| Major Groups > Gilled Mushrooms > Pale-Spored > Lactarius > Lactarius quietus var. incanus |
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Lactarius quietus var. incanus [ Basidiomycetes > Russulales > Russulaceae > Lactarius . . . ] by Michael Kuo A combination of features defines this eastern milky cap. Its milk is thick and white when the mushroom is young, but soon becomes more like skim milk, and by maturity is almost watery. The cap is zoned with beautiful shades of dark reddish brown, but the zones may resolve by maturity, leaving the cap evenly colored. When young there is a whitish dusting on the cap. The stem darkens from the base upward as the mushroom matures. The odor is slightly fragrant, and the taste is mild or slightly acrid. There are a number of frustratingly similar species (including the appropriately named Lactarius frustratus); microscopic features and chemical reactions (see below) should probably be checked. The "true" Lactarius quietus (var. quietus) is strictly European, according to Hesler & Smith (1979). It has yellower gills, and milk that turns faintly yellowish on exposure to air. However, the authors admit that "[l]ike many other species complexes in Lactarius this one needs further study" (477). I have collected a specimen matching Lactarius quietus with vaguely yellowing milk in Indiana (bottom illustration). Edibility is not recorded for Lactarius quietus var. incanus. Do not experiment. Description: Ecology: Mycorrhizal with hardwoods, especially oaks; growing scattered or gregariously; summer and fall; widely distributed in eastern North America. Cap: 3-11 cm; convex, becoming flat or shallowly vase-shaped; moist or dry; smooth or uneven and somewhat rugged; when young with a whitish dusting; zoned with shades or dark reddish brown, but sometimes becoming merely vaguely zoned or without zones. Gills: Attached to the stem or running slightly down it; close; whitish at first, developing cinnamon stains and discolorations, but not staining from the milk. Stem: 4-14 cm long; up to 1 cm thick; more or less equal; smooth; without pot-holes; when young with a white dusting; colored like the cap, but paler; darkening with age from the base upward. Flesh: Whitish to pinkish; not changing when sliced. Milk: Whitish or pale pinkish; not staining on exposure. Odor and Taste: Odor not distinctive or slightly fragrant; taste mild or slightly acrid. Spore Print: Whitish or pale yellowish. Chemical Reactions: KOH on cap surface olive. Microscopic Features: Spores 7-9 x 5.5-7 µ; broadly elliptical; ornamentation with prominences to 0.5 µ high; connectors rare and scattered. REFERENCES: Hesler & Smith, 1979. (Hesler & Smith, 1979, Roody, 2003; McNeil, 2006.) Herb. Kuo 08010403, 07090705. Further Online Information: Lactarius quietus var. incanus in Hesler & Smith (1979) |
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Cite this page as: Kuo, M. (2005, March). Lactarius quietus var. incanus Retrieved from the MushroomExpert.Com Web site: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/lactarius_quietus_incanus.html |