Lactarius vietus

Last updated
Lactarius vietus
Lactarius041031w.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. vietus
Binomial name
Lactarius vietus
(Fr.) Fr. (1838)
Synonyms [1] [2]
  • Agaricus vietusFr. (1821)
  • Galorrheus vietus(Fr.) P.Kumm. (1871)
  • Lactarius parvus Peck (1878)
  • Lactarius trivialis var. gracilisPeck (1885)
  • Lactarius variusPeck. (1885)
  • Lactifluus varius(Peck) Kuntze (1891)
  • Lactifluus vietus(Fr.) Kuntze (1891)
  • Lactifluus parvus(Peck) Kuntze (1891)
  • Lactarius paludestris Britzelm. (1894)
  • Lactarius vietus var. paludestris(Britzelm.) Killerm. (1933)
Lactarius vietus
Information icon.svg
Gills icon.png Gills on hymenium
Convex cap icon.svgInfundibuliform cap icon.svg Cap is convex or infundibuliform
Decurrent gills icon2.svgAdnate gills icon2.svg Hymenium is decurrent or adnate
Bare stipe icon.svg Stipe is bare
Transparent spore print icon.svg
Transparent spore print icon.svg
 Spore print is white to yellow
Mycorrhizal fungus.svgEcology is mycorrhizal
Mycomorphbox Inedible.pngMycomorphbox Edible.pngEdibility is inedible or edible

Lactarius vietus (commonly known as the grey milkcap) 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.

Contents

Taxonomy

Lactarius vietus was first described by Elias Magnus Fries in 1821 as Agaricus vietus in his Systema Mycologicum . [3] [4] In his 1838 work Epicrisis systematis mycologici, Fries reclassified the species as a Lactarius, giving it its current name. [5] [6] Subsequent attempts to reclassify the species have been unsuccessful. In his 1871 work Der Führer in die Pilzkunde, Paul Kummer reclassified the species as a member of Galorrheus, [7] and in Otto Kuntze's 1891 Revisio generum plantarum, the species was placed in the genus Lactifluus. [8] Both Galorrheus vietus and Lactifluus vietus are now considered obligate synonyms (different names for the same species based on one type) of Lactarius vietus. [1] The specific epithet is from the Latin vietus , meaning shrunken. [9] It is commonly known as the grey milkcap. [10] [11]

Description

L. vietus gills with milk Lactarius spec. - Lindsey 19b.jpg
L. vietus gills with milk

Lactarius vietus typically has a cap of 2.5 to 7.5 centimetres (1 to 3 in) across, with a flattened-convex shape. [10] [11] At times, the cap becomes widely funnel-shaped, and sometimes features a broad or pointed umbo, [10] though the centre of the cap is typically depressed. [11] The cap is coloured grey, sometimes with violet, flesh-coloured, pale yellowish-brown [10] or red tints, [12] though it is paler towards the cap margin in young mushrooms. [11] Very pale specimens have also been recorded in the United States, though they are not true albinos. [12] The cap's margin is curved inwards in younger specimens, [10] and wavey. The cap surface is smooth, [11] and can be slimey or sticky when wet. The stem measures 2.5 to 8 centimetres (1 to 3 in) by 2 to 7 centimetres (0.8 to 3 in), and is generally cylindrical in shape. Sometimes the stem narrows downwards, or is club-shaped. In colour, the stem whitish or greyish, [10] paler at the top, [11] and is rather weak and easily broken. The flesh is a whitish-buff colour, and is often absent in the stem, leaving it hollow. [10] The crowded gills can be decurrent (with the gill running down the stem) or adnate (with the entire depth of the gill connecting to the stem), [11] and in colour are whitish to a dirty buff. [10] They are thin and flaccid, [9] and there are three to four tiers of lamellulae (short gills that do not reach the stem from the cap margin). [12] The gills produce white milk, [10] which dries a brownish or greenish grey after about 20 minutes. [10] [13] The mushroom flesh will slowly stain a greyish colour if a drop of FeSO4 solution is applied to it as a chemical colour test. [14]

Microscopic features

The spore print is typically a creamy white, with a slight salmon tinge, [10] but it has been observed to vary from white to yellow depending on the density, meaning that it is not a useful means of identification. [12] Individual spores are a buff-white, amyloid (staining blue in Melzer's reagent) and hyaline. [15] [16] In shape, the spores are elliptic, with a moderately well-developed network of ridges, measuring between 8 and 9.5 by 6.5 to 7.5 micrometres  (μm). [10] The pleurocystidia (cystidia on the face of the gills) are shaped like narrow spindles, typically measuring between 40 and 75 μm long, but sometimes reaching 86 μm in length, by 6 and 11 μm wide at the widest point. The cheilocystidia (cystidia on the edge of the gills) are leaf or spindle shaped, measuring between 30 and 52 μm long by 4 to 7 μm wide. The basidia are four-spored and club-shaped, measuring between 36 and 42 μm in length by 8 and 12 μm wide. [12]

