Lactarius rubidus
Description
Lactarius rubidus is characterized by a rusty-brown, usually depressed cap, subdecurrent, pinkish buff gills that bleed a watery latex, and a smooth, brittle stipe colored like the cap. Fresh specimens have a faint, sweet odor, but when dried smell strongly of fenugreek and maple syrup. It is widespread over a large area in the western USA.
It is edible and good; often used in breads and confections. When dried, it smells strongly like maple syrup. It is often used in recipes that call for maple flavors, such as cheesecake and ice cream.
Common names: Candy Cap.
Mushroom Identification
Ecology
Mycorrhizal with oaks (coast live oak and tanoak) and with Douglas-fir; growing alone, scattered, gregariously, or in loose clusters; fall and winter; on the West Coast.
Cap
2-8 cm; convex, becoming flat or shallowly vase-shaped; dry or sticky; somewhat wrinkled or uneven, but otherwise smooth; reddish-brown to orangish brown.
Gills
Attached to the stem or running slightly down it; close or nearly distant; very pale orange, developing cinnamon stains and discolorations but not staining from the milk.
Stem
2-7 cm long; up to 1.5 cm thick; colored like the cap or paler; more or less equal; smooth; without pot-holes; often with orangish fuzz at the base.
Flesh
Very pale orange; not staining when sliced.
Milk
Watery or whey-like; not copious; not staining tissues.
Odor and Taste
Odor like maple syrup or burned sugar, becoming stronger when the mushroom is dried; taste mild.
Spore Print
Pale yellow or whitish.
Chemical Reactions
KOH on cap negative.
Microscopic Features
Spores 6-8 µ; round or nearly so; ornamentation 0.5-1.0 µ high, as amyloid warts and connectors forming partial reticula. Macrocystidia absent. Pileipellis is a hyphoepithelium.
Look-Alikes
Lactarius rufulus
Larger version of the "candy cap". It has a watery latex, but does not have as strong odor when dried.
Lactarius xanthogalactus, Lactarius luculentus, Lactarius subviscidus
Are reddish colored species all of which have a white latex, at least when initially exposed, and vary in acridness.
Photo sources:
Photo 1 - Author: Martin Jambon (Attribution 2.0 Generic)
Photo 2 - Author: J. Maughn (Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic)
