Lactarius subdulcis - Mild Milkcap

Taxonomy

Phylum: Basidiomycota

Class: Agaricomycetes

Order: Russulales

Another of the small milkcaps commonly found in broadleaf woods, Lactarius subdulcis is mycorrhizal with Beech trees, but it also occurs under birches and occasionally under deciduous oaks. This is a difficult milkcap to identify with certainty because is has so many lookalikes.

Caps of Lactarius subdulcis store abundant, sweet-tasting white milk. The specific epithet subdulcis literally means 'under sweet' - a reference to the delayed sweet taste.

Identification Guide

Cap	Variable from reddish-brown to dark cinnamon with a paler buff margin; convex, centre becoming depressed with a small umbo; 3 to 7cm across.
	Gills White maturing to a pinkish buff; adnate or slightly decurrent; moderately crowded. Latex is white, unchanging; abundant; taste initially mild, becoming slightly bitter.
	Stem Slightly paler than the cap but much lighter at the apex; cylindrical, base slightly clavate; 4 to 7cm long, 0.6 to 1.3cm dia.; no ring.
Spore print	Cream with a slight salmon-pink tinge.
Odour/taste	No significant odour; taste mild and then sweet but eventually becoming slightly bitter and acrid.
Habitat	Under birches in wet woodland..
Season	August to November.
Occurrence	Very common.
Similar species	Lactarius blennius, the Beech Milkcap, is lighter and smaller; it does not develop sepia tinged areas on its gills.