Glaucous Milk (Lactifluus glaucescens)
Systematics:
- Department: Basidiomycota (Basidiomycetes)
- Subdivision: Agaricomycotina (Agaricomycetes)
- Class: Agaricomycetes (Agaricomycetes)
- Subclass: Incertae sedis (undefined)
- Order: Russulales
- Family: Russulaceae (Russula)
- Genus: Lactifluus
- Species: Lactifluus glaucescens (Glaucous Milk)
Synonyms:
Lactarius glaucescens
The glaucous milk mushroom belongs to a fairly large family of russula.
It grows in deciduous forests, and sometimes it can also be seen in conifers. It can grow both in open places and in the forest. Prefers calcareous soils.
The fruiting body is represented by a cap and a leg.
The cap of young specimens has a flat shape, a slightly depressed center. In a later period, it takes the form of a funnel. The surface is dry, smooth, occasionally velvety. There may be cracks (especially with older mushrooms). The color is white, but more mature mushrooms have cream or ocher spots on the surface.
The glaucous mushroom is a lamellar mushroom with very narrow plates. Color – cream, ocher-colored spots may appear a little later.
The leg is up to about 8-9 cm long, narrowed at the bottom, differs in density. Some mushrooms may have a hollow stem. The color is also white, but pale yellow spots appear on older specimens.
A characteristic feature of the glaucous mushroom is the presence of a very dense pulp, which secretes a specific milky juice at the breaks. The juice is very acrid, pungent, immediately begins to curdle in the air, changing the original white color to a grayish-greenish. The smell of the pulp is woody, slightly honey.
The glaucous mushroom tolerates dry periods well, while the taste of the pulp also depends on weather conditions.
Lactifluus glaucescens is an edible mushroom, but requires careful pre-treatment (soaking in brine) to prepare it. It is also recommended to add various spices to improve the taste.
They are very similar to the glaucous mushroom pepper and the parchment milk, but their milky juice does not change its color in the open air.
