Mushrooms Millers

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Mushrooms are divided into edible, or food and conditionally edible. They belong to the lamellar, included in the family Russula. In translation, the Latin name of the genus Lactarius (Lactarius) means "giving milk." More than 50 varieties of these mushrooms are found in Russia and the CIS countries.

Mushrooms Millers

Characteristics

Description of the mushroom cap:

the average cap size reaches 8 cm;
the edges of the cap of a young specimen are tightly pressed against the leg, over time it separates and takes a flat-concave or funnel-shaped shape;
the edges are usually even, sometimes with an indistinct “wave”;
the color palette is varied: from white to dark olive, almost black. The color is changeable, depending on age;
the surface structure of the cap varies from smooth to scaly.

In nature, there are specimens with hats whose diameter reaches 30 cm. The taste of fresh pulp varies from burning, with a pronounced pungency to sweetish. The color is brown, white blotches are possible, one might say - it changes with age. The aroma is almost not felt. The specific smell is characteristic only for some species.

Leg description:

the structure is cylindrical;
narrows or expands towards the base;
the color is similar to the hat or a tone lighter;
diametral range - 1.5-4 cm;
height 5-10 cm;
the top layer is smooth-textured;
with age, a cavity appears inside.

Irina Selyutina (Biologist):
The milky genus includes mushrooms, the most important of which (for example, the real milk mushroom) from the point of view of nutritional value, have been called mushrooms since ancient times. Now, many species of this genus are called milk mushrooms, including inedible ones, for example, the gray-pink milky. And in some specialized reference books such a name - "milk mushroom", is accepted for most species of the genus, with the exception of saffron milk caps and wines. In addition to this, "dry milk mushrooms" are also distinguished, or podgruzdi (podgruzdki). This is not the name of the milkmen, but some types of russula that are outwardly similar to them.

A little about the milkmen:

1797 g. - genus Lactarius was isolated by a Dutch botanist-mycologist
The genus was isolated in 1797 by the Dutch botanist-mycologist Christian Heinrich Person.
1889 g. - a proposal was put forward to divide this genus into two (Lactaria and Lactariella) based on the microscopic characteristics of the spores and the color of the spore powder. This was suggested by the German mycologist Joseph Schroeter.
1888 g. - French mycologist Lucien Kele proposed a system of the genus Lactarius based on the classification of its species by the nature of the surface of the cap (3 sections): sticky; dry smooth and velvety / hairy cap.
1956 g. - for the division of the genus into sections, microscopic features in the structure of the cap skin were used for the first time. This classification was published by the German mycologist Walter Neuhoff.This feature - the microscopic structure of the cap skin, or pileipellis, remains one of the main ones to this day.
1979 year - to identify intrageneric taxa, they began to use micro- and macroscopic characters. As a result, 6 subgenera, 18 sections and 5 subsections were identified.

Miller non-caustic

This species is classified as conditionally food. Miller non-caustic forms mycorrhiza with birch, spruce, oak, but prefers birch. The second synonym name is Orange Millechnik. Appears in forests in mid-July.

A young mushroom is distinguished by a convex orange cap. In older specimens, it takes on a funnel-shaped shape. In the center, which is characterized by a more intense color in comparison with the edges, there is a characteristic small tubercle.

The dry skin of the cap has a velvety texture. The height of the leg varies between 3-8 cm. The flesh is odorless, orange, the structure is dense. The juice is white, watery, reacting with atmospheric oxygen, does not change color. By taste, it is not spicy.

Going out on a "quiet hunt", you can return with a full basket of the same conditionally edible milky mushrooms, but belonging to the species M. brownish.

Brown milky

The brown miller is a conditionally food variety. The hat is neatly folded at the edges. Usually, the central tubercle is preserved even in adult specimens of the Millechnik brown. The color of the hat surface is brown on the outside and white on the inside. The edge of the cap is slightly pubescent. In young specimens it is ribbed, but in old specimens it is wavy, lobed-curved, but also slightly pubescent.

The surface of the peel is dry, velvety in structure. The flesh on the cut is white, thin, breaks easily. Miller brown gives off a non-caustic sap that turns yellow when it interacts with air.

This species is classified as rare. Found in coniferous (mainly spruce) forests. Prefers acidic boggy soils. Forms mycorrhiza with spruce.

