Lactarius blennius

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Lactarius blennius
Lactarius blennius JPG01.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Basidiomycota
Class: Agaricomycetes
Order: Russulales
Family: Russulaceae
Genus: Lactarius
Species:
L. blennius
Binomial name
Lactarius blennius
(Fr.) Fr. (1838)
Synonyms [1]
List
  • Agaricus blenniusFr. (1815)
  • Galorrheus blennius(Fr.: Fr.) Fr. (1825)
  • Lactifluus blennius(Fr.: Fr.) Kuntze (1891)
  • Lactarius blennius f. virescensLange (1940)
  • Agaricus viridisSchrad. (1794)
  • Lactarius viridis(Schrad.) Quél. (1886)
  • Lactarius blennius var. viridis(Schrad.) Quél. (1881)
Lactarius blennius
Information icon.svg
Gills icon.png Gills on hymenium
Convex cap icon.svg Cap is convex
Decurrent gills icon2.svgAdnate gills icon2.svg Hymenium is decurrent or adnate
Bare stipe icon.svg Stipe is bare
Transparent spore print icon.svg
 Spore print is cream
Mycorrhizal fungus.svgEcology is mycorrhizal
Mycomorphbox Inedible.pngEdibility is inedible

Lactarius blennius (commonly known as the slimy milkcap or beech milkcap) is a medium-sized mushroom of the genus Lactarius found commonly in beech forests in Europe, where it is mycorrhizal, favouring the European beech (though associations with other trees are known). It was first described by Elias Magnus Fries. Though its colour and size vary, it is distinctive because it is slimy when wet and exudes copious amounts of milk. It has been the subject of some chemical research, and it can be used to produce pigments and blennins. Blennins, some of which have shown potential medical application, are derived from lactarane, a chemical so named because of their association with Lactarius. The edibility of L. blennius is uncertain, with different mycologists suggesting that it is edible (though not recommended), inedible or even poisonous.

Contents

Taxonomy and naming

Lactarius blennius was first described by Swedish mycologist Elias Magnus Fries as Agaricus blennius in 1815, before being given its current binomial name by the same author in 1838. [2] Within the genus Lactarius , it is closely related to Lactarius cinereus, another Lactarius species that also favours beech. [3] It has been suggested that the two species (forming a group) could have a coevolutionary pathway with beech. [3] The specific epithet is derived from a Latin adjective blennius, meaning "slimy". [2] Lactarius mushrooms are commonly known as milkcaps, [4] and L. blennius is known as the Slimy Milkcap [5] or the Beech Milkcap. [4]

Lactarius blennius is synonymous with Agaricus blennius (the name under which Fries first described the species in 1815) and Agaricus viridis, a name given earlier by Heinrich Schrader, in 1794. Galorrheus blennius (a name proposed in 1871 by Paul Kummer), Lactarius viridis (proposed in 1888 by Lucien Quélet) and Lactifluus blennius (proposed by Otto Kuntze in 1891) are also now recognised as synonyms. [6] Lactarius albidopallens was originally described as a form of L. blennius as Lactarius blennius f. albidopallens by Jakob Emanuel Lange in 1928, before being classified as a separate species by J. Blum. [7] Lange also described Lactarius blennius f. virescens, which is now recognised as nomen invalidum (an invalid name). [8] Lactarius fluens is another species that has been included in L. blennius; originally described in 1899 by Jean Louis Émile Boudier, in 1999, German Joseph Krieglsteiner suggested that it is actually a variety of L. blennius, naming it Lactarius blennius var. fluens. However today L. fluens is normally regarded as a related but separate species, distinguished by a pale cap margin, less sliminess and a deeper cream gill colour. [9] [10] The situation with Lactarius viridis is similar but with a different outcome; it was first described as a separate species by Quélet in 1888, and then in 1980 A. Marchand proposed that it is in fact a variety of L. blennius, naming it Lactarius blennius var. viridis. In this case the synonymy has become accepted. [11]

