Skip to main content

False saffron milkcap

Lactarius deterrimus

Published on Project Noah
Zoom
NominateNominate for Wildlife Photograph of the Month
reportFlag Spotting

41.1482, -8.61102

Field Notes

Description:

Lactarius deterrimus, also known as false saffron milkcap, is a species of fungus in the family Russulaceae. The fungus produces medium-sized fruit bodies (mushrooms) with orangish caps up to 12 cm (4.7 in) wide that develop green spots in old age or if injured. Its orange-coloured latex stains maroon within 30 minutes.
The cap is 3 to 10 centimetres (1.2 to 3.9 in), rarely up to 12 centimetres (4.7 in) wide and more or less centrifugal-shaped and round. It is at early stage convex and furled on the slightly churlish edge, and depressed in the centre and later flat, funnel-shaped depressed. The cap skin is bare, greasy in moist weather and slightly shiny when dry. The cap is tangerine to orange-brown, darker zoned towards the edges and dulls mainly yellow-brown. In old age or after cold or frost it changes the colour more or less to dirty greenish or green-spotted.

Habitat:

Lactarius deliciosus grows under the acidic soil of conifers and forms a mycorrhizal relationship with its host tree. It is native to the southern Pyrenees where it grows under Mediterranean pines.
Lactarius deterrimus is a mycorrhizal fungus that associates with Norway spruce and bearberry. The species is distributed in Europe, but has has also found in parts of Asia. Research has shown that the similar North American species from the United States and Mexico is not closely related to the European species. Fruit bodies appear between late June and November, usually in spruce forests.

Notes:

Spotted in a public garden in Porto city,under spruce trees

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (2)

Thanks very much Vlad for the correction,you are rigth :-) I have spotted another milkcap species,can you se if my id is correct?Thanks :-) http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/77226007
Antonio, can you please check the smell of the mushroom. I ask of this because I suspect that this is the False Saffron Milkcap (Lactarius deterrimus). I suspect this because of the green coloring of the cap. The difference in between L. Deliciosus and L. Deterrimus is that L. Deliciosus smells (as the name says it) delicious, as for the L. Deterrimus... well, the smell is almost not even there, it has no distinctive smell.

Accelerate our Mission to Photograph 
Every Species in the World!

Image
Butterflies icon

Wildlife Community

Wildlife Community

Join a worldwide community passionate about wildlife and nature!

Join Project Noah

Nature School

Nature School

Transform your green space into a curiosity-creating nature classroom!

Visit Nature School

Wildlife Game

Wildlife Game

Defend wildlife throughout the jungle in thrilling nature game!

Play Baboon