The yellow drop milk cap (Lactarius chrysorrheus) is a similar to the appreciated delicious milk cap (L.deliciosus) mushroom as seen from above that deceives the mushrooms collectors. The yellow drop milk cap has up to 8 cm diameter cap, with involute margin, duller and paler brick orangish colour than that of the delicious milk cap and with concentric rings of darker shade. Its cap is thinner than that of the delicious milk cap. Underneath the cap, gills are whitish. They secrete droplets of initially white latex that soon turns yellow. The light colour of the gills and the latex differentiate the yellow drop milk cap from the delicious milk cap. The foot is cylindrical, relatively slender, whitish of pale orange colour without alveoli or dimples. If cut, the flesh is whitish.
The yellow drop milk caps thrive in oak and green oak forest, even more in mixed forests having. The yellow drop milk cap is frequent in Central Catalonia forests.
There are other species of Lactarius leaving white latex, all of them known in Catalan as “lleteroles” o “lletragues”.
The yellow drop milk cap has a bitter and spicy taste. Its consumption causes gastrointestinal disorder.
[photos Florenci Vallès (1st), Jordi Badia (2nd and 4th) and Marta Queralt López Salvans (3rd)]