Description

Lactarius blennius has a flattened convex cap that is 4–10 cm (1.6–4 in) across that later becomes depressed in the centre. In colour, it is pale olive to a greenish grey, sometimes a dull green or pale grey-sepia, and has blotches of darker colouration in concentric bands, [5] though the colour can vary greatly. Heavily spotted specimens are also known, [4] and a very brown specimen similar to Lactarius circellatus was recorded in Scotland. [12] The cap is very slimy when moist and has a margin that is curved inwards. The stem is a paler colour than the cap, but also very slimy, and measures from 4–5 cm (1.6–2 in) tall by 1–1.7 cm (0.4–0.7 in) thick, [5] tapering a little towards the bottom. [13] The flesh is whitish, similar in colour to the gills, which later become a creamy or pale buff colour. The gills turn a brownish-grey colour when wounded, [5] and are crowded. [4] In shape, they are slightly decurrent or adnate, meaning that they run a small way down the stem in attachment, or that they are attached to the stem by the whole depth of the gills. [4] [5] The milk is white and dries grey, and is very plentiful. [4] L. blennius spores leave a creamy print, and are elliptic with low warts joined by ridges with a small number of cross-connections, measuring from 6–9 by 5.5–7  μm. [5] [13]

Distribution, habitat and ecology

Lactarius blennius is very common and is found in broad-leaved woodland, favouring beech; [5] it is most associated with Fagus sylvatica , the European Beech, [3] though it has also been observed growing in association with species of oak. [14] It forms an ectomycorrhizal association with trees, [14] and can grow on a wide variety of subsoil types, [15] but is more typical of acidic soil. [16] It is found between late summer and late autumn, [5] and is native to Europe. [17] The distribution of the mushroom coincides with the distribution of beech. [3] In the British Isles, the species is one of the one hundred most common mushrooms. [4] Other areas in which it has been recorded include Sweden, [16] France, [18] Italy, [19] and Poland. [20]

Uses

Mycologist Roger Phillips claims that L. blennius is edible when cooked, but not recommended, [5] while others describe it as inedible [2] [13] or even poisonous. [17] The milk tastes very hot and acrid. [5]

Lactarius blennius has been the subject of some research in chemistry. Lactarane derivatives (known as "blennins") have been acquired from the mushroom, including the lactone blennin D, [21] and blennin A, which was first isolated from this species. [22] Lactaranes are chemicals so named because of their occurrence in Lactarius species. Blennins have been shown to be potentially useful- blennin A, for instance (a lactarane-type sesquiterpene) has been shown to be an anti-inflammatory, having a strong inhibitative affect against leukotriene C4 biosynthesis. [22] L. blennius can also be refined to create a green pigment, known as blennione. [23]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Lactarius deterrimus</i> Species of fungus

Lactarius deterrimus, also known as false saffron milkcap or orange milkcap, is a species of fungus in the family Russulaceae. The fungus produces medium-sized fruit bodies (mushrooms) with orangish caps up to 12 centimetres wide that develop green spots in old age or if injured. Its orange-coloured latex stains maroon within 30 minutes. Lactarius deterrimus is a mycorrhizal fungus that associates with Norway spruce and bearberry. The species is distributed in Europe, but has also found in parts of Asia. A visually similar species in 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. Although the fungus is edible—like all Lactarius mushrooms from the section Deliciosi—its taste is often bitter, and it is not highly valued. The fruit bodies are used as source of food for the larvae of several insect species. Lactarius deterrimus can be distinguished from similar Lactarius species by difference in the mycorrhizal host or latex colour.

