Lactarius vellereus
Encyclopedia
Lactarius vellereus, commonly known as the fleecy milk-cap, is a very large fungus
in the milk-cap genus Lactarius
. It is one of the two most common milk-caps found with beech trees
, with the other being L. subdulcis
.
genus
, the L. vellereus fruit body
has crumbly, rather than fibrous, flesh
, and when this is broken the fungus exudes a milky latex
. The mature caps
are white to cream, funnel-shaped, and up to 25 cm (9.8 in) in diameter. It has firm flesh, and a stipe
which is shorter than the fruit body is wide. The gills are fairly distant (quite far apart), decurrent
, and narrow, and have brown specks from the drying milk. The spore print
is white in colour.
It is similar in appearance to Lactarius controversus
Pers., distinguishable mainly by its white gills and lack of rosy markings on the upper cap. Lactarius bertillonii (Z.Schaef.) Bon. is similar, but has hotter milk.
woods, from late summer to early winter. Being found in Britain
and Europe
. David Arora
makes no mention of it in Mushrooms Demystified
, so it is probably absent from North America
.
Fungus
A fungus is a member of a large group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds , as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, Fungi, which is separate from plants, animals, and bacteria...
in the milk-cap genus Lactarius
Lactarius
Lactarius is a genus of mushroom-producing fungi. The genus, collectively known commonly as milk-caps, are characterized by the fact that they exude a milky fluid if cut or damaged...
. It is one of the two most common milk-caps found with beech trees
Beech
Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
, with the other being L. subdulcis
Lactarius subdulcis
Lactarius subdulcis, commonly known as the mild milkcap or beech milk cap, is an edible mushroom in the genus Lactarius. It is brown in colour, with a large number of gills and a particularly thin layer of flesh in the cap...
.
Description
Like other mushrooms in the LactariusLactarius
Lactarius is a genus of mushroom-producing fungi. The genus, collectively known commonly as milk-caps, are characterized by the fact that they exude a milky fluid if cut or damaged...
genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
, the L. vellereus fruit body
Basidiocarp
In fungi, a basidiocarp, basidiome or basidioma , is the sporocarp of a basidiomycete, the multicellular structure on which the spore-producing hymenium is borne. Basidiocarps are characteristic of the hymenomycetes; rusts and smuts do not produce such structures...
has crumbly, rather than fibrous, flesh
Trama (mycology)
In mycology trama is a term for the inner, fleshy portion of a mushroom's basidiocarp, or fruit body. It is distinct from the outer layer of tissue, known as the pileipellis or cuticle, and from the spore-bearing tissue layer known as the hymenium....
, and when this is broken the fungus exudes a milky latex
Latex
Latex is the stable dispersion of polymer microparticles in an aqueous medium. Latexes may be natural or synthetic.Latex as found in nature is a milky fluid found in 10% of all flowering plants . It is a complex emulsion consisting of proteins, alkaloids, starches, sugars, oils, tannins, resins,...
. The mature caps
Pileus (mycology)
The pileus is the technical name for the cap, or cap-like part, of a basidiocarp or ascocarp that supports a spore-bearing surface, the hymenium. The hymenium may consist of lamellae, tubes, or teeth, on the underside of the pileus...
are white to cream, funnel-shaped, and up to 25 cm (9.8 in) in diameter. It has firm flesh, and a stipe
Stipe (mycology)
thumb|150px|right|Diagram of a [[basidiomycete]] stipe with an [[annulus |annulus]] and [[volva |volva]]In mycology a stipe refers to the stem or stalk-like feature supporting the cap of a mushroom. Like all tissues of the mushroom other than the hymenium, the stipe is composed of sterile hyphal...
which is shorter than the fruit body is wide. The gills are fairly distant (quite far apart), decurrent
Decurrent
Decurrent is a term used in botany and mycology to describe plant or fungal parts that extend downward.In botany, the term is most often applied to leaf blades that partly wrap or have wings around the stem or petiole and extend down along the stem...
, and narrow, and have brown specks from the drying milk. The spore print
Spore print
thumb|300px|right|Making a spore print of the mushroom Volvariella volvacea shown in composite: mushroom cap laid on white and dark paper; cap removed after 24 hours showing pinkish-tan spore print...
is white in colour.
It is similar in appearance to Lactarius controversus
Lactarius controversus
Lactarius controversus is a large funnel-capped fungus within the genus Lactarius, which are collectively known as 'milk caps'. They all exude milky drops from the flesh and gills when damaged...
Pers., distinguishable mainly by its white gills and lack of rosy markings on the upper cap. Lactarius bertillonii (Z.Schaef.) Bon. is similar, but has hotter milk.
Distribution and habitat
The mushroom is found in deciduousDeciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
woods, from late summer to early winter. Being found in Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. David Arora
David Arora
David Arora is an American mycologist, naturalist, and writer. He is the author of two popular books on mushroom identification, Mushrooms Demystified and All That the Rain Promises and More.......
makes no mention of it in Mushrooms Demystified
Mushrooms Demystified
Mushrooms Demystified: A Comprehensive Guide to the Fleshy Fungi is a mushroom field and identification guide by American mycologist David Arora, published in 1979 and republished in 1986....
, so it is probably absent from North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.