Lactarius turpis
Encyclopedia
Lactarius turpis is commonly known as the Ugly Milk-cap in English. It is found naturally in Europe and Siberia
, and has been introduced to Australia
and New Zealand
. While especially associated with birch, it is also found with spruce, pine and other trees in mixed woodland.
The messy, dirty appearance, seen in the photograph, is characteristic of the species and gives it its English name and the Latin species epithet, turpis. It seems to collect debris on top and the gills acquire a dirty brownish stain due to discoloured milk.
as there is much disagreement over naming. The three main scientific designations:
are usually, but not always, considered to be synonyms for same species. The epithets necator and plumbeus were both coined by Pierre Bulliard
as Agaricus necator (1791) and Agaricus plumbeus (1793), but there is and was confusion as to which mushrooms were meant. The name turpis, derived from the latin
term turpis "ugly", was originated by Johann Anton Weinmann
and taken over by Elias Magnus Fries
in 1838.
Plumbeus too referred to the milk-cap's appearance, derived from the Latin for plumbeus "lead-coloured".
The cap
is normally 8–20 cm (3–8 in) in diameter. At first it has an involute margin and a somewhat depressed centre. The upper surface is olive brown or yellow-green and is often sticky or slimy in the middle. When young it has velvety zones and may be shaggy at the rim. Later it becomes funnel-shaped and the colour darkens to blackish. The gills are dirty white, stained olive-brown by old milk, which is initially white on contact with the air. They are somewhat decurrent. With potassium hydroxide
or ammonia
there is a purple reaction. The stipe is up to about 7 cm (3 in) tall by 3 cm (1¼ in) in diameter and it is similar in colour to the cap, but much lighter. It may have shallow pits (scrobiculae). The flesh is a dirty white and tends to turn brown. The taste (especially the milk) is acrid. There is little smell. The spores are about 7x6 µ
and are ornamented with a pattern of ridges.
necatorin (=7-hydroxycoumaro(5,6-c)cinnoline), and so it cannot be recommended for eating. Boiling reduces the concentration of this compound, but does not effectively eliminate it.
Probably due to the acrid taste, most western European authorities classify this mushroom as inedible or poor. However, it has popularly been used (after boiling) as a spice
in mushroom dishes in northern and eastern Europe and Siberia (see Mushroom picking in Slavic culture). It is commercially available preserved in salt. Considered a choice mushroom in Russia, one of the best for pickling (salt only, no vinegar).
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
, and has been introduced to 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...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. While especially associated with birch, it is also found with spruce, pine and other trees in mixed woodland.
The messy, dirty appearance, seen in the photograph, is characteristic of the species and gives it its English name and the Latin species epithet, turpis. It seems to collect debris on top and the gills acquire a dirty brownish stain due to discoloured milk.
Taxonomy and naming
This very variable mushroom demonstrates a common phenomenon in mycologyMycology
Mycology is the branch of biology concerned with the study of fungi, including their genetic and biochemical properties, their taxonomy and their use to humans as a source for tinder, medicinals , food and entheogens, as well as their dangers, such as poisoning or...
as there is much disagreement over naming. The three main scientific designations:
- Lactarius turpis Fr.Elias Magnus Fries-External links:*, Authors of fungal names, Mushroom, the Journal of Wild Mushrooming.*...
, - Lactarius necator (Bull.Jean Baptiste François Pierre BulliardJean Baptiste François Pierre Bulliard was a French physician and botanist....
:Fr.Elias Magnus Fries-External links:*, Authors of fungal names, Mushroom, the Journal of Wild Mushrooming.*...
) KarstenPetter Adolf KarstenPetter Adolf Karsten was a Finnish mycologist, the foremost expert on the fungi of Finland in his day, and known in consequence as the "father of Finnish mycology"....
, and - Lactarius plumbeus (Bull.Jean Baptiste François Pierre BulliardJean Baptiste François Pierre Bulliard was a French physician and botanist....
:Fr.Elias Magnus Fries-External links:*, Authors of fungal names, Mushroom, the Journal of Wild Mushrooming.*...
) S. F. Gray,
are usually, but not always, considered to be synonyms for same species. The epithets necator and plumbeus were both coined by Pierre Bulliard
Jean Baptiste François Pierre Bulliard
Jean Baptiste François Pierre Bulliard was a French physician and botanist....
as Agaricus necator (1791) and Agaricus plumbeus (1793), but there is and was confusion as to which mushrooms were meant. The name turpis, derived from the latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
term turpis "ugly", was originated by Johann Anton Weinmann
Johann Anton Weinmann
Johann Anton Weinmann was a German botanist who served as Inspector of the Gardens in Saint Petersburg, Russia. He published a Flora that is the basis of some binomial species identifications using the author abbreviation Weinm.....
and taken over by Elias Magnus Fries
Elias Magnus Fries
-External links:*, Authors of fungal names, Mushroom, the Journal of Wild Mushrooming.*...
in 1838.
Plumbeus too referred to the milk-cap's appearance, derived from the Latin for plumbeus "lead-coloured".
Description
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...
is normally 8–20 cm (3–8 in) in diameter. At first it has an involute margin and a somewhat depressed centre. The upper surface is olive brown or yellow-green and is often sticky or slimy in the middle. When young it has velvety zones and may be shaggy at the rim. Later it becomes funnel-shaped and the colour darkens to blackish. The gills are dirty white, stained olive-brown by old milk, which is initially white on contact with the air. They are somewhat decurrent. With potassium hydroxide
Potassium hydroxide
Potassium hydroxide is an inorganic compound with the formula KOH, commonly called caustic potash.Along with sodium hydroxide , this colorless solid is a prototypical strong base. It has many industrial and niche applications. Most applications exploit its reactivity toward acids and its corrosive...
or ammonia
Ammonia
Ammonia is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula . It is a colourless gas with a characteristic pungent odour. Ammonia contributes significantly to the nutritional needs of terrestrial organisms by serving as a precursor to food and fertilizers. Ammonia, either directly or...
there is a purple reaction. The stipe is up to about 7 cm (3 in) tall by 3 cm (1¼ in) in diameter and it is similar in colour to the cap, but much lighter. It may have shallow pits (scrobiculae). The flesh is a dirty white and tends to turn brown. The taste (especially the milk) is acrid. There is little smell. The spores are about 7x6 µ
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...
and are ornamented with a pattern of ridges.
Edibility
This species is reported to contain the mutagenMutagen
In genetics, a mutagen is a physical or chemical agent that changes the genetic material, usually DNA, of an organism and thus increases the frequency of mutations above the natural background level. As many mutations cause cancer, mutagens are therefore also likely to be carcinogens...
necatorin (=7-hydroxycoumaro(5,6-c)cinnoline), and so it cannot be recommended for eating. Boiling reduces the concentration of this compound, but does not effectively eliminate it.
Probably due to the acrid taste, most western European authorities classify this mushroom as inedible or poor. However, it has popularly been used (after boiling) as a spice
Spice
A spice is a dried seed, fruit, root, bark, or vegetative substance used in nutritionally insignificant quantities as a food additive for flavor, color, or as a preservative that kills harmful bacteria or prevents their growth. It may be used to flavour a dish or to hide other flavours...
in mushroom dishes in northern and eastern Europe and Siberia (see Mushroom picking in Slavic culture). It is commercially available preserved in salt. Considered a choice mushroom in Russia, one of the best for pickling (salt only, no vinegar).