<i>Lactarius torminosus</i> Fungus in the family Russulaceae from North Africa, northern Asia, Europe, and North America

Lactarius torminosus, commonly known as the woolly milkcap or the bearded milkcap, is a large species of agaric fungus. A common and widely distributed species, it is found in North Africa, northern Asia, Europe, and North America. It was first described scientifically by Jacob Christian Schäffer in 1774 as an Agaricus, and later transferred to the genus Lactarius in 1821 by Samuel Frederick Gray. A variety, L. torminosus var. nordmanensis, is known from the United States, Canada, and Switzerland. L. torminosus officially became the type species of Lactarius in 2011 after molecular studies prompted the taxonomic reshuffling of species between several Russulaceae genera.

<i>Lactarius uvidus</i> Species of fungus

Lactarius uvidus, commonly known as the purple staining milk cap, is a European and North American "milk-cap" mushroom, of which the milk turns violet when the flesh is damaged. The fungi generally identified as L. uvidus are part of a complex of closely related species and varieties which are difficult to delimit definitively.

<i>Lactarius helvus</i> Species of fungus

Lactarius helvus, commonly known as fenugreek milkcap, is a member of the large milkcap genus Lactarius in the order Russulales. Fruiting bodies can be found in Sphagnum moss in coniferous and deciduous woodland in Europe, and possibly North America, although considerable debate continues about the North American variety, formerly referred to as Lactarius aquifluus. Mushrooms are pale brown-grey or beige in colour and funnel-shaped, with colourless, watery milk. Its distinctive smell has been likened to fenugreek, celery, liquorice, or Maggi instant soup. Mildly toxic when raw, it has been implicated in the poisoning of 418 people near Leipzig in October 1949. However, it is used in small quantities as a spice when dried. Sotolon, the agent that gives the fungus its odour, also occurs in fenugreek, maple syrup and lovage.

<i>Lactarius subdulcis</i> Species of fungus

Lactarius subdulcis, commonly known as the mild milkcap or beech milk cap, is an edible mushroom in the genus Lactarius. It is brown in colour, with a large number of gills and a particularly thin layer of flesh in the cap. Mycorrhizal, the mushroom is found from late summer to late autumn at the base of beech trees in small groups or individually, where it is one of the two most common species of fungi. Alternatively, it can be found in large groups in fields, sometimes with more than a hundred individual mushrooms. It is found in Europe, and, despite previous research to the contrary, is absent in North America. Although considered edible, it is not particularly useful as food due to its ivy-like taste and the fact that more choice mushrooms will be easily found at the same time. L. subdulcis is known for its abundant, sweet-tasting milk that, unlike the latex of some of its relatives, does not stain fabric yellow.

<i>Lactifluus piperatus</i> Species of fungus

Lactifluus piperatus, commonly known as the blancaccio, is a semi-edible basidiomycete fungus of the genus Lactifluus. Despite being edible, it is not recommended by some because of its poor taste, though can be used as seasoning when dried. The fruiting body is a creamy-white mushroom which is funnel-shaped when mature, with exceptionally crowded gills. It bleeds a whitish peppery-tasting milk when cut. Widely distributed across Europe and eastern North America, Lactifluus piperatus has been accidentally introduced to Australia. Mycorrhizal, it forms a symbiotic relationship with various species of deciduous tree, including beech, and hazel, and fruiting bodies are found on the forest floor in deciduous woodland.

<i>Lactifluus volemus</i> Species of edible fungus in the family Russulaceae widely distributed in the northern hemisphere

Lactifluus volemus, formerly known as Lactarius volemus, and commonly known as the weeping milk cap or bradley, is a species of fungus in the family Russulaceae. It is widely distributed in the northern hemisphere, in temperate regions of Europe, North America and Asia as well as some subtropical and tropical regions of Central America and Asia. A mycorrhizal fungus, its fruit bodies grow on the ground at the base of various species of trees from summer to autumn, either individually or in groups. It is valued as an edible mushroom, and is sold in markets in Asia. Several other Lactifluus mushrooms resemble L. volemus, such as the closely related edible species L. corrugis, but these can be distinguished by differences in distribution, visible morphology, and microscopic characteristics. L. volemus produces a white spore print and has roughly spherical spores about 7–8 micrometres in diameter.

