flesh is yellowish or whitish, dense and sweet, the milky juice is white. The leg is up to 6-10 cm long, up to 3 cm in diameter, tapering downwards, white or the same as the cap, velvety.
Red-brown breast milk is considered edible, even a delicacy in European countries. Still, to get rid of the unpleasant odor, it is advisable to boil it first. You can also fry, salt, marinate.
- Milky blue (lat. Lactarius indigo)
Edible mushroom. Found in Asia, North and South America. Forms mycorrhiza with deciduous and evergreen trees.
The diameter of its cap is 5-15 cm. It is bright, indigo-colored, with lighter concentric zones. In young milkweeds the cap is sticky and convex, in mature ones it is spread out or funnel-shaped with a rolled edge. The plates are also blue, turning green when damaged. They lighten with age. The leg of the milkweed is up to 6 cm high, up to 2.5 cm in diameter, and has a regular cylindrical shape. Sometimes the surface of the entire mushroom may have a silvery tint. The pulp of the milkweed is either light or blue, turning green in the air. The milky juice is caustic, also blue and also turns green when oxidized.
- Red saffron milk (lat. Lactarius sangu i fluus )
Edible mushroom. It grows in summer and autumn in coniferous forests in areas dominated by mountains.
A mushroom with an orange-red or blood-red cap, 5-15 cm in diameter, with greenish spots and zones. With a cylindrical stalk up to 6 cm high, tapering towards the cap and covered with a powdery coating. With wine-red milky juice that does not change color in the air or acquire a purple tint.
- Spruce mushroom (spruce) (lat. Lactarius deterrimus )
Edible mushroom. Found in coniferous forests in summer and autumn.
The cap is orange, with dark rings, 2-8 cm in diameter, with a non-pubescent edge. The stem is 3-7 cm high, 1-1.5 cm in diameter, orange, hollow in mature mushrooms. The pulp is orange, when damaged it quickly turns red, then turns green, and has a pleasant fruity aroma. There is a lot of milky juice in the body of the mushroom. Initially it is red or with an orange tint. Turns green when in contact with air.
The taste of the mushroom is pleasant, not pungent.
Conditionally edible milkweeds
- Oak milk mushroom,zonal laticifer,milk mushroom group, or oak camelina (lat. Lactarius insulsus , Lactarius zonarius var. insulsus )
Conditionally edible mushroom. Forms mycorrhiza with beech, hazel, oak, grows in deciduous forests in July-September.
The cap is 5-15 cm in diameter, dense, fleshy, convex at a young age, later funnel-shaped or irregularly shaped, resembling an ear. The edge of the cap of a young mushroom is turned down; in a mature one it is unfolded, thin and wavy. The skin of the cap is yellowish-brown with an ocher tint, sometimes very light, almost yellow or skin-colored, with watery concentric zones. The leg is short: up to 6 cm in length, up to 3 cm in diameter. Cylindrical or narrowed towards the base, first white, then yellowish with brownish pits, not pubescent. The milky juice is watery-white and does not change in air.
- Gruzd yellow (lat. Lactarius scrobiculatus)
Conditionally edible mushroom. Russian synonyms: podskrebysh, yellow podgruzd, yellow volnukha. It grows in coniferous and birch forests in August-September, often forming mycorrhizae with spruce or birch.
The hat is 10-20 cm in diameter, flat-concave, with a rolled fluffy edge. The skin of the cap is first white, then yellowish with faint watery concentric zones. The milky juice is very bitter, white, and turns sulfur-yellow in air. The stem is up to 9 cm high, up to 4 cm in diameter. Cylindrical, white, smooth, hollow in mature mushrooms.
Consumed salty. Bitterness is removed by pre-soaking or boiling.
- Volnushka pink (lat. Lactarius torminosus)
Other Russian names: volnyanka, volzhanka, volvenka, volvyanitsa, volminka, volnovha, rubella, krasulya, decoction. This conditionally edible mushroom grows in symbiosis with birch in mixed and deciduous forests. Found from June to October.