This species can be confused with m. Brownish and m. Resinous black.

Miller oak

The oak milky, or as it is also called - the neutral milky, settles in oak and mixed plantings. The mushroom belongs to the group of conditionally edible. Has a specific - hay smell and weak taste.

The diametral range of the hat surface is 5-10 cm. The color of the hat is brown. The surface is covered with concentric irregular circles. On the inner (bottom) side there are creamy plates that release milky juice when pressed. Milky sap is also present in the pulp, it is white, non-caustic and does not react with atmospheric oxygen, which means it does not change its color.

This species is widespread, prefers deciduous and mixed forests with oak. It forms mycorrhiza with oak, which indicates selectivity and settles around old trees, forming groups in the grass and on the litter.

Experts distinguish similar species - m. Watery-milky and sirushka.

Fragrant Miller

The mushroom smells like coconuts

Fragrant miller is a representative of conditionally edible mushrooms. The size of the surface of the cap in diameter reaches 3-6 cm. The color can be pink, red, lilac-gray, it depends on the age and characteristics of the local climate.

The surface is dry, not sticky, smooth. Even in adulthood, the edge of the cap remains tucked up.

The leg, the height corresponds to the diameter of the cap, is loose in structure, reaches 1 cm in thickness. The color is one tone lighter than the surface of the cap. As it matures, a cavity forms inside.

The pulp is characterized by a white color and a bland taste. But the aroma is quite interesting for our latitudes - the milkman exudes a coconut aroma. It is eaten only as pickles for the winter.

By the way. For the aromatic lactate, similar species have been recorded - m. Faded, m. Papillary.

Miller red-brown

Red-brown miller grows in spruce forests, on acidic soils.Mushrooms of this species are classified as conditionally edible, like a number of other representatives of the Mlechnik genus. The hat is 5-17 cm, thick-fleshed, dense. Covered with dry, smooth skin in adults and velvety in young specimens. The surface is brown. The smell of the pulp is very specific - it is pleasant for young mushrooms, but for adults it resembles the smell of herring or crabs.

The plates of the hymenophore are fleshy, weakly descending to the pedicle. Usually whitish or pinkish, but when pressed, brownish spots are formed. Liquid - milky juice secreted by the pulp, sticky, white, turns brown on contact with air, as a result of which all the components of the fruiting body are colored brown.

Representatives of the species are rarely found despite its wide distribution in all types of forests. Mycorrhiza forms with coniferous and deciduous species. He chooses damp soils.

Faded milky

The faded milky is included in the category of conditionally edible mushrooms. Grows in deciduous forests, on hilly edges, next to birches, tall pines. The hymenophore is lamellar. The diametral range of the cap is 3-10 cm.

The cap is thin, with a small amount of pulp, and crumbles easily. Immature specimens of the faded lactarius have caps that are convex in the center. The pale milky has a wine-brown or grayish-brown color of the cap, and in the center of its tone will be more saturated.

Irina Selyutina (Biologist):
The cap of the faded lactarius is characterized by hygrophilousness, i.e. the ability to change the appearance depending on external conditions, or rather, on the humidity of the air. This happens due to the fact that the pulp of some types of mushrooms has the ability to swell under the influence of moisture. False tissue, or tram of such pulp, consists of mycelium hyphae loosely intertwined with each other, as a result of which air-filled gaps remain between them, in which water is retained. Therefore, in wet weather, outwardly, the caps of such mushrooms have more saturated dark tones, and during the drying process, concentric zones appear, which spread over the surface of the cap either from its center to the edges, or vice versa.

The leg is 4-8 cm in size, cylindrical in shape. In young mushrooms it is dense, full, in old mushrooms it is hollow. The color of the leg is gray-brown. The pulp is pale white, does not smell, abundantly produces a caustic milky juice, which becomes grayish-green in air.

Stunted miller

The milky is stunted, or, as it is also called, is a tender milk mushroom, conditionally food. It is eaten salty, dried after the obligatory preliminary soaking due to the presence of a slight tangy taste characteristic of the pulp. The surface of the cap reaches 3-5 cm in diameter. The color is reddish or ocher-brick. The hat has a pronounced bulge in the center, the edges are lowered.

