Lactarius rubidus Methven nom. prov.

[ Basidiomycetes > Russulales > Russulaceae > Lactarius . . . ]

by Michael Kuo

For years this West-Coast "candy cap" passed as Lactarius camphoratus and as a variety of Lactarius fragilis, despite substantial differences. While Lactarius rubidus does have the characteristic burned-sugar odor of this species complex, it is larger and redder than the other species; it also has waterier (say that three times fast), scantier milk and differs on microscopic features (see below).

Lactarius rubidus is a popular edible on the West Coast, where confusion with similar species is limited to an unlikely mix-up with Lactarius rufulus, which has a strongly acrid taste and would not make it to anyone's kitchen. (In eastern North America, however, things are more complicated, and identifying the "candy caps" requires substantial mushrooming experience.) Disconcertingly, in my opinion, people apparently enjoy Lactarius rubidus in ice cream and in breads. If this strikes you as odd, you have probably not visited northern California.

Description:

Ecology: Mycorrhizal with oaks (Coast Live Oak and Tanoak); growing alone, scattered, gregariously, or in clusters; fall and winter; on the West Coast.

Cap: 2-8 cm; convex, becoming flat or shallowly vase-shaped; dry or sticky; somewhat wrinkled or uneven, but otherwise smooth; reddish brown to orangish brown.

Gills: Attached to the stem or running slightly down it; close or nearly distant; very pale orange, developing cinnamon stains and discolorations but not staining from the milk.

Stem: 2-7 cm long; up to 1.5 cm thick; colored like the cap or paler; more or less equal; smooth; without pot-holes; often with orangish fuzz at the base.

Flesh: Very pale orange; not staining when sliced.

Milk: Watery or whey-like; not copious; not staining tissues.

Odor and Taste: Odor like maple syrup or burned sugar, becoming stronger when the mushroom is dried; taste mild.

Spore Print: Pale yellow or whitish.

Chemical Reactions: KOH on cap negative.

Microscopic Features: Spores 6-8 µ; round or nearly so; ornamentation with prominences 0.5-1.0 µ high; connectors forming partial reticula.

REFERENCES: (Hesler & Smith, 1979) Methven, 1997. (Hesler & Smith, 1979; Arora, 1986; Methven, 1997; Kuo, 2007.) Herb. Kuo 02200309, 01130522.

Further Online Information:

Lactarius fragilis var. rubidus in Hesler & Smith (1979)
Lactarius rubidus at MykoWeb

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Cite this page as:

Kuo, M. (2004, February). Lactarius rubidus. Retrieved from the MushroomExpert.Com Web site: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/lactarius_rubidus.html