- Cap reddish-brown to gingerbread-brown, often with a wart-like pointed umbo in the centre.
- Gills almost white when young, darkening to reddish-brown with age.
- Stem of same color as the cap, often somewhat paler.
- Exudes a white latex with a burning acrid taste.
Lactarioid agarics
Rufous Milkcap
Lactarius rufus
LC
Least concern
Edible
5 images
Characteristics
Ecology
Grows mainly in coniferous forest, preferably with pine, but also in spruce forest and mountain birch forest.
Notes
Edible but must be parboiled in plenty of water that is discarded before cooking.
Similar species
Lactarius camphoratus often has darker gills, a smoother cap surface, mild taste and a smell tending towards curry or stock cube, inedible.
Lactarius helvus is paler in colour, somewhat larger in size and lacks white latex, slightly poisonous.
There are many other brownish milkcaps that can be confused with Lactarius rufus, but none of these is known to be poisonous.
Lactarius helvus is paler in colour, somewhat larger in size and lacks white latex, slightly poisonous.
There are many other brownish milkcaps that can be confused with Lactarius rufus, but none of these is known to be poisonous.