The plates are similar in color to the cap, descending, rarely located. The leg is up to 5 cm long, loose, slightly widened towards the base. The pulp does not exude juice abundantly. The liquid is white, upon drying it acquires a yellow tint.

Miller wet

Wet miller is classified as conditionally edible. Some sources say that the mushroom contains poisonous toxins and therefore is not recommended for consumption. The color of the cap is gray with a slight but noticeable shade of purple. Its size is 4-8 cm in diameter. In the center with a small tubercle around which a depressed area is located. The edges of the cap are covered with a layer of small fibers and are bent towards the stem.

The skin is moist, sticky. The hymenophore is lamellar, in young specimens it is white, in aging specimens it turns yellow. Under mechanical stress, it acquires a lilac color. Milky sap is white, in reaction with air it acquires a lilac hue. Excretion of fluid is abundant.

Miller orange

Miller orange is classified as an inedible mushroom, and some mycologists are generally sure that this is a weakly poisonous mushroom.In the special literature, there is no data on its serious danger to human health, but the frequent consequences of its accidental use in food are gastrointestinal disorders.

Has a citrus aroma. The diameter of the cap is 3-8 cm, the length of the leg is 3-6 cm. Young mushrooms have a convex cap, but overripe ones have a concave cap. In the center, there is no tubercle characteristic of most species of the genus. The color of the skin covering the cap is orange. The surface is smooth, it becomes sticky and slippery to the touch when it rains. Lamellar hymenophore, yellow spores. The plates themselves have a light orange or fawn tint in adult mushrooms, while in young ones they are white.

The pulp is fibrous, dense. Milky sap is white, thick, pungent, does not change color upon contact with air.

Hygrophoroid milky

Not all mushrooms are edible

The miller is hygrophoric edible, the cap is orange-brown. The plates of the hymenophore are sparsely located, white or cream, descending to the pedicle. If damaged, they are able to secrete milky juice. Spores and, accordingly, spore powder are white. The pulp is white, brittle. Milky sap that stands out on a cut or other kind of damage does not change color when exposed to air and remains white.

Mycorrhiza forms mainly with oak. Grows in deciduous forests. It has a similar appearance - a red-brown lump.

Miller white

Miller white conditionally edible. Grows in dry pine forests. Prefers sandy soils. The surface of the cap reaches 4-10 cm in diameter. In a young mushroom, it is convex, but over time it becomes funnel-shaped. The edges are finely pubescent. Over time, the "fluff" covering them disappears and they become smooth.

The cap is covered with mucous skin. Drying, it becomes milky white. The plates of the hymenophore are forked, descending, emitting white juice and darkening when pressed. The juice is watery, insipid (not pungent), does not change color in reaction with air.

Brownish milky

The brownish milky is classified as a food (edible) species. Before use, it is not soaked, despite the presence of milky juice, although not very bitter. On cut, the white milky sap changes color and becomes pinkish. It settles in coniferous forests on sandy soils.

The cap of the lactiferous is brownish, 5-10 cm in diameter, wavy at the edges. With age, the milkman's cap brightens. The skin is dry, velvety. The pulp is white, with age it acquires a yellow tint. Slightly pink at the break.

This species prefers broad-leaved forests, forms mycorrhiza with oak and beech.

Lilac miller

Lilac milky is a representative of the conditionally edible group of mushrooms. The diameter of its thin pubescent cap is 5-10 cm. In the center there is a depression without a tubercle (in adults). Young mushrooms are characterized by a flat cap. The skin is dry, lilac-pink, concentric zones with a darker coloration are absent.

The pulp is white-pink in color and has a mushroom aroma. Gives off a large amount of white and pungent milky juice. The mushroom grows in alder groves. Before eating, the mushroom needs preliminary soaking.

Common miller

Mushroom Mlechnik ordinary, or smooth, like many species belonging to the genus Mlechnik, is a conditionally edible mushroom. The diameter of the cap is 10-15 cm. It is distinguished by the flattened and depressed (wheel-like) shape of the cap of adult specimens. The edges are tucked inward, not pubescent. The color of the caps of various shades in the palette of violet-lilac or pale-brown tones, which is inherent in young ones, but age mushrooms are yellowish or pinkish-brown.

The pulp of a young mushroom is distinguished by its strength and white color. In old mushrooms, it is loose. The pungency of the taste is given by the white milky juice, which turns olive brown on contact with air.

