Bearded Milkcap - Lactarius pubescens

A medium sized milkcap, convex then centrally depressed, margin inrolled and hairy, creamy white to pinkish, becoming more ochraceous with age often with slightly darker areas and without concentric zones. Gills slightly decurrent, crowded, whitish with a slight salmon tinge, darkening with age. Milk white and unchanging; taste acrid.

Wooly Milkcap Lactarius torminosus is slightly larger,usually with more flesh-pink and has a zonate cap

Photograph from top down, in side view and from underneath to show gills and full length of stipe.  Note cap texture, smell, colour and taste of milk and flesh, and whether colour of milk changes on exposure to air (this may take some time).   You must note the tree species under which it was found.

Grows on soil in birch woods.

Season late Summer and Autumn.

Associated with Birch, perhaps exclusively.

Widespread and quite common in birchwoods.

Not uncommon in Leicestershire and Rutland, where the main sites for this species seem to be New Lount Reserve and Bagworth Heath Woods. At these two sites it can be quite frequent.