Lactarius turpis

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Lactarius turpis
Lactarius turpis 2010 G1.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. turpis
Binomial name
Lactarius turpis
Fr. (1838)
Synonyms

Agaricus turpis Weinm. (1828)
Galorrheus turpis(Weinm.) P.Kumm. (1871)
Lactifluus turpis(Weinm.) Kuntze (1891)

Contents

Lactarius turpis
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 white
Mycorrhizal fungus.svgEcology is mycorrhizal
Mycomorphbox Edible.pngMycomorphbox Caution.pngEdibility is edible but not recommended

Lactarius turpis (also L. plumbeus or L. necator) [1] is commonly known as the ugly milk-cap in English. It is found naturally in Europe and Siberia, and has been introduced to Australia and New Zealand. While especially associated with birch, it is also found with spruce, [2] pine and other trees in mixed woodland.[ citation needed ]

The messy, dirty appearance, seen in the photograph, is characteristic of the species and gives it its English name and the Latin species epithet, turpis. It seems to collect debris on top and the gills acquire a dirty brownish stain due to discoloured milk.

Taxonomy and naming

This very variable mushroom demonstrates a common phenomenon in mycology as there is much disagreement over naming. The three main scientific designations:

are usually, [3] but not always, [4] considered to be synonyms for same species. The epithets necator and plumbeus were both coined by Pierre Bulliard as Agaricus necator (1791) and Agaricus plumbeus (1793), but there is and was confusion as to which mushrooms were meant. The name turpis, derived from the Latin term turpis "ugly", [5] was originated by Johann Anton Weinmann and taken over by Elias Magnus Fries in 1838. [6] Plumbeus too referred to the milk-cap's appearance, derived from the Latin for plumbeus "lead-coloured".

Description

L. turpis Lactarius turpis 01.JPG
L. turpis

The cap is normally 8–20 cm (3–8 in) in diameter. At first it has an involute margin and a somewhat depressed centre. The upper surface is olive brown or yellow-green and is often sticky or slimy in the middle. When young it has velvety zones and may be shaggy at the rim. Later it becomes funnel-shaped and the colour darkens to blackish. The gills are crowded, dirty white, stained olive-brown by old milk, which is initially white on contact with the air. They are somewhat decurrent. With potassium hydroxide or ammonia there is a purple reaction. The stipe is up to about 7 cm (2+34 in) tall by 3 cm (1+14 in) in diameter and it is similar in colour to the cap, but much lighter. It may have shallow pits (scrobiculae). The flesh is a dirty white and tends to turn brown. The taste (especially the abundant milk) is acrid. There is little smell. The spores are about 7x6  μ and are ornamented with a pattern of ridges. [3] [6] [7] [8] [9] [2]

A similar species in Pacific Northwest conifer forests, as well as Sitka spruce forests, is Lactarius olivaceo-umbrinus. Usually found growing individually, it has a stronger olive-brown colour on its cap and stipe, with dark spots on the latter. [2]

Edibility

This species is reported to contain the mutagen necatorin (=7-hydroxycoumaro(5,6-c)cinnoline), and so it cannot be recommended for eating. Boiling reduces the concentration of this compound, but does not effectively eliminate it. [10]

Probably due to the acrid taste, most western European authorities classify this mushroom as inedible [7] or poor. [3] [6] However, it has popularly been used (after boiling) as a spice in mushroom dishes in northern and eastern Europe and Siberia (see Mushroom picking in Slavic culture). It is commercially available preserved in salt. [11] Considered a choice mushroom in Russia, one of the best for pickling (salt only, no vinegar).

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 deliciosus</i> Species of fungus

Lactarius deliciosus, commonly known as the delicious milk cap, saffron milk cap and 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.

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

Lactarius controversus, commonly known as the poplar milkcap, is a large funnel-capped fungus within the genus Lactarius, which are collectively known as 'milk caps'. They all exude milky drops (lactate) from the flesh and gills when damaged.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Candy cap</span> Species of fungus

Candy cap or curry milkcap is the English-language common name for two closely related edible species of Lactarius; Lactarius camphoratus, and Lactarius rubidus. These mushrooms are valued for their highly aromatic qualities and are used culinarily as a flavoring rather than as a constituent of a full meal.

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

Lactarius scrobiculatus, commonly known as the scrobiculate milk cap, is a basidiomycete fungus, belonging to the genus Lactarius, whose members are called "milk caps." Taxonomy places this species into subgenus Piperites, section Zonarii, subsection Scrobiculati. The distinctive fruiting bodies of this large fungus are locally common in forests throughout Europe and North America. It is regarded as inedible by some authors, but it is nevertheless eaten in parts of Europe.

<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 pyrogalus</i> Species of fungus

Lactarius pyrogalus, commonly known as the fire-milk lactarius, is a species of inedible mushroom in genus Lactarius. It is greyish and differentiated from other grey Lactarius by its widely spaced, yellow gills. It is found on the forest floor in mixed woodland, especially at the base of hazel trees.

<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>Lactarius blennius</i> Species of fungus

Lactarius blennius is a medium-sized mushroom of the genus Lactarius found commonly in beech forests in Europe, where it is mycorrhizal, favouring the European beech. 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, inedible or even poisonous.

