Peppery Milkcap

not listed

NNR - Unranked

not listed

Peppery Milkcap is a common, widespread, easily identified, gilled mushroom. It occurs in Europe, Asia, and North America. In the United States and southern Canada, it occurs east of the Great Plains. It grows in the summer on the ground under hardwoods. It is found alone, widely scattered, or in groups but not clustered (gregarious). It has a mutually beneficial relationship (mycorrhizal) with the tiny rootlets of trees, absorbing sugars and amino acids while helping the tree absorb water.

When it first appears, the cap is broadly convex, white to creamy white, and unzoned. The surface is dry and hairless, and the margins are even. As it ages it becomes flat and depressed in the middle. Mature caps are 1½″ to 6″ (4 to 15 cm) in diameter and broadly vase shaped. Older caps sometimes develop buff-colored or tan stains.

The gills are narrow, frequently forked, and very crowded. They are broadly attached to the stalk or slightly run down the stalk. They are white at first, becoming pale cream-colored with age.

The stalk is solid, white, hairless, ¾″ to 3″ (2 to 8 cm) long, and ⅜″ to 1″ (1 to 2.5 cm) thick. It may be tapered a little to the base or more or less equal in thickness from top to bottom. It does not have “potholes”.

The flesh is white, thick, crisp, and brittle. It is considered edible when properly prepared, but it has an extremely peppery taste, it contains toxins, and it may be difficult to digest.

Peppery Milkcap contains copious white latex. This is best seen by drawing a knife blade across the gills. The latex is white and usually does not change color when exposed to air, but it may slowly turn yellowish as it dries. It usually does not stain wounded tissue, but sometimes stains wounded tissue yellowish. It does not stain white paper.

The spore print is white.

Summer

Sources

4, 7, 24, 26, 29, 30, 77.

Common

A molecular phylogenetic analysis of the Russula subsection Ochricompactae (Buyck et al. 2008) showed that three subgenera within the genus Lactarius formed a single valid (monophyletic) clade, but it refrained from proposing a new genus for the clade. A later paper by some of the same authors (Buyck et al, 2010) proposed transferring 90 species from genus Lactarius to a new genus Lactifluus. Lactifluus piperatus is the type species for the new genus.

Mushroom

Cap

Gills

Stalk

Share your video of this fungus.

Location: St. Cloud, MN (Benton County)