Species details
Zoned hornbeam milkcap
Lactarius circellatus
Inedible
Photo: Lukas from London, England · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Photo source · License
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Description
A grey-brown zoned milkcap characteristically associated with hornbeam, with white latex and a very acrid taste.
Identification features
The cap is 4–10 cm wide, grey to grey-brown, greasy when wet and distinctly dark-zoned concentrically. Gills are crowded, initially pale, later ochre. The stem is paler than the cap.
Identification checklist
Key clues are hornbeam habitat, a grey-brown zoned cap and white acrid latex. Tree association is very important.
How to separate similar species
Other grey milkcaps can be similar, and some also cause gastrointestinal illness. Do not identify by cap colour alone.
Habitat
Grows mainly with hornbeam, only occasionally with other broadleaved trees, from summer to late autumn.
Fruiting period
August, September, October, November