Lactarius scrobiculatus
Encyclopedia
Lactarius scrobiculatus is a basidiomycete
fungus, belonging to the genus Lactarius
, whose members are called "milk caps." Taxonomy places this species into subgenus Piperites, section Zonarii, subsection Scrobiculati.
The distinctive fruiting bodies of this large fungus are locally common in forests throughout Europe and North America. It is regarded as inedible by some authors, but it is nevertheless eaten in parts of Europe.
oid fruiting bodies
which arise from soil. The cap has an eye-catching orange to yellow coloration and is covered with small scales arranged in indistinctive concentric rings. The surface is wet, glossy and slimy especially in wet weather. The cap may be wide, with a large diameter (about 15 cm in mature specimens), but with a depressed centre and slightly inrolled margin. The gills are crowded and coloured cream to yellow, with darker patches being present sometimes. When cut, the gills bleed copious amounts of a white to cream milk (latex), which soon darkens to yellow. The stem, in relation to the cap, is quite short and stubby. The surface is cap-coloured but the presence of small pits, filled with fluid, is a key identifying feature. The stem is hollow. The spores are coloured creamy with an elliptical-globular shape.
When a small piece of flesh is chewed, it tastes bitter to acrid. So acrid, that a researcher reportedly developed a numbness in the mouth, having nibbled on a piece. It doesn't have any discernible smell.
There are several recognised varieties, including var. canadensis. var. montanus and var. pubescens.
forests.
It forms mycorrhiza
l relationships and appears to prefer damp, shady and boggy areas. The fruiting bodies appear in troops, sometimes forming fairy ring
s and only rarely occur singly. The fruiting season of L. scrobiculatus is summer to autumn.
and Russia
after salting, pickling
and thorough cooking. Consuming it irritates the gastrointestinal tract
, causing symptoms of gastrointestinal syndrome. Careful preparation seeks to neutralise the acrid taste. This usually involves a process of boiling, during which the water is discarded. Further cooking and pickling may not eliminate the possibility of distressing symptoms.
Basidiomycota
Basidiomycota is one of two large phyla that, together with the Ascomycota, comprise the subkingdom Dikarya within the Kingdom Fungi...
fungus, belonging to 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...
, whose members are called "milk caps." Taxonomy places this species into subgenus Piperites, section Zonarii, subsection Scrobiculati.
The distinctive fruiting bodies of this large fungus are locally common in forests throughout Europe and North America. It is regarded as inedible by some authors, but it is nevertheless eaten in parts of Europe.
Description
Lactarius scrobiculatus produces large agaricAgaric
An agaric is a type of fungal fruiting body characterized by the presence of a pileus that is clearly differentiated from the stipe , with lamellae on the underside of the pileus. "Agaric" can also refer to a basidiomycete species characterized by an agaric-type fruiting body...
oid fruiting bodies
Sporocarp (fungi)
In fungi, the sporocarp is a multicellular structure on which spore-producing structures, such as basidia or asci, are borne...
which arise from soil. The cap has an eye-catching orange to yellow coloration and is covered with small scales arranged in indistinctive concentric rings. The surface is wet, glossy and slimy especially in wet weather. The cap may be wide, with a large diameter (about 15 cm in mature specimens), but with a depressed centre and slightly inrolled margin. The gills are crowded and coloured cream to yellow, with darker patches being present sometimes. When cut, the gills bleed copious amounts of a white to cream milk (latex), which soon darkens to yellow. The stem, in relation to the cap, is quite short and stubby. The surface is cap-coloured but the presence of small pits, filled with fluid, is a key identifying feature. The stem is hollow. The spores are coloured creamy with an elliptical-globular shape.
When a small piece of flesh is chewed, it tastes bitter to acrid. So acrid, that a researcher reportedly developed a numbness in the mouth, having nibbled on a piece. It doesn't have any discernible smell.
There are several recognised varieties, including var. canadensis. var. montanus and var. pubescens.
Distribution
Lactarius scrobiculatus is known to occur throughout Europe, and to a lesser extent North America where its occurrence is rare. It occurs primarily in coniferous and birchBirch
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...
forests.
It forms mycorrhiza
Mycorrhiza
A mycorrhiza is a symbiotic association between a fungus and the roots of a vascular plant....
l relationships and appears to prefer damp, shady and boggy areas. The fruiting bodies appear in troops, sometimes forming fairy ring
Fairy ring
A fairy ring, also known as fairy circle, elf circle, elf ring or pixie ring, is a naturally occurring ring or arc of mushrooms. The rings may grow to over in diameter, and they become stable over time as the fungus grows and seeks food underground. They are found mainly in forested areas, but...
s and only rarely occur singly. The fruiting season of L. scrobiculatus is summer to autumn.
Edibility
Some European authors consider Lactarius scrobiculatus inedible. It is collected and eaten in parts of eastern EuropeEastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
after salting, pickling
Pickling
Pickling, also known as brining or corning is the process of preserving food by anaerobic fermentation in brine to produce lactic acid, or marinating and storing it in an acid solution, usually vinegar . The resulting food is called a pickle. This procedure gives the food a salty or sour taste...
and thorough cooking. Consuming it irritates the gastrointestinal tract
Gastrointestinal tract
The human gastrointestinal tract refers to the stomach and intestine, and sometimes to all the structures from the mouth to the anus. ....
, causing symptoms of gastrointestinal syndrome. Careful preparation seeks to neutralise the acrid taste. This usually involves a process of boiling, during which the water is discarded. Further cooking and pickling may not eliminate the possibility of distressing symptoms.