Lactarius torminosus

Lactarius torminosus, the Woolly Milk Cap, grows beneath birch trees in damp areas, mainly on acid soil. In Britain it is a fairly rare species that occurs either solitarily or in small scattered groups. The distinctive shaggy margin of the cap makes identification extremely easy.

This unusual and attractive species is mycorhizal with birch trees and usually occurs in open grassy sites at the edge of woodland or on heath, rather than deep inside dense woods.

If eaten without very careful preparation, Lactarius torminosus can cause very unpleasant stomach upsets. (The specific name torminosus means 'cause of colic'.) One or two authorities have suggested that the Woolly Milk Cap is edible after it has been salted and pickled, but many more advise that this species should be treated as poisonous.

Cap	5 to 15 cm in diameter, convex and then slightly depressed, the buff and pink caps are woolly, particularly at the inrolled margins and have slightly darker concentric circles, most noticeably towards the centre. Beneath the woolly cuticle, the thick cap flesh is white and brittle.
Gills	The shortly decurrent, crowded pale pink gills exude a white or pale cream latex when damaged. The latex, which is very acrid, does not change colour as it dries.
Stipe	1 to 2 cm in diameter and 4 to 8 cm tall, the cylindrical stems are paler than the cap. Stems of young specimens are downy and solid, but as the fruiting body matures the stems become smooth and hollow. There is no stem ring.
Spore print	Pale yellowish-cream.
Odour/taste	Slight odour of turpentine; hot acrid taste.
Habitat	Under birch trees.
Season	August to October.
Occurrence	Infrequent.
Similar species	Lactarius pubescens has a buff-white or cream, woolly cap and grows under birch on sandy soil.

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Lactarius torminosus

Cap

Gills

Stipe

Spore print

Odour/taste

Habitat

Season

Occurrence

Similar species