Similar species

Lactarius uvidus is similar in appearance. In colour, it is a pale pink-buff, and its flesh turns a violet-lilac colour when cut. The white milk has a mild taste. [13] Lactarius mammosus , a species described by Fries but not often mentioned by the mycological community for some time after his death, is also similar. Meinhard Moser, examining the identity of L. mammosus, concluded that it "is certainly more closely related to L. vietus than to L. fuscus , but differs in habit and colour. The spores are slightly longer and the sculptures are less pronounced in L. vietus." [17]

Edibility

Lactarius vietus milk has a very hot taste, and the mushroom lacks a distinctive smell. [10] Although described by many mycologists as inedible, [10] [18] David Pegler claims that its acrid taste can be removed after boiling, allowing it to be consumed. [19] Though the strong, acrid taste is a defining feature of the species, it is weaker or even absent in some older mushrooms, which is not unusual for Lactarius species. Occasionally, however, mushrooms of the species have been collected which have a mild taste; this has also been observed in other species with typically acrid tastes. [12]

Distribution, habitat and ecology

Lactarius vietus is fairly common, and can be found growing in moist areas under trees in autumn, [10] often among Sphagnum moss. [11] Though it strongly favours birch, [10] [19] it has also been found under oak. [20] It forms an ectomycorrhizal relationship with the trees under which it grows. [21] It can also be found growing on rotting wood or other hard surfaces; specimens have been observed on both conifer and hardwood logs. These are typically smaller specimens, and it is possible that they represent a dwarf variety. [12] Despite growing on rotting wood, the species is not saprotrophic; instead, the mycelia of the species are linking with tree roots growing through or near the wood. This is a particularly useful adaptation when the soil is either wet or nutrient-poor. [22] Mushrooms can sometimes grow in large numbers, [15] but they can also be found growing in tight clumps, or solitarily when growing out of season. [12] The species can be found in Europe, [10] with collections in Scandinavia, [17] the British Isles [11] Bulgaria, [23] Germany, [24] and northern Turkey; [25] in North America, it has been recorded as common in Canada and both the northern and southern United States; [12] [26] in northern Asia, it was found in regions near both the Oka River [27] and the central Angara River in Siberia; [28] and in eastern Asia, it has been collected in China. [29]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russulaceae</span> Family of fungi in the order Russulales

The Russulaceae are a diverse family of fungi in the order Russulales, with roughly 1,900 known species and a worldwide distribution. They comprise the brittlegills and the milk-caps, well-known mushroom-forming fungi that include some edible species. These gilled mushrooms are characterised by the brittle flesh of their fruitbodies.

<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 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>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>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 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 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 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 affinis</i> Species of mushroom

Lactarius affinis, commonly known as the kindred milk cap, is a species of milk-cap mushroom in the family Russulaceae. It is found northeastern North America, where it fruits in the summer and fall, and is common in the Great Lakes region. Its fruit bodies have medium to large, slimy dull yellow or brownish caps. Although not considered poisonous, it is unpalatable because of its highly acrid taste.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lactifluus deceptivus</span> Species of fungus

Lactifluus deceptivus, commonly known as the deceiving milkcap, is a common species of fungus in the family Russulaceae.

<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>Cortinarius cinnamomeus</i> Species of fungus

Cortinarius cinnamomeus, also known as the cinnamon webcap, is a basidiomycete mushroom of the genus Cortinarius. The fungus produces brown fruit bodies with caps up to 6 cm (2.4 in) wide and stems up to 12 cm (4.7 in) long. The closely crowded gills underside the cap are initially yellow before turning brown. Cortinarius cinnamomeus is common in damp places in coniferous forests. It is distributed throughout the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere.

<i>Cortinarius anomalus</i> Species of fungus

Cortinarius anomalus, also known as the variable webcap, is a basidiomycete fungus of the genus Cortinarius. It produces a medium-sized mushroom with a grayish-brown cap up to 5 cm (2 in) wide, gray-violet gills and a whitish stem with pale yellow belts below. The mushroom grows solitarily or in scattered groups on the ground in deciduous and coniferous forests. It is found throughout the temperate zone of the northern hemisphere.

<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>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>Phaeocollybia christinae</i> Species of fungus

Phaeocollybia christinae, commonly known as Christina's rootshank, is a species of fungus in the family Cortinariaceae. Found in the woodlands of Europe and eastern North America, it typically grows in sandy soil near conifer trees, especially spruce. The fruit bodies are characterized by a brownish cap with a pointed umbo, and a long stem that extends deeply into the soil.