<i>Lactarius glyciosmus</i> Species of fungus

Lactarius glyciosmus, commonly known as the coconut scented milk cap, is a semi-edible mushroom in the genus Lactarius. Mycorrhizal, it can be found growing in soil at the base of birch trees in Europe. It is typically coloured a greyish lilac, with the sometimes hollow stem a little lighter coloured than the cap. It has crowded, decurrent gills, and smells strongly of coconuts.

<i>Lactarius vietus</i> Species of fungus

Lactarius vietus is a species of fungus in the family Russulaceae, first described by Elias Magnus Fries. It produces moderately sized and brittle mushrooms, which grow on the forest floor or on rotting wood. The flattened-convex cap can vary in shape, sometimes forming the shape of a wide funnel. It is typically grey, but the colour varies. The species has crowded, light-coloured gills, which produce white milk. The spore print is typically whitish, but also varies considerably. The mushrooms typically have a strong, acrid taste and have been described as inedible, but other authors have described them as consumable after boiling. L. vietus feeds by forming an ectomycorrhizal relationship with surrounding trees, and it favours birch. It grows in autumn months and is fairly common in Europe, North America and eastern Asia.

<i>Lactarius pallidus</i> Species of fungus

Lactarius pallidus, the pale milkcap, is an edible mushroom of the genus Lactarius. It is pale in colour, and found on the floor in beech or birch woodland. It's smooth cap features a particularly thick layer of flesh and often has an incurved margin. Though generally considered edible, it is not recommended to be eaten raw. It is common in Europe, and less common in North America and Australasia.

<i>Lactarius quietus</i> Species of fungus

Lactarius quietus is a mushroom of the genus Lactarius. It is easily identified by its oily scent and the concentric bands on its cap. It is brown, and is probably named after its matte, "quiet" surface and colouration. It is found exclusively under oak trees in Europe, where it grows solitarily or in scattered groups in autumn months. In North America, the variety L. quietus var. incanus is fairly common in the same habitat. The mushroom's edibility is disputed.

<i>Lactarius alnicola</i> Species of fungus

Lactarius alnicola, commonly known as the golden milkcap, is a species of fungus in the family Russulaceae. The fruit bodies produced by the fungus are characterized by a sticky, vanilla-colored cap up to 20 cm (7.9 in) wide with a mixture of yellow tones arranged in faint concentric bands. The stem is up to 5 cm (2.0 in) long and has yellow-brown spots. When it is cut or injured, the mushroom oozes a white latex, which has an intensely peppery taste. The acrid taste of the fruit bodies renders them unpalatable. The fungus is found in the western United States and Mexico, where it grows in mycorrhizal associations with various coniferous trees species, such as spruce, pine and fir, and deciduous species such as oak and alder. It has also been collected in India. Two varieties have been named: var. pitkinensis, known from Colorado, and var. pungens, from Michigan.

<i>Lactarius pubescens</i> Species of fungus

Lactarius pubescens, commonly known as the downy milk cap, is a species of fungus in the family Russulaceae. It is a medium to large agaric with a creamy-buff, hairy cap, whitish gills and short stout stem. The fungus has a cosmopolitan distribution, and grows solitarily or in scattered groups on sandy soil under or near birch.

<i>Lactarius repraesentaneus</i> Species of fungus

Lactarius repraesentaneus, commonly known as the northern bearded milkcap, the northern milkcap, or the purple-staining bearded milkcap, is a species of fungus in the family Russulaceae. It has a northerly distribution, and is found in temperate regions of North America and Europe, associated with spruce trees. Distinguishing features of its fruit body include the large orange-yellow cap up to 18 cm (7.1 in) wide, cream to pale yellow gills, and a yellow coarsely-pitted stem that is up to 12 cm (4.7 in) long and 3 cm (1.2 in) thick. Cut fruit bodies ooze a white latex that will stain mushroom tissue lilac to purple. Several chemicals have been isolated and identified from the fruit bodies that can modify the growth of plants, and the mushroom also has antibiotic activity against Staphylococcus aureus. L. repraesentaneus is poisonous, and consumption causes stomach aches.

