Bearded Milkcap

Habitat

This species grows exclusively near birch trees in various environments, including woodland, heathland, grassland, and self-sown copses. It is commonly found on sandy soil and appears to favor neutral or alkaline sites rather than acidic ones. It can also be found in urban areas such as gardens and lawns where birch has been introduced, typically appearing in scattered groups, clusters, or occasionally in rings.

Photos

Appearance

Cap

4–10 cm wide, convex then flattened with a depressed center; creamy white to rosy buff or pinkish cinnamon, sometimes with darker irregular patches but generally lacking strong concentric bands. The margin is tightly inrolled and noticeably hairy or shaggy.

Stem

2–7 cm long and 1–2.5 cm thick, stout and equal or slightly tapering; concolorous with the cap, often with a rosy or pinker apex; surface is smooth to finely downy, becoming hollow with age.

Gills

Crowded and slightly decurrent; whitish with a salmon or pinkish tinge, darkening as the fruit body matures.

Flesh

Thick and firm, though fragile; white to pale cream or pinkish white.

Milk

White, sometimes drying yellowish; flavor is very hot and acrid; consistency is often sparse.

Spore print

Pale cream to ivory, often featuring a faint salmon or pinkish tint.

Smell

Faint or indistinct, sometimes reminiscent of Pelargonium.

Edibility

Eating this mushroom can cause poisoning or illness, though it is sometimes listed as edible with caution if specific preparation is used. The white milk and flesh have a very hot, acrid taste and a faint smell of Pelargonium. It is very similar in appearance to Lactarius torminosus, although it is typically smaller, paler, and less woolly.

Nutrient Source

It forms a symbiotic relationship with trees, exchanging nutrients through the soil via its root-like hyphae.

Common Names

Danish

Dunet mælkehat

Dutch

Donzige melkzwam

English

Downy Milk Cap, Bearded Milkcap

Finnish

villakarvarousku

French

Lactaire pubescent

German

Flaumiger Milchling

Norwegian Bokmål

blek skjeggriske

Norwegian Nynorsk

bleik skjeggriske

Swedish

blek skäggriska

Welsh

Cap Llaeth Barfog

Synonyms

• Agaricus pubescens
• Lactarius albus
• Lactarius betulae
• Lactifluus pubescens
• Mycena pubescens