Lactarius deliciosus

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Lactarius deliciosus
Lactarius deliciosus.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. deliciosus
Binomial name
Lactarius deliciosus
(L. ex Fr.) S.F.Gray (1821)
Synonyms [1]
  • Agaricus deliciosusL. (1753)
  • Galorrheus deliciosus(L.) P.Kumm. (1871)
  • Lactifluus deliciosus(L.) Kuntze (1891)
Lactarius deliciosus
Information icon.svg
Gills icon.png Gills on hymenium
Depressed cap icon.svg Cap is depressed
Decurrent gills icon2.svg Hymenium is decurrent
Bare stipe icon.svg Stipe is bare
Transparent spore print icon.svg
 Spore print is tan
Mycorrhizal fungus.svgEcology is mycorrhizal
Mycomorphbox Choice.pngEdibility is choice

Lactarius deliciosus, commonly known as the delicious milk cap, [2] saffron milk cap, or red pine mushroom, is one of the best known members of the large milk-cap genus Lactarius in the order Russulales. It is native to Europe, but has been accidentally introduced to other countries along with pine trees, with which the fungus is symbiotic.

Contents

Taxonomy

The species was known to Carl Linnaeus, who officially described it in the second volume of his Species Plantarum in 1753, giving it the name Agaricus deliciosus. [3] The specific epithet is derived from Latin deliciosus, meaning "tasty". [4] The Swedish taxonomist allegedly gave the species its epithet after smelling it and presuming it tasted good, perhaps confusing it with a Mediterranean milk cap regarded for its flavor. [5] Dutch mycologist Christian Hendrik Persoon added the varietal epithet lactifluus in 1801, before English mycologist Samuel Frederick Gray placed it in its current genus, Lactarius , in 1821 in his The Natural Arrangement of British Plants. [6]

It is commonly known as saffron milk-cap, red pine mushroom, or simply pine mushroom in English. An alternative North American name is orange latex milky. [7] Its Spanish name varies ( níscalo , nícalo, robellón ...). [8] Its Catalan name is rovelló (pl. rovellons). In the Girona area, it is called a pinetell (in Catalan) because it is collected near wild pine trees; it is typically harvested in October following the late August rains. Both this and L. deterrimus are known as "kanlıca", "çıntar" or "çam melkisi" in Turkey. [9] [10] In Romania, it is known as Rascovi and it can be found in the northern regions in autumn season.

Description

Lactarius deliciosus has a carrot-orange cap that is convex to vase shaped, inrolled when young, 4 to 14 centimetres (1+1⁄2 to 5+1⁄2 inches) across, often with darker orange lines in the form of concentric circles. The cap is sticky and viscid when wet, but is often dry. It has crowded decurrent gills and a squat orange stipe that is often hollow, 3 to 8 cm (1 to 3 in) long and 1 to 2 cm (1⁄2 to 1 in) thick. The flesh stains a deep green color when handled. [11] When fresh, it exudes an orange-red latex that does not change color.

The mushroom is similar to L. rubrilacteus , which stains blue, exudes a red latex, and is also edible. [12] It also resembles L. olympianus, which has white latex and tastes unpleasant. [11]

Chemistry

When grown in liquid culture, the mycelium of Lactarius deliciosus produces a mixture of fatty acids and various compounds such as chroman-4-one, anofinic acid, 3-hydroxyacetylindole, ergosterol, and cyclic dipeptides. [13]

Distribution and habitat

L. deliciosus grows under conifers on acidic soils and forms a mycorrhizal relationship with its host tree. [14] It is native to the southern Pyrenees where it grows under Mediterranean pines, as well as throughout the Mediterranean basin in Portugal, Bulgaria, Spain, Greece, Italy, Cyprus, France and elsewhere. Both this fungus and L. deterrimus are collected and sold in the İzmir Province of southwestern Turkey, and the Antalya Province of the south coast. [9] [10] In the island of Cyprus, large numbers of L. deliciosus are found in the high altitude Pinus nigra and P. brutia forests of the Troodos mountain range, where locals hunt them with vigour, as this fungus is highly esteemed among the local delicacies. [15]

After analysing DNA from collections around the world, mycologists Jorinde Nuytinck, Annemieke Verbeken, and Steve Miller have concluded that L. deliciosus is a distinct European species that differs genetically, morphologically, and ecologically from populations in North America or Central America. [16] It has been reportedly introduced to Chile, Australia and New Zealand, where it grows in Pinus radiata plantations. The species has also been introduced to South Africa. In Australia, popular places for collecting this mushroom, especially among the Polish community, are around Macedon in Victoria, Mount Crawford in the Adelaide Hills and in the Oberon area in New South Wales, Australia, where they can grow to the size of a dinner plate, and in the pine forests of the Australian Capital Territory. Many people of Italian, Polish, Ukrainian and other eastern European ancestry in the states of Victoria and New South Wales, Australia travel to collect these mushrooms after autumn rainfall around Easter time.