<i>Lactarius fallax</i> Species of fungus

Lactarius fallax, commonly known as the velvety milk cap, is a species of fungus in the family Russulaceae. Found in both spruce and mixed conifer forests, it is a fairly common species in the Pacific Northwest region of North America, with a northerly range extending to Alaska. Its fruit bodies are medium-sized, with velvety, brown to blackish caps up to 3–9 cm (1.2–3.5 in) in diameter bearing a distinct pointed umbo. The caps are supported by velvety stems up to 6 cm (2.4 in) long and 1.5 cm (0.6 in) thick. The mushroom oozes a whitish latex when it is cut, and injured tissue eventually turns a dull reddish color. The eastern North American and European species Lactarius lignyotus is closely similar in appearance, but can be distinguished by its differing range.

<i>Lactarius argillaceifolius</i> Species of fungus

Lactarius argillaceifolius is a species of fungus in the family Russulaceae. The mushrooms produced by the fungus have convex to flattened drab lilac-colored caps that are up to 18 cm (7.1 in) wide. The cream-colored gills are closely spaced together and extend slightly down the length of the stem, which is up to 9 cm (3.5 in) long by 3.5 cm (1.4 in) thick. The mushroom produces an off-white latex when injured that stains the mushroom tissue brownish.

<i>Hygrophorus hypothejus</i> Species of fungus

Hygrophorus hypothejus, commonly known as the olive-brown waxy cap, or herald of the winter, is an edible species of fungus in the genus Hygrophorus native to Europe. It appears in late autumn in coniferous forests, often with the first frosts.

<i>Lactarius fuliginosus</i> Species of fungus

Lactarius fuliginosus, commonly known as the sooty milkcap, is a species of fungus in the family Russulaceae. The medium-sized fruit bodies have velvety, grayish-brown caps and crowded gills. It is found in deciduous forests of Asia, Europe, and North America.

<i>Inocybe godeyi</i> Species of fungus

Inocybe godeyi is a species of Inocybaceae fungus found in Europe. The species produces mushrooms with cone-shaped caps up to 5 cm (2 in) in diameter. The caps are cream, becoming browner, but they bruise red. The stem is up to 6 cm (2 in) long, and has a "bulb" at the base. The white flesh has a strong smell and an acrid taste. The mushrooms can be found on forest floors in autumn months; the species forms an ectomycorrhizal relationship to surrounding trees, favouring beech. I. godeyi is known to be poisonous, containing muscarine compounds, and consumption of the mushrooms can lead to SLUDGE syndrome. The species is sometimes mistaken for the deadly I. erubescens.

