False saffron milkcap - Lactarius detterimus
- The Foraging Course Company
- May 1
- 2 min read
Updated: May 7
Edible mushroom - novice Season - late summer to autumn Common names False saffron milkcap, orange milkcap, spruce milkcap, spruce pine milkcap
Scientific name meaning: Lactarius is Latin and means to lactate (produce milk). Deterrimus is also Latin and means worst, poorest or meanest
Habitat  The false saffron milkcap is a mycorrhizal mushroom growing in association with spruce. |
Overall structure and growth  An orange-coloured mushroom, often with green bruising, it can be found as lone specimens but more likely fruiting in groups. |
Cap  Peach-orange in colour with dark zonation and often green patches of bruising. The cap starts of convex and then forms a central depression - older specimens tend to have wavy edges. It is 6 to 12cm wide. |
Gills, milk and spores  The peach-orange gills are crowded and decurrent (run down the stem). When damaged, they produce scant amounts of bitter-tasting orange milk that turns vinaceous after 30 minutes, and finally dark green. The gills will slowly bruise green. The spore colour is buff/pale cream. |
Stem  Around 1 to 1.5cm wide and 5 to 10cm tall. It is hollow, cylindrical and has a pale band near to where it meets the cap. There is no ring/skirt and green bruising where any damage has occurred. |
Flesh, smell and taste  The flesh is white in the centre of the stem, pale in the cap, and deeper orange near the outer edges. It will bruise orange, then vinaceous, then green. The smell is fruity and the taste of the flesh and milk is bitter. |
Possible lookalikes  The poisonous woolly milkcap (Lactarius torminosus), pictured, does look similar but has hairs on the edge of its cap, white acrid milk, white gills and grows with birch. Could also be confused with any of the orange milk producing Lactarius, all of which are edible. |
Use as a food An excellent edible mushroom, which should be cooked. Tends to keep good texture after cooking. Some say this is far inferior to the saffron milkcap but this is not our opinion Hazards This mushroom can grow near roadsides where it can accumulate pollutants. It is advisable to avoid harvesting from the sides of busy roads
Use in herbal medicine and medicine Laboratory tests have shown some antimicrobial and antioxidant activity
If you are suffering from any ailment or need medical advice, please see your General Practitioner Other uses None known at time of writing Importance to other species Provides food for a number of invertebrates. Specimens are more likely to have livestock in them than not
Always stay safe when foraging. You need to be 100% sure of your identification, 100% sure that your foraged item is edible, and 100% sure that you are not allergic to it (it is good practice to always try a small amount of any new food you are consuming). If in doubt, leave it out!
Comments