Lactarius Volemus
Lactarius Volemus
a gill fungus. The smooth cap is 5 to 13 cm in diameter and red-brown, orange-brown, or red-yellow in color. When bruised, the numerous thick, yellowish gills excrete a mild, white, milky juice that turns brown upon exposure to air. The stipe is thick and lighter in color than the cap. With age, L. volemus acquires an unpleasant “celery” odor. The mushroom, which grows mainly in the summer and autumn in broad-leaved forests, is found in the European USSR, the Caucasus, and the Soviet Far East. It is used in food in baked and salted form.