The common miller is common in coniferous and deciduous forests. Prefers moisture-absorbing soils, appears in large quantities.In the process of evolution, this species began to form mycorrhiza with pine, birch and spruce.

Marsh milky

Marsh milky (milk mushroom) belongs to the category of edible mushrooms that need preliminary soaking. In terms of its taste, it is inferior to real milk mushroom. Marsh milky is salted or pickled for the winter. Hat diameter up to 5 cm maximum. The hat is outstretched and rounded. In the center of the cap there is a small but clearly visible sharp tubercle. As the fungus grows, the edges of the cap turn from bent into a lowered state. The skin of the cap is reddish, buffy, it can burn out in the sun. The hymenophore is lamellar, frequent, characterized by the presence of a reddish tint.

The leg has a dense structure, pubescent in its lower part. In the center and along the entire length of the leg, either a hollow channel can pass or a cavity can be located. The color corresponds to the color of the cap or is slightly lighter.

The flesh on the cut is creamy. It tastes unpleasant when raw. The milky juice is whitish, under the influence of air it becomes gray with a yellow tint. For old marsh mushrooms, a very burning and acrid milky juice is characteristic.

Millechnik sweetish

The milky mushroom (milk mushroom) is sweetish, or a hitch, or rubella, belongs to the category of conditionally edible mushrooms that require preliminary soaking. However, this mushroom is often considered inedible. The mushroom got its nickname "rubella" because of the characteristic color of the fruit body. The hat is 3-7 cm, oval-rounded, concave in the center. The surface of the cap may be smooth or slightly wrinkled. The hymenophore is lamellar, frequent, descending. The color of the hymenophore ranges from white to pale brown or pink.

The pulp is quite dense, but at the same time fragile. Its color can be white or even walnut shades.

Milky juice is white or gray-watery, bittersweet. Does not change color on contact with air. It has a special smell - bedbugs or rubber.

Miller camphor

Millechnik (milk mushroom) camphor is a conditionally edible mushroom, taste is low (boiling is necessary before use). Due to the presence of a specific odor, this species is classified as an edible mushroom of the 4th category. This means that although mushrooms are nutrient-dense and eaten, they can still be dangerous to humans if not cooked properly.

The dense cap has a diameter of up to 10 cm. The surface is matte, brown-orange. In young mushrooms, it is rounded, in older ones, it is almost flat. A small tubercle may be located in its center. The hymenophore is formed by thick and frequently located plates that can branch. Young mushrooms have pink plates, and old ones are brown.

The pulp has a loose structure, exudes an unpleasant smell, reminiscent of camphor. It tastes bland. The juice is abundant, white in color, does not change color upon contact with air.

Liver Miller

Liver miller is inedible because of its pungent taste. The hat is 3-7 cm in diameter, gray-brown in color, maybe with an olive tint. Its surface is smooth, the central part is depressed, it may even resemble a funnel. The leg is one tone lighter.

The flesh is thin, light brown. The pink plates fit tightly to the cap, often located. The spores formed on their surface have a cream or creamy pink tone.

The species is a mycorrhizal with pine. prefers acidic sandy soils for its development.

Miller blue

Blue miller is a mushroom from the edible category. It is not found on the territory of Europe and Russia. Natural habitat - nature Asia, Central and North America.

The hat is 5-15 cm, has a blue (denim) color. The annular zones with a darker color are visible on the surface. The surface is sticky in young mushrooms. The shape of the cap surface changes as the fungus grows from convex to depressed and funnel-shaped.

The pulp is light blue, when damaged it turns green, just like the hymenophores that form. frequent denim blue plates. The juice is blue, pungent, under the influence of atmospheric oxygen it turns green (oxidizes). Mycorrhiza forms with deciduous and evergreen trees.

By the way. In Virginia (USA) there is Lactarius indigo var. diminutivus is a smaller variety of blue milkweed with a cap diameter of 3-7 cm.

Conclusion

Milky mushrooms are found all over the world. They are divided into poisonous, conditionally edible (or conditionally food) and edible. Their main difference from other species is the release of milky juice when the pulp is pressed or damaged. Food mushrooms are used salted and / or pickled. Their taste characteristics are not very high.