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Milky orange belongs to the Syroezhkov family, genus Milky. The Latin name is lactarius porninsis, which means “giving milk”, “milky”. This mushroom was nicknamed so because its pulp contains vessels with milky juice, which, if damaged, flows out. Below is more detailed information about the orange milkweed: a description of the appearance, where and how it grows, whether this specimen can be eaten.
Where does the orange milkweed grow?
This species tends to grow in coniferous and mixed forests, prefers to form mycorrhiza with spruce, less often with deciduous trees, for example, with birches or oaks. Also, quite often, the orange lactic can be found deeply buried in the moss litter. The orange milky (Lactarius porninsis) can grow both singly and in small groups. The best growing time is from July to October. Most often appears in the countries of Eurasia with a temperate climate.
What does an orange milky look like?
When damaged, this specimen emits white juice
The photo shows that the fruiting body of the orange milky consists of a cap and a leg. At the initial stage of maturation, the cap is convex with a noticeable central tubercle, gradually acquires a prostrate shape, and becomes depressed in old age. In some cases, it is funnel-shaped. Throughout the entire time, the cap does not reach large sizes, as a rule, it varies from 3 to 6 cm. The surface is smooth and dry, it becomes slippery during heavy rains. Painted in a characteristic orange color with a darker center. There are no concentric zones. On the underside of the cap are descending, medium frequency plates. In young specimens, they are pale cream in color, and with age they acquire darker shades. Spore powder of light ocher color.
The pulp is thin, brittle, fibrous, yellowish in tone. Exudes a slightly perceptible aroma, reminiscent of the smell of orange peels. It is this feature that makes this species distinguishable from its relatives. This specimen secretes a whitish milky juice, which does not change its color in the air. This liquid is very thick, sticky and caustic. In a dry season, in mature specimens, the juice dries up and may be completely absent.
The leg of the orange milky is smooth, cylindrical, tapering downwards. It reaches a height of 3 to 5 cm, and a thickness of 5 mm in diameter. The color of the stem matches the color of the cap, in some cases a little lighter. In young specimens, it is solid, with age it becomes hollow and cellular.
Most often lives in coniferous and mixed forests.
Is it possible to eat orange lactic mushroom
Expert opinions on the edibility of this species vary somewhat. So, some reference books contain information that the orange lactic is an edible mushroom, but most sources confidently attribute it to the category of inedible, and some mycologists even consider this species to be slightly poisonous.
How to distinguish from twins
The fruiting body of the orange milky exudes a faint citrus aroma.
A huge variety of mushrooms is concentrated in the forest, which in one way or another may be similar to the species in question. It is worth remembering that not every instance is edible. The orange milker has common external features with many inedible and even poisonous relatives from the Milky genus, and therefore the mushroom picker should be especially vigilant. You can distinguish this mushroom from twins by the following characteristic features:
- small caps of orange color;
- subtle orange flavor of the pulp;
- milky juice has a rather pungent taste;
- the cap is smooth, without pubescence.
Conclusion
Milky orange is a rather rare specimen, the flesh of which exudes a slightly perceptible orange aroma. In Europe, most specimens of this genus are considered inedible or even poisonous. In our country, some of them are edible, but are used after careful processing in pickled or salted form. Active fruiting of this species occurs in July and ends around October. During this period, other gifts of the forest also grow, the edibility of which is not in doubt. This mushroom has no nutritional value, eating it can provoke food poisoning. That is why the orange milky is left without the attention of mushroom pickers.