Mayor’s Milky (Lactarius mairei) photo and description

Mayor’s Milky (Lactarius mairei)

• Belted milkman;
• Lactarius pearsonii.

Mayor’s Milkweed (Lactarius mairei) is a small mushroom from the Russulaceae family.

External description of the fungus

Mayor’s Milky (Lactarius mairei) is a classic fruiting body consisting of a cap and a stem. The fungus is characterized by a lamellar hymenophore, and the plates in it are often located, adhere to the stem or descend along it, have a cream color, and are highly branched.

Mer’s milky pulp is characterized by medium density, whitish color, burning aftertaste that appears a short time after eating the mushroom. The milky juice of the mushroom also tastes burning, does not change its color under the influence of air, the aroma of the pulp is similar to fruit.

Mayor’s cap is characterized by a curved edge in young mushrooms (it straightens out as the plant reaches maturity), a depressed central part, a smooth and dry surface (although in some mushrooms it may resemble felt to the touch). A fluff runs along the edge of the cap, consisting of hairs of small length (up to 5 mm), resembling needles or spikes. The color of the cap varies from light cream to clay cream, and spherical areas radiate from the central part, painted in pinkish or clayey saturated color. Such shades reach about half the diameter of the cap, the size of which is 2.5-12 cm.

The length of the mushroom stem is 1.5-4 cm, and the thickness varies between 0.6-1.5 cm. The shape of the stem resembles a cylinder, and to the touch it is smooth, dry, and does not have the slightest dent on the surface. In immature mushrooms, the stem is filled inside, and as it ripens, it becomes empty. It is characterized by a pink-cream, cream-yellow or cream color.

Fungal spores are ellipsoid or spherical in shape, with visible ridge areas. Spore sizes are 5.9-9.0*4.8-7.0 µm. The color of the spores is predominantly cream.

Habitat and fruiting period

Mayor’s milkweed (Lactarius mairei) is found mainly in deciduous forests, grows in small groups. The fungus of this species is widely distributed in Europe, South-Western Asia and Morocco. Active fruiting of the fungus occurs from September to October.

Edibility

Mayor’s milkweed (Lactarius mairei) belongs to the number of edible mushrooms, suitable for eating in any form.

Similar species, distinctive features from them

Mayor’s Miller (Lactarius mairei) is very similar in appearance to the pink wavelet (Lactarius torminosus), however, unlike its pink color, Mayor’s Miller is characterized by a creamy or creamy-white shade of the fruiting body. A little pink color remains in it – in a small area in the central part of the cap. For the rest, the milky is the same as the named type of twig: there is hair growth along the edge of the cap (especially in young fruiting bodies), the fungus is characterized by zoning in coloring. Initially, the taste of the mushroom has a slight sharpness, but the aftertaste remains sharp. The difference from the milkweed is that it forms mycorrhiza with oaks, and prefers to grow on soils rich in lime. Pink volnushka is considered mycorrhiza-forming with birch.

Interesting about Mera’s milky

The fungus, called Mayor’s milky mushroom, is listed in the Red Books of several countries, including Austria, Estonia, Denmark, the Netherlands, France, Norway, Switzerland, Germany, and Sweden. The species is not listed in the Red Book of Our Country, it is not in the Red Books of the constituent entities of the Federation.

The generic name of the mushroom is Lactarius, which means milk-giving. The specific designation was given to the fungus in honor of the famous mycologist from France, René Maire.