The cap of the moth is initially convex, later straight, up to 15 cm in diameter, with a depressed darker center, pink, pinkish-red, yellowish-orange, light walnut, fleecy, with a downward-turned edge. The villi form circular zones that differ in tone. The pulp is pale yellow, sharp in taste, the milky juice is white and does not change color in the air. The leg is up to 7 cm long, up to 2 cm in diameter, pubescent, pale pink, empty inside. It tapers slightly towards the base.
The mushroom is most often consumed salted and pickled. Volnushki are eaten 40-50 days after salting. If insufficiently cooked, pink trumpet can cause intestinal disorders.
- Volnushka white, in Siberia - whitefish (lat. Lactarius pubescens)
Conditionally edible mushroom. It forms mycorrhiza with birch and grows in deciduous and mixed forests from August to September.
The cap is white or pinkish, up to 15 cm in diameter, without concentric rings, pubescent, and may be mucous. The stem is cylindrical, gradually tapering towards the base, white, often covered with villi. Its length can reach 4 cm, thickness - 2 cm. With age, the entire mushroom turns yellow.
It is usually eaten salted.
- Violin (lat. Lactarius vellereus)
In Russia, this mushroom is also called felt milk mushroom, squeaky mushroom, squeaky mushroom, milkweed, milk scraper, and subshrub. Violin grows in mixed and coniferous forests, in groups, in summer and autumn.
The mushroom cap is white, slightly pubescent, with yellow spots, up to 26 cm in diameter. The pulp is very bitter, white. The leg is short, up to 6 cm long and up to 3.5 cm thick. It is consumed salted after soaking and boiling.
- Gorkushka (lat. Lactarius rufus)
Synonyms: red bitter, bitter, bitter milk, bitter goat, putik. Grows in symbiosis with birch and coniferous trees. Found in groups in pine forests, deciduous forests, under hazel from June to October.
The cap is reddish-brown with a tubercle in the middle, up to 8-10 cm in diameter. The pulp has a peppery taste, the milky juice is thick and white, and does not change color in the air. The leg is up to 8 cm long, up to 1.5 cm thick, reddish, covered with white down.
The mushroom is eaten salted, after preliminary boiling.
- Gruzd aspen (lat. Lactarius controversus)
A conditionally edible mushroom that grows in moist deciduous forests in August-September. Forms mycorrhiza with aspen, poplar and willow.
The cap is fleshy, convex in young mushrooms, funnel-shaped in mature mushrooms with a wavy or downward fluffy edge. White with reddish or pink spots and faintly visible concentric zones, sticky in wet weather. The diameter of the cap is 6-30 cm. The flesh is white. The milky juice is white, caustic, and does not change color in air. The leg is up to 6-8 cm high, up to 3 cm in diameter.
Eaten salty.
- Serushka, or gray nest ( aka gray milkweed, gray-lilac milk mushroom, subordice, plantain, serukha) (lat. Lactarius flexuosus)
Grows in June-October in mixed, aspen and birch forests and on their edges.
The cap is 5-10 cm in diameter, convex in young mushrooms, funnel-shaped with a wavy edge in mature ones. The skin of the cap is smooth, brownish-gray or light leaden, with barely noticeable rings. The flesh of the mushroom is dense and white. The milky juice is caustic, white, and does not change color in air. The leg is up to 9 cm long, up to 2.5 cm in diameter, cylindrical, hollow, the same color as the cap. The species differs from other laticifers by its rare yellowish plates.
The mushroom is eaten salted.
- Milky neutral (lat. Lactarius quietus)
The cap is up to 8 cm in diameter, dry, brown, with darker, clearly visible or indistinct circles. At first it is convex, then concave, but always with a smooth edge. The milky juice is watery-white, non-caustic, and does not change color in air. The stem is up to 6 cm high, up to 1 cm in diameter, light, cylindrical, hollow in mature mushrooms.
Due to its specific smell, oak milkweed is not particularly popular, although it is found quite often. Some sources classify the neutral lacticaria as an edible mushroom and call it the oak lacticaria.
- Common milkweed, or smoothy (lat. Lactarius trivialis)
A conditionally edible mushroom, it forms mycorrhiza with soft tree species, especially birch, and is often found in damp coniferous and deciduous forests. Common in the northern temperate zone.
