Lactarius pallidus
Encyclopedia
Lactarius pallidus is an edible mushroom
of the genus Lactarius
. It is pale in colour, and found on the floor in beech
or birch
woodland. Its smooth cap
features a particularly thick layer of flesh, and often has an incurved margin. Though generally considered edible
, it is not recommended to be eaten raw. It is common in Europe
, and less common in North America
and Australasia
.
. It was first described by Christian Hendrik Persoon
, who named it Agaricus pallidus in his 1797 book Tentamen dispositionis methodicae Fungorum. It is known in English by its common name
, the pale milkcap.
of 4 to 10 cm (1.6 to 3.9 in) across. In shape, it is initially a flattened convex, developing a funnel-shaped depression with age. It is pale buff in colour, sometimes dull but often with rosy tint. It can also be a pale brown or pale flesh colour. The cap is smooth, firm and sticky, and has a thick layer of white to buff flesh. The margin is incurved on younger specimens. The pale colour, incurved margin and smooth cap are its most distinguishing features. The stem
is 3 to 8 cm (1.2 to 3.1 in) long, by 6 to 28 mm (0.236220472440945 to 1.1 in) thick. In shape, the stem is cylindrical or slightly narrowed at the base, and is concolorous with the cap or whitish. The moderately decurrent, crowded gills are a pale rosy buff to yellowish buff, and leak white milk
. The spores are elliptic, with ridges of varying thickness running across them, forming few cross-connections. They typically measure 8 to 10 by 6 to 7 micrometre
s. The spores leave a spore print
that is pale ochre with a slight salmon tinge.
L. pallidus is similar in appearance to L. affinis
, but is differentiated by the fact that the former lacks the peppery taste of the latter.
, but can also be found under birch
. It is typically half-buried among leaf litter. It can sometimes be found in large groups, and occurs throughout summer and autumn. It can be found commonly in Europe
but is much rarer in North America
. It can also be found in Australia
.
Edible mushroom
Edible mushrooms are the fleshy and edible fruiting bodies of several species of fungi. Mushrooms belong to the macrofungi, because their fruiting structures are large enough to be seen with the naked eye. They can appear either below ground or above ground where they may be picked by hand...
of the genus Lactarius
Lactarius
Lactarius is a genus of mushroom-producing fungi. The genus, collectively known commonly as milk-caps, are characterized by the fact that they exude a milky fluid if cut or damaged...
. It is pale in colour, and found on the floor in beech
Beech
Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
or birch
Birch
Birch is a tree or shrub of the genus Betula , in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. The Betula genus contains 30–60 known taxa...
woodland. Its smooth cap
Pileus (mycology)
The pileus is the technical name for the cap, or cap-like part, of a basidiocarp or ascocarp that supports a spore-bearing surface, the hymenium. The hymenium may consist of lamellae, tubes, or teeth, on the underside of the pileus...
features a particularly thick layer of flesh, and often has an incurved margin. Though generally considered edible
Edible mushroom
Edible mushrooms are the fleshy and edible fruiting bodies of several species of fungi. Mushrooms belong to the macrofungi, because their fruiting structures are large enough to be seen with the naked eye. They can appear either below ground or above ground where they may be picked by hand...
, it is not recommended to be eaten raw. It is common in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, and less common in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and Australasia
Australasia
Australasia is a region of Oceania comprising Australia, New Zealand, the island of New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term was coined by Charles de Brosses in Histoire des navigations aux terres australes...
.
Taxonomy
L. pallidus was classified as a member of Lactarius by Swedish mycologist Elias Magnus FriesElias Magnus Fries
-External links:*, Authors of fungal names, Mushroom, the Journal of Wild Mushrooming.*...
. It was first described by Christian Hendrik Persoon
Christian Hendrik Persoon
Christiaan Hendrik Persoon was a mycologist who made additions to Linnaeus' mushroom taxonomy.-Early life:...
, who named it Agaricus pallidus in his 1797 book Tentamen dispositionis methodicae Fungorum. It is known in English by its 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...
, the pale milkcap.
Description
L. pallidus has a capPileus (mycology)
The pileus is the technical name for the cap, or cap-like part, of a basidiocarp or ascocarp that supports a spore-bearing surface, the hymenium. The hymenium may consist of lamellae, tubes, or teeth, on the underside of the pileus...
of 4 to 10 cm (1.6 to 3.9 in) across. In shape, it is initially a flattened convex, developing a funnel-shaped depression with age. It is pale buff in colour, sometimes dull but often with rosy tint. It can also be a pale brown or pale flesh colour. The cap is smooth, firm and sticky, and has a thick layer of white to buff flesh. The margin is incurved on younger specimens. The pale colour, incurved margin and smooth cap are its most distinguishing features. The stem
Stipe (mycology)
thumb|150px|right|Diagram of a [[basidiomycete]] stipe with an [[annulus |annulus]] and [[volva |volva]]In mycology a stipe refers to the stem or stalk-like feature supporting the cap of a mushroom. Like all tissues of the mushroom other than the hymenium, the stipe is composed of sterile hyphal...
is 3 to 8 cm (1.2 to 3.1 in) long, by 6 to 28 mm (0.236220472440945 to 1.1 in) thick. In shape, the stem is cylindrical or slightly narrowed at the base, and is concolorous with the cap or whitish. The moderately decurrent, crowded gills are a pale rosy buff to yellowish buff, and leak white milk
Latex
Latex is the stable dispersion of polymer microparticles in an aqueous medium. Latexes may be natural or synthetic.Latex as found in nature is a milky fluid found in 10% of all flowering plants . It is a complex emulsion consisting of proteins, alkaloids, starches, sugars, oils, tannins, resins,...
. The spores are elliptic, with ridges of varying thickness running across them, forming few cross-connections. They typically measure 8 to 10 by 6 to 7 micrometre
Micrometre
A micrometer , is by definition 1×10-6 of a meter .In plain English, it means one-millionth of a meter . Its unit symbol in the International System of Units is μm...
s. The spores leave a spore print
Spore print
thumb|300px|right|Making a spore print of the mushroom Volvariella volvacea shown in composite: mushroom cap laid on white and dark paper; cap removed after 24 hours showing pinkish-tan spore print...
that is pale ochre with a slight salmon tinge.
L. pallidus is similar in appearance to L. affinis
Lactarius affinis
Lactarius affinis, commonly known as the kindred milk cap, is a species of fungus in the Russulaceae family. It is found northeastern North America, where it fruits in the summer and fall, and is common in the Great Lakes region. Its fruit bodies have medium to large, slimy dull yellow or brownish...
, but is differentiated by the fact that the former lacks the peppery taste of the latter.
Edibility
Though generally considered edible, especially after cooking, L. pallidus has been described by some mycologists as inedible. The milk has a mild to moderately hot taste.Distribution and habitat
Lactarius pallidus is typically found growing mycorrhizally under beechBeech
Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
, but can also be found under birch
Birch
Birch is a tree or shrub of the genus Betula , in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. The Betula genus contains 30–60 known taxa...
. It is typically half-buried among leaf litter. It can sometimes be found in large groups, and occurs throughout summer and autumn. It can be found commonly in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
but is much rarer in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. It can also be found in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.