Lactarius deterrimus is a mushroom closely related to Lactarius deliciosus

Lactarius deliciosus

Lactarius deliciosus, commonly known as the Saffron milk cap, Red pine mushroom, is one of the best known members of the large milk-cap genus Lactarius in the order Russulales...

. The common name

Common name

A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...

 for this fungus is False saffron milk-cap, it's also known as Bitterer Milchling.

Taxonomy

This mushroom was formerly considered to be a variety of L. deliciosus and is distinguished by the milk turning wine-red on drying - but only after up to thirty minutes. Both these fungi are known as Çam melkisi or Çintar in Turkey.

Description

It has orange or red milk and a carrot-orange coloration, in many cases becoming flecked with green or blue-green with age. It has a coconut-like smell and is a delicacy, suitable for frying.

Distribution and habitat

L. deterrimus is found in coniferous woodlands in Europe. It forms a mycorrhizal relationship with spruce

Spruce

A spruce is a tree of the genus Picea , a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the Family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal regions of the earth. Spruces are large trees, from tall when mature, and can be distinguished by their whorled branches and conical...

s. Unlike L. deliciosus it favours wet places and can be found growing in wet spruce forests and even near bogs. Both this fungus and L. deliciosus are collected and sold in the Izmir region of southwestern Turkey, and the Antalya region of the south coast.

External links

• “Lactarius deterrimus” by Robert Sasata, Healing-Mushrooms.net, August, 2008.