Hairy milkcap relative

What it is

Lactifluus pilosus is a wild ectomycorrhizal fungus of forests. It grows in association with tree roots, so it cannot be cultivated on the substrates used for ordinary mushrooms. The catalogue gives it the common name hairy milkcap relative.

Milkcaps in the genus Lactifluus exude a latex when cut. Several species are eaten in Yunnan. This page covers only the species the catalogue names.

Market context in Yunnan

A 2022 ethnomycological study of wild mushroom markets in Pu'er Prefecture, Yunnan, found that other edible milkcaps are commonly sold there. Its figure captions name Lactifluus volemus and Lactifluus piperatus as popular species in the markets.

The same study records local cooking. Lactifluus piperatus is fried with garlic, dried chilli and sour bamboo shoots or pickles. Lactifluus volemus is fried with garlic, chilli and meat. These methods belong to those two species and should not be applied to Lactifluus pilosus without a source.

A separate paper says that residents of Yunnan and Guizhou have long eaten Lactifluus tenuicystidiatus and Lactifluus volemus, locally called naijiangjun or red naijiangjun.

What is not yet known

The name Lactifluus pilosus did not appear in the Pu'er market records found during the search for this page, so its presence in those markets is unconfirmed. Its contemporary taxonomy also needs species-level review, as the catalogue notes.

Taste varies among milkcaps. A global account of edible mushrooms notes that the peppery milkcap is not recommended by some for its poor taste. The sources give no toxicity profile for Lactifluus pilosus.

Safety and identification

The catalogue states that contemporary taxonomy and local safety still need species-level review. Milkcaps are not identified from a description, and a wild specimen should be checked by a specialist before it is eaten. Nothing on this page is an identification guide.