Bearded Milkcap (Lactarius pubescens) Identification

Bearded Milkcap / Summer / Autumn / Poisonous

Though this Bearded Milkcap (Lactarius pubescens) Identification we’re going to look at the key features for features so you feel safe to not accidentally pick it.


Latin name: 

Lactarius pubescens


Family: 

Russulaceae


Habitat

Often growing near Birch and often growing in sandy soil.


Description 

An uncommon mushroom with lactating (milk producing) gills and flesh.  Has white milk which tastes incrediblt hot and acrid.


Key Features for Bearded Milkcap (Lactarius pubescens) Identification

Cap

The Cap can have a width up to 10cm.  Convex, becoming depressed in the middle. Has woolly turned in edges and is white pale salmon/yellow with just about visible concentric lines.

Björn S…, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons


Stem

Same colour as the cap but often with a rosy buff band at the top.  Chunky solid stem tapering off slightly to the end. Height is 1-2cm.

Игорь Лебединский, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons


Gills

The gills of the bearded milk cap are white, pale salmon crowded and running down the stem (decurrent gills).

Debivort-CC-BY-SA-3.0

Björn S…, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons


Smell

No distinct smell, it can sometimes be a little acrid depending if it’s started to leak milk yet


Spores

Spore print is pale cream with a faint salmon tint

Milk is white, hot and acrid.


Differences

Minimal differences between this species of milkcap from it being young to growing older apart from the general growth of fungi


Uses/Harvesting

Toxic, no  known uses as of yet


Hazards

This mushroom is Toxic and has caused blistering on some people


Potential Lookalikes for Bearded Milkcap (Lactarius pubescens) Identification

Could possibly be confused with the Woolly Milkcap, which is also toxic and is much more obviously salmon to pale pink in colour.


References

Here’s what project noah says about the bearded milkcap

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