References

  1. 1 2 "Lactarius vietus (Fr.) Fr. 1838". MycoBank . International Mycological Association. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
  2. ↑ "Lactarius vietus nomenclature". Russulales News. Archived from the original on 15 March 2012. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
  3. ↑ "Agaricus vietus Fr., Syst. mycol. (Lundae) 1: 66 (1821)". Index Fungorum . CAB International. Retrieved 27 December 2010.
  4. ↑ Fries, Elias Magnus (1821). Systema Mycologicum (in Latin). Greifswald, Germany: Mauritius. p.  66. vietus.
  5. ↑ "Lactarius vietus (Fr.) Fr., Epicr. syst. mycol. (Upsaliae): 344 (1838) [1836-1838]". Index Fungorum . CAB International. Retrieved 27 December 2010.
  6. ↑ Fries, Elias Magnus (1838). Epicrisis Systematis Mycologici (in Latin). Uppsala, Sweden: Typographia Academica. p.  344. Epicrisis systematis mycologici.
  7. ↑ "Galorrheus vietus (Fr.) P. Kumm. 1871". MycoBank . International Mycological Association. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
  8. ↑ "Lactifluus vietus (Fr.) Kuntze 1891". MycoBank . International Mycological Association. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
  9. 1 2 Rea, Carleton (1922). British Basidiomycetaceae: a Handbook to the Larger British Fungi. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. pp. 489–490.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Phillips, Roger (1981). Mushrooms and Other Fungi of Great Britain and Europe. London: Pan Books. p. 87. ISBN   0-330-26441-9.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Sterry, Paul; Hughes, Barry (2009). Complete Guide to British Mushrooms & Toadstools. HarperCollins. p. 52. ISBN   978-0-00-723224-6.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Smith, Alexander Hanchett (1977). "Variation in two common North American Lactarii". Kew Bulletin. 31 (3): 449–453. doi:10.2307/4119385. ISSN   0075-5974. JSTOR   4119385.
  13. 1 2 Kibby, Geoffrey (2003). Mushrooms and Toadstools of Britain and Northern Europe. Hamlyn. p. 183. ISBN   978-0-7537-1865-0.
  14. ↑ Bessette, Arleen R.; Bessette, Alan E.; Harris, David B. (2009). Milk Mushrooms of North America: A Field Guide to the Genus Lactarius. Syracuse, New York: Syracuse University Press. p. 262. ISBN   978-0-8156-3229-0.
  15. 1 2 Pegler, David N. (1990). Field Guide to the Mushrooms & Toadstools of Britain and Europe. Kingfisher. p. 118. ISBN   0-86272-565-8.
  16. ↑ Fischer, David Hackett; Bessette, Alan; Bessette, Arleen R. (1997). Mushrooms of Northeastern North America. Syracuse: Syracuse University Press. ISBN   978-0-8156-0388-7.
  17. 1 2 Moser, Meinhard (1977). "The problem of Lactarius mammosus Fr". Kew Bulletin. 31 (3): 529–532. doi:10.2307/4119398. ISSN   0075-5974. JSTOR   4119398.
  18. ↑ Jordan, Michael (2004). The Encyclopedia of Fungi of Britain and Europe. Frances Lincoln. p. 310. ISBN   978-0-7112-2378-3.
  19. 1 2 Pegler, David N. (1983). Mushrooms and Toadstools. London: Mitchell Beazley Publishing. p. 98. ISBN   0-85533-500-9.
  20. ↑ Trappe, James M. (1962). "Fungus associates of ectotrophic mycorrhizae". Botanical Review. 28 (4): 538–606. doi:10.1007/BF02868758. ISSN   0006-8101. S2CID   42698903.
  21. ↑ Rotheroe, Maurice; Moore, David Scott; Nauta, Marijke M.; Evans, Shelley (2008). Fungal Conservation: Issues and Solutions (British Mycological Society Symposia). Cambridge University Press. p. 140. ISBN   978-0-521-04818-7.
  22. ↑ Verbeken, A.; Mueller, G. M. (2002). "Diversity and ecology of tropical ectomycorrhizal fungi in Africa". In Watling, Roy (ed.). Tropical Mycology. CAB International. pp. 11–24 [15]. ISBN   978-0-85199-542-7.
  23. ↑ Stefanov, S.; Zaprianov, J. (1969). "On the chemical composition of some mushrooms of the genera Lactarius and Tricholoma distributed in Bulgaria". Naui. Trudove Viss Sel.-stop. Inst. "V. Kolarov" (in Bulgarian). 18 (4): 57–59.
  24. ↑ Straus, Adolf (1969). "Pilzfunde im Gebiet des Naturschutzgebietes Krumme Laake bei Berlin-Rahnsdorf und seiner Umgebung". Willdenowia (in German). 5 (2): 171–179.
  25. ↑ Turhan, Kadir (2007). "Determination of some trace metals of mushrooms produced in middle Black Sea region of Turkey". Fresenius Environmental Bulletin. 16 (4): 397–402.
  26. ↑ Calkins, W. W. (1887). "Notes on Florida Fungi. No. 16". Journal of Mycology. 3 (7): 82. doi:10.2307/3752534. JSTOR   3752534.
  27. ↑ Burlova, L. G. "The occurrence of mycorrhizal fungi in the Oka River forest reserve". Mikologiya i Fitopatologiya (in Russian). 22 (3): 199–202. ISSN   0026-3648.
  28. ↑ Astapenko, V. V. (1990). "Consortive relations in wood-decomposing fungi in the central Angara river area Russian SFSR USSR". Mikologiya i Fitopatologiya (in Russian). 24 (4): 289–298.
  29. ↑ Bi, Zhishu; Zheng, Guoyang; Li, Taihui (1993). The Macrofungus Flora of China's Guangdong Province. Chinese University Press. p. 506. ISBN   978-962-201-556-2.

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