References

  1. ↑ Index Fungorum. "Lactarius blennius synonymy".
  2. 1 2 3 Nilson, Sven; Olle Persson (1977). Fungi of Northern Europe 2: Gill-Fungi. Penguin. p. 100. ISBN   0-14-063006-6.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Bills, Gerald F. (1986). "Notes on Lactarius in the High-Elevation Forests of the Southern Appalachians". Mycologia . 78 (1). Mycological Society of America: 70–9. doi:10.2307/3793379. ISSN   0027-5514. JSTOR   3793379.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Sterry, Paul; Hughes, Barry (2009). Complete Guide to British Mushrooms & Toadstools. HarperCollins. p. 52. ISBN   978-0-00-723224-6.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Phillips, Roger (1981). Mushrooms and Other Fungi of Great Britain and Europe. London: Pan Books. p. 83. ISBN   0-330-26441-9.
  6. ↑ "Lactarius blennius synonymy". Index Fungorum . Retrieved 12 September 2010.
  7. ↑ "Lactarius blennius f. albidopallens". Index Fungorum . Retrieved 12 September 2010.
  8. ↑ "Lactarius blennius f. virescens". Index Fungorum . Retrieved 12 September 2010.
  9. ↑ "Lactarius blennius var. fluens". Index Fungorum . Retrieved 12 September 2010.
  10. ↑ Knudsen, Thomas; Vesterholt, J., eds. (2018). Funga Nordica Agaricoid, boletoid, clavarioid, cyphelloid and gasteroid genera. Copenhagen: Nordsvamp. p. 135. ISBN   978-87-983961-3-0.
  11. ↑ "Lactarius blennius var. viridis". Index Fungorum . Retrieved 12 September 2010.
  12. ↑ Dennis, Richard William George (1955). "The Larger Fungi in the North-West Highlands of Scotland". Kew Bulletin. 10 (1). Springer: 111–26. doi:10.2307/4113927. ISSN   0075-5974. JSTOR   4113927.
  13. 1 2 3 Pegler, David N. (1983). Mushrooms and Toadstools. London: Mitchell Beazley Publishing. p. 115. ISBN   0-85533-500-9.
  14. 1 2 Trappe, James M. (1962). "Fungus Associates of Ectotrophic Mycorrhizae". Botanical Review. 28 (4): 538–606. doi:10.1007/BF02868758. ISSN   0006-8101. S2CID   42698903.
  15. ↑ Bridge Cook, William (1948). "A Survey of Literature on Fungus Sociology and Ecology". Ecology . 29 (3). Ecological Society of America: 376–82. doi:10.2307/1930998. ISSN   0012-9658. JSTOR   1930998.
  16. 1 2 Rühling, Åke; Tyler, Germund (1990). "Soil Factors Influencing the Distribution of Macrofungi in Oak Forests of Southern Sweden". Holarctic Ecology. 13 (1): 11–8. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0587.1990.tb00584.x. ISSN   0105-9327.
  17. 1 2 Hall, Ian Robert; Buchanan, Peter K.; Stephenson, Steven L.; Yun, Wang; Cole, Anthony L. J. (2003). Edible and Poisonous Mushrooms of the World. Timber Press. p. 156. ISBN   978-0-88192-586-9 . Retrieved 12 September 2010.
  18. ↑ France, Société Botanique de; (france), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (1856). "Plantes cryptogames de France". Bulletin de la Société botanique de France (in French). 3: 72. Retrieved 12 September 2010.
  19. ↑ Bargagli, R.; Baldi, F. (1984). "Mercury and methyl mercury in higher fungi and their relation with the substrata in a cinnabar mining area". Chemosphere. 13 (9): 1059–71. Bibcode:1984Chmsp..13.1059B. doi:10.1016/0045-6535(84)90065-1.
  20. ↑ Adamczyk, J. (1995). "Ecological groups of macrofungi in beech forests on Czȩestochowa Upland, Southern Poland". Feddes Repertorium. 106 (3–4): 303–15. doi:10.1002/fedr.19951060324.
  21. ↑ Breitmaier, Eberhand (2007). Terpenes. Wiley-VCH. p. 44. ISBN   978-3-527-60910-9 . Retrieved 12 September 2010.
  22. 1 2 Lorenzen, K.; Anke, T. (1998). "Basidiomycetes as a Source for New Bioactive Natural Products". Current Organic Chemistry. 2 (4). Bentham Science Publishers: 329–54. doi:10.2174/1385272802666220128213627. ISSN   1385-2728. S2CID   246934805 . Retrieved 12 September 2010.
  23. ↑ Spiteller, Peter; Steglich, Wolfgang (2002). "Blennione, a green aminobenzoquinone derivative from Lactarius blennius". Journal of Natural Products. 65 (5): 725–27. doi:10.1021/np0106541. PMID   12027750.

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