A species with a large fleshy cap, which often becomes spotted, with well-defined concentric zones. The color of the entire fruiting body varies from violet-gray to yellow-gray. The brittle white pulp secretes an acrid white juice, which, when dried, leaves greenish spots on the plates. The cap is 6-20 cm in diameter, smooth, slippery, spread out with a depressed middle and a folded edge. It may fade with age. The leg has the same shade as the cap. It can be very long - from 4 to 10 cm, 1-3 cm in diameter.
- Pepper milk mushroom (lat. Lactarius piperatus)
Mycorrhiza-forming plant with trees in well-drained soil. Found in deciduous and mixed forests of the northern temperate zone.
A large mushroom with a whitish fruiting body, brittle flesh, very dense plates and a smooth, outstretched cap pressed in the center. The diameter of the white or cream-colored cap is 8-20 cm. The stem is up to 15 cm long, up to 4 cm in diameter. The milky juice is caustic, white, and in air either does not change or becomes olive-green or yellowish.
Due to its pungent taste, milk mushrooms are considered inedible. But, in fact, it is conditionally edible, since it can be salted after soaking and boiling.
- Camphor milkweed,camphor milk mushroom (lat. Lactarius camphoratus)
It forms mycorrhiza with conifers, less often with deciduous trees. Grows in mixed, coniferous and deciduous forests on loose, acidic soil. Sometimes found in moss or on rotting wood.
A dark red-brown mushroom with a depressed cap in the center or with a central tubercle. The diameter of the cap is 3-6 cm. The leg is quite long - 3-6 cm and thin - with a diameter of 4-8 mm with a purple-brown base. The milky juice is watery, white, and does not change color when flowing out.
The camphor lacticaria exudes a very strong characteristic odor, making it difficult to confuse it with other species of the genus.
- Milky spiny (lat. Lactarius spinosulus)
Grows in symbiosis with birch. It is found infrequently, in mixed and deciduous forests in August-September.
The cap of the mushroom is pinkish-red with red-burgundy rings and red scales. Its diameter is 2-6 cm. A mature mushroom has a straight cap with a depressed middle and a curved or straight, often wavy edge. The plates are fawn or bright orange. The stem is up to 0.8 cm in diameter and up to 5 cm in height. The milky juice is not caustic, initially white, turning green in the air, tastes sweetish at first, then pungent.
Usually this milkweed is considered inedible, but many classify it as a mushroom suitable for pickling.
- Fragrant milkweed (lat. Lactarius glyciosmus)
Synonyms: aromatic milkweed, fragrant milkweed, coconut milkweed, fragrant milkweed, sweet milkweed. Grows in mixed and coniferous forests in August-September.
The cap is up to 7 cm in diameter, brownish-gray, with a lilac, yellowish or pink tint, pubescent and dry. Flesh-colored plates. The pulp is whitish or reddish-brown. The milky sap is white and turns green in the air. The stem is lighter than the cap, up to 6 cm long, up to 1.2 cm in diameter, empty inside with age.
A conditionally edible mushroom, it is used salted and as a seasoning.
- Non-caustic milkweed (orange milkweed) (lat. Lactarius mitissimus , Lactarius aurantiacus )
It grows in symbiosis with birch, oak and spruce and is quite common. Settles in forest litter and moss.
A hat with a diameter of up to 6 cm, apricot color, without rings. In mature mushrooms it is funnel-shaped with a tubercle in the middle, thin, dry and velvety. The milky juice is watery and white, and does not change color when flowing out. Leg up to 8 cm high, up to 1.2 cm in diameter. It is hollow, cylindrical, the same color as the cap.
The mushroom cap is 4-6 cm in diameter, convex, then widely funnel-shaped, depressed, with a blunt, initially finely pubescent, then smooth edge. Mucous, shiny when dry, yellowish-white, brownish in the center, very rarely with barely noticeable watery zones. The stem is 3-6 cm high, 1-2.5 cm in diameter. Cylindrical, tapering towards the base, white, longitudinally wrinkled. The pulp is white, the milky juice is watery-white and not pungent.