Pine plantations and Siberian pine forests are favourable habitats for this species.

Uses

Sliced milk-caps, showing the orange milk appearing at mushroom edges Lactarius deliciosus sliced email.jpg
Sliced milk-caps, showing the orange milk appearing at mushroom edges

L. deliciosus is an edible mushroom, [17] but may taste mild or bitter; [11] its misleading epithet, deliciosus ('delicious'), may have been caused by Linnaeus mistaking it for another species. [5] The mushrooms are collected in August to early October, where they are traditionally salted or pickled. [18] [19] High consumption of the species may cause urine to discolor to orange or red. [20] At least one field guide holds Lactarius rubrilacteus in higher esteem. [18]

It is widely collected in the Iberian Peninsula, especially in Catalonia. It is used in Spanish and Catalan cuisine. One recipe recommends they should be lightly washed, fried whole cap down in olive oil with a small amount of garlic and served drenched in raw olive oil and parsley. The same recipe advises that butter should never be used when cooking this mushroom.[ citation needed ]

This mushroom is also very popular in Russia. [18]

Further north and east it is a feature of Provençal cuisine. [21] They are also collected in Poland, where they are traditionally served fried in butter, with cream, or marinated. In Cyprus, saffron milk caps are usually grilled on the charcoal and then dressed in olive oil and lemon or bitter orange, they are sauteed with onions, or sometimes stewed with onions, coriander and red wine. In Russian cuisine these mushrooms are traditionally preserved by salting.

In India, the fungus is one of the ten most widely consumed mushrooms by indigenous tribes of Meghalaya. [22]

Culture

A fresco in the Roman town of Herculaneum appears to depict L. deliciosus and is one of the earliest pieces of art to illustrate a fungus. [23] [24]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Lactarius</i> Genus of fungi

Lactarius is a genus of mushroom-producing, ectomycorrhizal fungi, containing several edible species. The species of the genus, commonly known as milk-caps, are characterized by the milky fluid ("latex") they exude when cut or damaged. Like the closely related genus Russula, their flesh has a distinctive brittle consistency. It is a large genus with over 500 known species, mainly distributed in the Northern hemisphere. Recently, the genus Lactifluus has been separated from Lactarius based on molecular phylogenetic evidence.

<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 rubrilacteus</i> Species of fungus

Lactarius rubrilacteus is a species of mushroom of the genus Lactarius. It is also known as the bleeding milkcap, as is at least one other member of the genus, Lactarius sanguifluus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milk-cap</span> Index of fungi with the same common name

Milk-cap is a common name that refers to mushroom-forming fungi of the genera Lactarius, Lactifluus, and Multifurca, all in the family Russulaceae. The common and eponymous feature of their fruitbodies is the latex ("milk") they exude when cut or bruised. Mushrooms with typical milk-cap characteristics are said to have a lactarioid habit. Some of them are edible.

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

Lactarius rufus is a common, medium-sized member of the mushroom genus Lactarius, whose many members are commonly known as milkcaps. Known by the common name of the rufous milkcap, or the red hot milk cap in North America. It is dark brick red in color, and grows with pine or birch trees.

<i>Lactarius indigo</i> Edible fungus in the family Russulaceae from eastern North America, East Asia, and Central America

Lactarius indigo, commonly known as the indigo milk cap, indigo milky, indigo lactarius, blue lactarius, or blue milk mushroom, is a species of agaric fungus in the family Russulaceae.

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

Lactarius paradoxus is a member of the large milk-cap genus Lactarius in the order Russulales. It was first described in 1940. It is found in the eastern and southern United States, and is mycorrhizal with pine and oak. When damaged, it bleeds red latex. The cap has a blue-green to gray color.