<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 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>Mycena aurantiomarginata</i> Species of fungus in the family Mycenaceae common in Europe and North America

Mycena aurantiomarginata, commonly known as the golden-edge bonnet, is a species of agaric fungus in the family Mycenaceae. First formally described in 1803, it was given its current name in 1872. Widely distributed, it is common in Europe and North America, and has also been collected in North Africa, Central America, and Japan. The fungus is saprobic, and produces fruit bodies (mushrooms) that grow on the floor of coniferous forests. The mushrooms have a bell-shaped to conical cap up to 2 cm in diameter, set atop a slender stipe up to 6 cm long with yellow to orange hairs at the base. The fungus is named after its characteristic bright orange gill edges. A microscopic characteristic is the club-shaped cystidia that are covered with numerous spiky projections, resembling a mace. The edibility of the mushroom has not been determined. M. aurantiomarginata can be distinguished from similar Mycena species by differences in size, color, and substrate. A 2010 publication reported the discovery and characterization of a novel pigment named mycenaaurin A, isolated from the mushroom. The pigment is responsible for its color, and it has antibiotic activity that may function to prevent certain bacteria from growing on the mushroom.

<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>Lactarius scoticus</i> Species of fungus

Lactarius scoticus is a member of the large milk-cap genus Lactarius in the order Russulales. It is found in Europe, where it grows in peat bogs in a mycorrhizal association with birch.

Lactarius torminosulus is a member of the large milk-cap genus Lactarius, in the order Russulales. A European species, it was officially described in 1996 from collections made in Norway. Fruit bodies (mushrooms) are small to medium-sized, yellowish orange in colour. Young specimens have a hairy cap margin; these hairs slough off in maturity—a field characteristic that can be used to help distinguish this species from the similar Lactarius torminosus. The fungus grows in a mycorrhizal association with dwarf birch species.

<i>Imleria badia</i> Edible species of fungus in the family Boletaceae found in Europe and North America

Imleria badia, commonly known as the bay bolete, is an edible, pored mushroom found in Eurasia and North America, where it grows in coniferous or mixed woods on the ground or on decaying tree stumps, sometimes in prolific numbers. Both the common and scientific names refer to the bay- or chestnut-coloured cap, which is almost spherical in young specimens before broadening and flattening out to a diameter up to 15 cm (6 in). On the cap underside are small yellowish pores that turn dull blue-grey when bruised. The smooth, cylindrical stipe, measuring 4–9 cm long by 1–2 cm thick, is coloured like the cap, but paler. Some varieties have been described from eastern North America, differing from the main type in both macroscopic and microscopic morphology.

References

  1. See the entry in Index Fungorum Archived 2007-10-31 at the Wayback Machine for the current name and synonyms.
  2. 1 2 3 Trudell, Steve; Ammirati, Joe (2009). Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest. Timber Press Field Guides. Portland, OR: Timber Press. pp. 58–59. ISBN   978-0-88192-935-5.
  3. 1 2 3 Marcel Bon: "The Mushrooms and Toadstools of Britain and North-Western Europe" Hodder & Stoughton ISBN   0-340-39935-X.
  4. Noordeloos Machiel E.; Kuyper Thomas W. (1999). "Notulae ad Floram agaricinam neerlandicam XXXV – On the typification of Lactarius necator". Persoonia. 17 (2).
  5. Simpson, D.P. (1979). Cassell's Latin Dictionary (5 ed.). London: Cassell Ltd. p. 883. ISBN   0-304-52257-0.
  6. 1 2 3 McNabb RFR (1971). "The Russulaceae of New Zealand. 1. Lactarius DC ex S.F. Gray". New Zealand Journal of Botany. 9 (1): 46–66. doi: 10.1080/0028825x.1971.10430170 .
  7. 1 2 Reid, Derek; Phillips, Roger; Shearer, Lyndsay (1981). "See entry". Mushrooms and other fungi of Great Britain and Europe. London: Pan Books. ISBN   0-330-26441-9.
  8. Kibby, Geoffrey; Moser, Meinhard; Plant, Simon (1983). Keys to Agarics and Boleti (Polyporales, Boletales, Agaricales, Russulales). London: Roger Phillips. ISBN   0-9508486-0-3.
  9. Courtecuisse R, Duhem B (1994). Guide des champignons de France et d'europe. Delachaux & Niestle. ISBN   2-603-00953-2., also available in English.
  10. Suortti T (July 1984). "Stability of necatorin, a highly mutagenic compound from Lactarius necator mushroom". Food Chem. Toxicol. 22 (7): 579–81. doi:10.1016/0278-6915(84)90229-1. PMID   6547686.
    von Wright A, Suortti T (August 1983). "Preliminary characterization of the mutagenic properties of 'necatorin', a strongly mutagenic compound of the mushroom Lactarius necator". Mutat. Res. 121 (2): 103–6. doi:10.1016/0165-7992(83)90107-0. PMID   6348529.
  11. See site of YeniseyEcoproduct, Krasnoyarsk