Magnificent Mushrooms! #23

Hello everyone! It is a beautiful spring day here. It is nice to see the sun shining again after a couple of days that were cooler and rainy. Today we have another different mushroom for you. This one is called the Deceptive Milky mushroom. There are actually several different varieties of milk cap mushrooms, all produce a milky substance when cut.

The one today has a milky substance that stains a brownish color. It is a nearly white mushroom but can have splotches of brownish stain on the cap, especially toward the center. These mushrooms grow under conifer trees and the cap can be a bit sticky as it emerges, so it ends up being somewhat dirty, or discolored, or covered with pine needles.

A soft brush and water cleans them up easily. However, all varieties, (with one exception) including this one, are extremely hot and very bitter, so they are seldom a good choice for eating. These mushrooms are very common in our area and grow singly or in larger groups under trees.

The caps can grow to be up to 10 inches (25cm) across, but most are between 3 to 5 inches (7.5 to 12.5cm) across, and the stem is up to 4 inches (10cm) long. The cap has rolled under edges with the center sunken and it spreads out flatter with age. These mushrooms grow from about July to October.

Animals don’t seem to like these mushrooms either. Overall, it is advised not to eat these mushrooms. Have a nice day everyone and God bless!

Steve and Muffin.

©2025 Steve McLeod.