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

Lactarius sanguifluus, commonly known as the bloody milk cap, is a species of fungus in the family Russulaceae. First described from France in 1811, the species was given its current name by Elias Fries in 1838 when he transferred it to Lactarius. Found in Asia, Mediterranean Africa, and Europe, fruit bodies (mushrooms) grow scattered or in groups on the ground under conifers, especially Douglas fir. When bruised or cut, the fruit bodies ooze a blood-red to purple latex that slowly turns greenish upon exposure to air. The caps are orangish to reddish-brown, and become funnel-shaped with age. The gills are pinkish to purplish. Different forms have been described from Italy, but these are not universally accepted as distinct. L. sanguifluus mushrooms are edible, and sold in rural markets of Europe and Asia. Fruit bodies grown in polluted soil, including roadsides subject to heavy traffic, can bioaccumulate toxic heavy metals. Several sterols and pigment have been isolated and identified from the mushrooms.

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

Lactarius subflammeus, commonly known as the orange milk cap, is a species of fungus in the family Russulaceae. It is found in western North America in the late summer and fall and is especially common in the Pacific Northwest, where it grows on the ground near conifers like pine and spruce. The brightly colored fruit bodies, which are slimy or sticky, have scarlet caps when young that soon fade to brilliant orange. The stem—typically longer than the width of the cap—is also bright orange but the gills are whitish. The mushroom secretes a whitish latex when it is cut or injured.

<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 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>Lactarius rufulus</i> Species of fungus

Lactarius rufulus, also known as the rufous candy cap or the southern candy cap, is a species of fungus in the family Russulaceae. The fruit bodies have fleshy brownish-red caps up to 10 cm (3.9 in) wide, and closely spaced pinkish-yellow gills. The stem is up to 12 cm (4.7 in) long and 3 cm (1.2 in) thick and colored similarly to the cap. The species, known only from California, Arizona, and Mexico, grows on the ground in leaf litter near oak trees. The fruit bodies resembles those of L. rufus, but L. rufulus tends to grow in clusters at a common base, rather than solitarily or in groups. A distinguishing microscopic characteristic is the near absence of large, spherical cells called sphaerocysts that are otherwise common in Lactarius species. Lactarius rufulus mushrooms are edible, and have an odor resembling maple syrup. They have been used to flavor confections and desserts.

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

Lactarius vinaceorufescens, commonly known as the yellow-staining milkcap or the yellow-latex milky, is a poisonous species of fungus in the family Russulaceae. It produces mushrooms with pinkish-cinnamon caps up to 12 cm (4.7 in) wide held by pinkish-white stems up to 7 cm (2.8 in) long. The closely spaced whitish to pinkish buff gills develop wine-red spots in age. When it is cut or injured, the mushroom oozes a white latex that rapidly turns bright sulfur-yellow. The species, common and widely distributed in North America, grows in the ground in association with conifer trees. There are several other Lactarius species that bear resemblance to L. vinaceorufescens, but most can be distinguished by differences in staining reactions, macroscopic characteristics, or habitat.

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

Lactifluus corrugis, commonly known as the corrugated-cap milky, is an edible species of fungus in the family Russulaceae. It was first described by American mycologist Charles Horton Peck in 1880.

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

Lactarius xanthogalactus, commonly known as the yellow-staining milkcap is a poisonous species of fungus in the family Russulaceae. The species is found on the west coast of the United States and grows in the ground in association with hardwood and conifer trees. There are several other Lactarius species that bear resemblance to L. xanthogalactus, but most can be distinguished by differences in staining reactions, macroscopic characteristics, or habitat.

