– Cap convex to funnel-shaped, smooth, orange, more or less zonate, often green-spotted.
– Gills adnate to decurrent, pale orange.
– Stem hollow, brittle, orange, smooth, usually without drop-like spots.
– When broken, the flesh exudes carrot-coloured latex, which turns wine-red after 10-15 minutes.
– Taste mild, sometimes slightly harsh.
Lactarioid agarics
False Saffron Milkcap
Lactarius deterrimus
LC
Least concern
Edible
8 images
Characteristics
Ecology
Grows with spruce in coniferous forest, preferably on moist and mossy ground.
Notes
All saffron milkcaps exude carrot-coloured to wine-red latex from fresh injuries and are good edible mushrooms.
Similar species
Lactarius fennoscandicus has a darker and distinctly zonate cap. L. deliciosus has drop-like spots on the stem. L. quieticolor has a more muted cap colour and drop-like spots on the stem. L. semisanguifluus has a salmon-pink tone to the gills.
