Lactarius quietus - Oakbug Milkcap

Taxonomy

Phylum: Basidiomycota

Class: Agaricomycetes

Order: Russulales

Lactarius quietus, the Oakbug Milkcap (also referred to simply as the Oak Milkcap), appears in great abundance beneath oak trees even in areas where the soil is thin. Even on steep slopes where rainwater runs off quickly, it is worth looking out for these gregarious little milkcaps among the leaf litter.

The milk (latex) is mild, but unfortunately Lactarius quietus is an unpleasant-tasting milkcap; this is particularly disappointing in view of its abundance and widespread distribution.

Identification Guide

A group of Lactarius quietus - Oakbug Milkcap

Although it could be confused with several other medium-sized pale brown milkcaps, the fact that it occurs only under oak trees is a great help in identifying this species. (When recording foray finds, it is always useful to note the tree species beneath which mushrooms occur, since this information often proves useful in eliminating look-alikes during the identification process.)

	Cap 4 to 9cm in diameter, convex and then slightly depressed, the caps are yellow-brown to reddish-brown with faint darker concentric zones. In wet weather the caps are shiny, but they dry to a dull matt finish.
	Gills Shortly decurrent, crowded and creamy-brown or pinkish yellow, the gills exude a mild-tasting creamy-white milk when they are damaged. As the fruiting body ages, the gills become noticeably more brown.
Stem	5 to 10mm in diameter and 5 to 7cm tall, the cylindrical stem is the same colour as the cap but shading slightly darker towards the base. There is no stem ring.
Spore print	Pale creamy-white with a slight salmon pink tinge.
Odour/taste	Fruity smell; the milk (latex) has a mild taste, becoming bitter after a while.
Habitat	Under oak trees.
Season	August to October.
Occurrence	Frequent; often in large groups.
Similar species	Lactarius rufus is larger and darker and usually has a central umbo; it occurs under conifers and occasionally birch and releases a bitter latex when the gills are damaged.