References

  1. ↑ "Lactarius deliciosus (L.) Gray". Index Fungorum. CAB International. Retrieved 2010-07-07.
  2. ↑ Arora, David (1986). Mushrooms demystified: a comprehensive guide to the fleshy fungi (Second ed.). Berkeley: Ten Speed Press. p. 68. ISBN   978-0-89815-169-5.
  3. ↑ (in Latin) Linnaeus, C (1753). Species Plantarum: Tomus II (in Latin). Holmiae. (Laurentii Salvii). p. 1172.
  4. ↑ Simpson, D.P. (1979). Cassell's Latin Dictionary (5 ed.). London: Cassell Ltd. p. 883. ISBN   0-304-52257-0.
  5. 1 2 Wasson RG. (1968). Soma: The Divine Mushroom of Immortality. Harcourt Brace Jovanovick, Inc. ISBN   0-15-683800-1 p. 185.
  6. ↑ Gray, SF (1821). The Natural Arrangement of British Plants. London. p.  624.
  7. ↑ Fergus, C. Leonard & Charles (2003). Common Edible & Poisonous Mushrooms of the Northeast. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books. pp. 30–31. ISBN   0-8117-2641-X.
  8. ↑ MacMiadhacháin, A (1976). Spanish Regional Cookery. Harmondsworth: Penguin. pp. 198–99. ISBN   0-14-046230-9.
  9. 1 2 Solak MH, Isiloglu M, Gücin F, Gökler I (1999). "Macrofungi of Izmir Province" (PDF). Turkish Journal of Botany. 23: 383–90. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-12-17. Retrieved 2008-02-16.
  10. 1 2 Gezer K. (2000). "Contributions to the Macrofungi Flora of Antalya Province" (PDF). Turkish Journal of Botany. 24: 293–98. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-08-11. Retrieved 2008-02-16.
  11. 1 2 3 Davis, R. Michael; Sommer, Robert; Menge, John A. (2012). Field Guide to Mushrooms of Western North America. Berkeley: University of California Press. pp. 94–95. ISBN   978-0-520-95360-4. OCLC   797915861.
  12. ↑ Miller Jr., Orson K.; Miller, Hope H. (2006). North American Mushrooms: A Field Guide to Edible and Inedible Fungi. Guilford, CN: FalconGuide. p. 89. ISBN   978-0-7627-3109-1.
  13. ↑ Ayer WA, Trifonov LS (1994). "Aromatic compounds from liquid cultures of Lactarius deliciosus". Journal of Natural Products. 57 (6): 839–41. doi:10.1021/np50108a026.
  14. ↑ Thomas, Paul W.; Jump, Alistair S. (2023-03-21). "Edible fungi crops through mycoforestry, potential for carbon negative food production and mitigation of food and forestry conflicts". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 120 (12): e2220079120. Bibcode:2023PNAS..12020079T. doi:10.1073/pnas.2220079120. ISSN   0027-8424. PMC   10041105 . PMID   36913576.
  15. ↑ Loizides, M. (2008). A secret world: The fungi of Cyprus. Field Mycology 9 (3): 107-109. doi : 10.1016/S1468-1641(10)60420-3.
  16. ↑ Nuytinck J, Verbeken A, Miller SL (2007). "Worldwide phylogeny of Lactarius section Deliciosi inferred from ITS and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene sequences". Mycologia. 99 (6): 820–32. doi:10.3852/mycologia.99.6.820. PMID   18333506.
  17. ↑ Miller Jr., Orson K.; Miller, Hope H. (2006). North American Mushrooms: A Field Guide to Edible and Inedible Fungi. Guilford, CN: FalconGuide. p. 88. ISBN   978-0-7627-3109-1.
  18. 1 2 3 Thiers, Harry D.; Arora, David (September 1980). "Mushrooms Demystified". Mycologia. 72 (5): 1054. doi:10.2307/3759750. ISSN   0027-5514. JSTOR   3759750.
  19. ↑ Arora, David (February 1, 1991). All That the Rain Promises and More: A Hip Pocket Guide to Western Mushrooms. 10 Speed Press. ISBN   9780898153880.
  20. ↑ Kunzfeld, M (1953). "Temporary report on urine discoloration and antibiotic effect after eating Lactarius deliciosus L". Munch Med Wochenschr. 95 (8): 235–6. PMID   13072328.
  21. ↑ Olney, Richard (1995). A Provencal Table. London: Pavilion. pp. 31–32. ISBN   1-85793-632-9.
  22. ↑ Khaund P, Joshi SR (2014). "DNA barcoding of wild edible mushrooms consumed by the ethnic tribes of India". Gene. 550 (1): 123–30. doi:10.1016/j.gene.2014.08.027. PMID   25130907.
  23. ↑ Ramsbottom J. (1953). Mushrooms & Toadstools. Collins.
  24. ↑ Loizides M., Kyriakou T., Tziakouris A. (2011). Edible & Toxic Fungi of Cyprus. 1st Edition, 304 p. ISBN   978-9963-7380-0-7.

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