Skip to main content

Lactarius vietus

(Fr.) Fr.

Grey milkcap

Russulaceae Edible: Mushroom, Fungus 227 iNaturalist observations

iNaturalist· cc-by-nc

(c) Federico Calledda, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Federico Calledda

iNaturalist· cc-by-nc

(c) Federico Calledda, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Federico Calledda

iNaturalist· cc-by-sa

(c) mycowalt, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by mycowalt

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.

Description

A temperate mushroom that grows on rotting wood and belongs to the Russulaceae family.

This description is brief — help expand it

Edible Uses

The mushroom fruit body is edible.

Distribution

It is a temperate plant.

Where It Grows

Asia, Balkans, Britain, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Europe, Germany, North America, Scandinavia, Siberia, Turkey, Türkiye, USA,

Synonyms

Agaricus vietus Fr.and several others

References (1)

  • Boa, E. R., Wild edible fungi and their importance to people. FAO Non Wood Forest Products Booklet 17

More from Russulaceae