Red Ginger (Lactarius sanguifluus) photo and description

Red camelina (Lactarius sanguifluus)

Red camelina (Lactarius sanguifluus). The fungus belongs to the genus Milky, family – Russula.

The mushroom has a flat-convex cap with a diameter of three to ten centimeters. From flat, it later becomes wide and funnel-shaped. Its edge is loosely wrapped. The characteristic of the cap is moist, sticky, smooth to the touch. It has an orange-reddish color, rarely blood-red with some areas of greenish color. The juice of the mushroom is also red, sometimes orange. The spore powder is yellowish.

Red camelina has a dense, brittle, whitish flesh, which is diluted with reddish spots. When broken, milky reddish juice is released. It has frequent plates, at times they bifurcate, descend deeply along the leg.

The stem of the mushroom itself is low – up to 6 centimeters long. They may taper at the base. Covered with a powdery coating.

Ginger red has many variations in the color of the hat. But most often it changes from orange to reddish-bloody. The stem is mostly full, but then, as the mushroom matures, it becomes hollow. It can also change its color – from pinkish-orange to purple-lilac. The plates change their shade: from ocher to pinkish and finally, to the color of red wine.

The Red Ginger species is generally very common in our forests. But, it is more common in mountainous areas, in coniferous forests. The fruiting season is summer-autumn.

This type of mushroom has similar species. The most common of them are real camelina, spruce camelina. All of these types of mushrooms are extremely similar. They also have similar morphological features, such that they can often be confused. But still, scientists distinguish them – by regions of growth. To the least extent, they are similar in size, the color of the juice when broken, as well as the color of the fruiting body.

The mushroom has high nutritional qualities, very tasty. In addition, science knows its economic use. An antibiotic for the treatment of tuberculosis is made from red camelina, as well as from a similar species – real camelina.

In medicine

The antibiotic lactarioviolin is isolated from Red Ginger, which inhibits the development of many bacteria, including the causative agent of tuberculosis.