Species details
Northern milkcap
Lactarius trivialis
Conditional / expert preparation
Photo: Jerzy Opioła · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Photo source · License
Description
A large grey-violet-brown, very slimy milkcap with abundant white latex that dries yellow and becomes strongly acrid.
Identification features
The cap is 6–20 cm wide, fleshy, grey-violet-brown and very slimy. Gills are crowded and may develop greenish spots when damaged. The stem is stout, slimy and becomes hollow.
Identification checklist
Check the large grey-violet slimy cap, stout slimy stem, abundant white latex and possible greenish spotting on damaged gills.
How to separate similar species
Lactarius vietus is smaller and characteristically associated with birch. In milkcaps, latex changes, habitat and size are more important than colour alone.
Habitat
Grows among moss in conifer woodland in late summer and autumn; rare in Slovenia.
Fruiting period
August, September, October