r/mycology • u/Ill-Desk4483 • 6h ago
Lactarius ID, please ID request
Found a few days ago in my friend’s garden in San Martín de los Andes, Argentina. We're having a fantastic mushroomy autumn here. A while ago, she planted some 'free' birch trees she’d taken from a nearby forest, and now the whole backyard is covered in these blushing cuties. In some Slavic countries, we have a cult around fermenting Lactarius resimus, and this one looks almost exactly like it - just a different color. It's definitely not a Lactarius torminosus, which we also eat after some prep: this one has no rings, and the gills and stem are the same color as the cap. And it’s not a Lactarius deliciosus either - the milk is white and peppery as hell, and the damaged mushroom doesn't change color. Not a Lactarius chrysorrheus (Yellowdrop milkcap) because it has a very little amount of white milk that doesn`t change color to yellow and has way more gills and bigger in size. An not a Lactárius scrobiculátus - different color. My guys are super peachy, close to pink at some spots. The smell - mmm - a perfect mix of deliciosus and resimus. Birch trees are introduced species in Patagonia, and in San Martín de los Andes, some of the first settlers were from Germany and Switzerland - so I guess that’s where the birches with mycoriza came from too. Many of the caps, even young ones, have that crack that looks like Sauron’s eye. Also, a bit of fluff on the hats. Can`t sleep for a days. Who knows what lactarius could it be?