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A medium to large, robust, white agaric characterized by its intensely peppery milk and funnel-shaped pileus. It is a mycorrhizal fungus commonly found in deciduous woodlands.
How to Identify
- Cap
- Initially convex, soon becoming depressed or funnel-shaped, 5–15 cm in diameter, surface smooth, dry, and white.
- Gills
- Crowded, narrow, decurrent, pale cream to white, often forking near the stem.
- Stem
- Short, thick, cylindrical, 3–8 cm tall, solid and concolorous with the cap.
- Flesh
- Thick, white, firm, and releases a copious amount of thick white latex that is extremely acrid.
- Fruiting body
- Solid, firm, and white throughout, turning slightly yellowish with age.
- Habitat
- Mycorrhizal with broadleaved trees, particularly oak and beech, often in groups or fairy rings.
Key Facts
- Cap surfaces: Smooth, dry, white
- Growth Form: Solitary or clustered in troops
- Spore Print: White
- Body color: White
- Odor: Faintly pleasant to absent
- Flesh bruises: Little to no color change, sometimes yellowing
- Height: 5-10 cm
- Cap Diameter: 5-15 cm
- Nutrient gathering: Mycorrhizal
Toxic
Moderate ToxicityNot considered lethal, but the raw latex contains potent irritants causing severe gastrointestinal distress if consumed improperly.
Quick Check
- Odor: Mild, fungoid
- Fruiting: Summer to Autumn
- Substrate: Soil in deciduous woodlands
Where to Find
European Temperate Forests
Commonly found in deciduous broadleaf forests across Europe, preferring lime-rich soils.
Finding Tips
Milk Test
Expose the gills and check the white latex; if it is extremely peppery to the taste (caution: spit it out), it confirms the species.
Seasonality
Look for fruiting bodies from mid-summer through autumn, especially after heavy rains.
Similar Species
Lactifluus glaucescens
Basidiomycota
Also known as: Grey-staining Milkcap
Lactifluus vellereus
Basidiomycota
Also known as: Woolly Milkcap
Scientific Classification
- Phylum
- Basidiomycota
- Class
- Agaricomycetes
- Order
- Russulales
- Family
- Russulaceae
- Genus
- Lactifluus
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