bald, at times faintly striate in age
FLESH: Whitish to pinkish, staining reddish and finally greenish; odor not distinctive; taste mild or slightly bitter
GILLS: Pinkish to wine red, with red and green stains where damaged; attached to subdecurrent; moderately broad; subdistant; edges even; sometimes forked near the stem; no partial veil
LATEX: Wine red; scant; staining tissues reddish and then green; taste mild to faintly acrid
STEM: Up to 3 in. long; colored like the cap, with green stains at times; equal; becoming hollow; surface viscid when wet, bald down to the white mycelium coated base, with reddish spots at times
SPORE PRINT: Cream
ECOLOGY: Mycorrhizal with hemlock and possibly other conifers; single or scattered in humus or moss in conifer or mixed woods; late summer and fall; fairly common
EDIBILITY: Edible
COMMENTS: This is an easily identified milk mushroom. The latex is very scanty and seldom produces droplets.
Lactarius subpurpureus
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Lactarius quietus var. incanus Hesler and A. H. Sm.
SYNONYM: None
COMMON NAME: Oak Milk Cap
FAMILY: Russulaceae
CAP: Up to 4 in. wide; various shades of reddish brown, usually darker in the center, at times with tan, or purplish hues, sometimes zoned, often with a whitish dusting at first; convex to flat with a depressed center; surface bald or roughened, dry, usually not striate or obscurely so in age; margin incurved at first, becoming expanded to uplifted
FLESH: Whitish or pale pinkish buff; unchanging when cut, or turning slightly pinkish; odor not distinctive, or faintly of maple flavoring; taste mild, or slowly becoming slightly acrid
GILLS: Whitish, pale pinkish or yellowish, becoming brownish spotted, cinnamon in age; attached to subdecurrent; close; edges even; no partial veil
LATEX: White and thick at first, soon becoming watery; not staining tissues; usually scant in age; mild or slowly weakly acrid
STEM: Up to 5 in. long; whitish; often becoming colored like the cap, usually with brown stains; equal or enlarged below; solid becoming hollow; surface dry; silky at first
SPORE PRINT: Pinkish buff
ECOLOGY: Mycorrhizal with oaks; scattered in litter and humus in broadleaf woodlands; summer and fall; common
EDIBILITY: Unknown
COMMENTS: Compare with Lactarius mutabilis (not illustrated), which occurs with conifers and has a white to cream spore deposit and mild-tasting, white latex.
Lactarius quietus var. incanus
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Lactifluus hygrophoroides (Berk. and M. A. Curtis) Kuntze
SYNONYM: Lactarius hygrophoroides Berk. and M. A. Curtis
COMMON NAME: None
FAMILY: Russulaceae
CAP: Up to 3-1/4 in. wide; dull orange, pinkish orange, or brownish orange; convex to flat with a central depression; surface dry, bald, velvety at times, not zonate; margin turned under at first, becoming uplifted in age
FLESH: White; firm but brittle; unchanging when exposed; odor and taste not distinctive
GILLS: White, cream, or yellowish buff; unchanging when cut; attached to subdecurrent; subdistant to distant; broad; cross-veined; edges even; no partial veil
LATEX: White, unchanging on exposure, not staining the gills or flesh; copious; mild tasting
STEM: Up to 2-1/2 in. long; orangish brown to orangish yellow; equal; solid; surface dry and bald
SPORE PRINT: White
ECOLOGY: Mycorrhizal; scattered to gregarious in moss or humus in broadleaf and mixed woodlands; it is often found in sandy soil along streams; summer and early fall; common
EDIBILITY: Edible
COMMENTS: Its closest look-alike is Lactifluus volemus (p. 59), which has closer gills and prefers a more upland forest. The subdistant to distant gills and mild latex are key features.
Lactifluus hygrophoroides
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Lactifluus volemus (Fr.) Kuntze
SYNONYM: Lactarius volemus (Fr.) Fr.
COMMON NAMES: Bradley, Leatherback, Apricot Milk Cap, Tawny Milk Cap
FAMILY: Russulaceae
CAP: Up to 4 in. wide; orange to orangish brown, paler in age; convex to broadly convex, becoming nearly flat with a central depression; surface dry, bald, velvety at times; margin incurved at first and at times wrinkled
FLESH: White; staining brownish; thick; firm; brittle; odor fishy; taste mild
GILLS: White to cream; attached to subdecurrent; close; often forked; with brown stains where damaged; moderately broad; edges even; no partial veil
LATEX: White at first, becoming creamy white and eventually brownish; staining tissues tawny brown; copious; sticky; mild tasting
STEM: Up to 4-1/2 in. long; colored like the cap but paler; equal or tapering slightly downward; surface dry, bald
SPORE PRINT: White
ECOLOGY: Mycorrhizal with oaks and possibly other broadleaf trees; single or scattered in lawns or humus and moss in broadleaf woods and parks; summer and early fall; common
EDIBILITY: Edible and considered by many as very good. The fishy odor disappears when cooked
