Fungus · GBIF taxon 5248629
saffron milkcap
Lactarius deliciosusAlso known as Delicious Milk Cap, Red Pine Mushroom, Orange Milkcap
Saffron milkcaps form mutualistic ectomycorrhizal bonds exclusively with pine trees, trading subterranean nutrients for photosynthetic sugars. When damaged, the fruiting body exudes a characteristic carrot-orange latex that slowly oxidizes to a dull green hue over several minutes. The cap features distinctive concentric rings of orange tones and gradually flattens into a funnel shape as it matures.
FungusMycorrhizalPine Forest
1 / 7—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Pine Tree Sugars
- Soil Nitrogen
- Soil Phosphorus
Predators
- Slug
- Fungus Gnat Fly
- Red Squirrel
ThreatsDeforestation, Soil Compaction
HabitatsConiferous Forests, Pine Plantations
Life spanPerennial Mycelium (Caps last 1-2 weeks)
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderRussulales
- FamilyRussulaceae
- GenusLactarius
- SpeciesLactarius deliciosus
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Many wild mushrooms have toxic look-alikes; never eat wild fungi based on app identification alone.
Responsible observation
- Observe Latex: Cut or scratch the gills to watch the orange liquid turn green as it oxidizes.
- Check Cap Patterns: Look for faint concentric circles of orange and salmon on the upper cap surface.
- Search Pine Duff: Scan the forest floor near mature pine trees after autumn rainfall events.
Toxic Look-alike 
Symbiotic Host (c) anemoneprojectors (no internet at the moment), some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Close Relative Holger Krisp / CC BY 3.0 · cc-by
Genus Relative Dan Molter / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
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