| Major Groups > Gilled Mushrooms > Pale-Spored > Lactarius > Lactarius subvernalis var. cokeri |
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Lactarius subvernalis var. cokeri [ Basidiomycetes > Russulales > Russulaceae > Lactarius . . . ] by Michael Kuo The pink staining, the whitish to buff-brown colors, the close or crowded gills, and the very acrid taste distinguish this attractive milky cap. Lactarius piperatus is similar, but is typically a larger mushroom, and does not stain pink when bruised or sliced. I have seen specimens of Lactarius subplinthogalus (which does stain pink) that were similarly colored, but that species has very distant gills and, often, a wavy or scalloped cap margin. Lactarius fumosus is also similar, but has a smoky brown cap (and, under the microscope, lacks prominent cheilocystidia). Lactarius subvernalis var. cokeri is found in eastern North America under hardwoods. I can find no information on its edibility--but the acrid taste makes it unpalatable, anyway. Description: Ecology: Mycorrhizal with hardwoods; growing gregariously or scattered; summer and fall; widely distributed in eastern North America. Cap: 3-6 cm; flat, often with a central depression, or shallowly vase-shaped; the margin even by maturity; dry; smooth or minutely hairy or suedelike; whitish to buff, or brownish; more or less evenly colored; sometimes bruising pink. Gills: Attached to the stem or running slightly down it; close or crowded; white at first, later buff; stained salmon pink by the milk when sliced. Stem: 5-7 cm long; .5-1.5 cm thick; more or less equal; dry; smooth; whitish; bruising pink; hollowing. Flesh: Soft; whitish but staining pink when cut (see top-left mushroom in illustration). Milk: White, staining surfaces pink. Odor and Taste: Odor not distinctive or somewhat fragrant; taste acrid. Spore Print: Yellow. Chemical Reactions: KOH on cap surface negative. Microscopic Features: Spores 7-8 µ; round or nearly so; ornamentation with prominences .6-1.5 µ high; with amyloid ridges forming a partial or complete reticulum. Cheilocystidia up to 60 x 6 µ; subfusoid to irregular; abundant and easily demonstrated. REFERENCES: (Smith & Hesler, 1962) Hesler & Smith, 1979. (Hesler & Smith, 1979; Weber & Smith, 1985; Phillips, 1991/2005.) Herb. Kuo 07280306. Hesler & Smith (1979) describe three varieties of Lactarius subvernalis, including var. cokeri (described above), var. subvernalis (milk white but changing to yellow on exposure to air), and var. albo-ochraceus (milk white, drying red). Follow the links below for more information. Further Online Information: Lactarius subvernalis var. cokeri in Hesler & Smith (1979) |
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Cite this page as: Kuo, M. (2007, September). Lactarius subvernalis var. cokeri. Retrieved from the MushroomExpert.Com Web site: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/lactarius_subvernalis_cokeri.html |