Wednesday, 15 February 2012

Peppery Milk Cap

Facts
Common Name: 
Peppery Milk Cap
Scientific Name: 
Lactarius piperatus
Cap Diameter (mm): 
130-160mm
Stem Height (mm): 
30-80mm
Stem Diameter (mm): 
10-30mm
Information
Description: 

No other white Milkcap has the combination of  extremely crowded gills and white latex, which dries to olive-green.

Distribution: 

Occasional to common

Habitat: 

Found in small troops usually pushing through leaf litter in deciduous woodland and occasionally in conifer woods.

Cap: 

Initially convex in shape it gradually expands, becomes flaettened and finally depressed and slightly funnel shaped. The whitish, smooth surface is often flecked with ochre in more mature specimens. The inrolled margin can become undulating in older specimens.

Flesh: 

Flesh is white, hard and odourless and the white milk is very hot to taste.

Gills: 

Gills are narrow, very crowded and slightly decurrent, and are white, cream or ivory in colour. The gills turn yellowish-brown when bruised.

Spores: 

White

Stem: 

Cylindrical, sometimes tapering towards the base and coloured as the cap. It is smooth, occasionally striate towards the base.

Additional Notes: 

Edible but may gastric irritation or stomach upsets.