What is Lactarius torminosus?
{{italictitle}} {{Taxobox | image = Lactarius torminosus (cropped).jpg | image_width = 234px | regnum = [[Fungi]] | divisio = [[Basidiomycota]] | classis = [[Agaricomycetes]] | ordo = [[Russulales]] | familia = [[Russulaceae]] | genus = ''[[Lactarius]]'' | species = '''''L. torminosus''''' | binomial = ''Lactarius torminosus'' | binomial_authority = }} '''''Lactarius torminosus''''', commonly known as the '''woolly milkcap''' or the '''bearded milkcap''', is a [[mushroom]] in the genus ''[[Lactarius]]''. It is a common and widely distributed fungus, found in North Africa, northern Asia, Northern Europe, and North America. ''L.&nbsp;torminosus'' associates with various trees, most commonly [[birch]], and the mushrooms grow on the ground singly or in groups in [[mixed forest]]s. Although it is valued for its peppery flavor and eaten after suitable preparation in Russia and Finland, it is highly irritating to the [[digestive system]] when eaten raw. The toxins responsible for the [[wikt:acrid|acrid]] taste are destroyed by cooking. The [[pileus (mycology)|caps]] of ''L.&nbsp;torminosus'' mushrooms are convex with a central depression, and attain a diameter of up to {{convert|10|cm|in|1|abbr=on}}. Its color is a blend of pink and ochre hues, sometimes with circular zones of darker shades. The edge of the cap is rolled inwards, and shaggy when young. On the underside of the caps are narrow flesh-colored [[lamella (mycology)|gills]] crowded closely together. It is on these fertile gill surfaces that the [[spore]]-bearing cells, the [[basidium|basidia]] are found. The cylindrical [[stipe (mycology)|stem]] is a pale flesh color with a downy surface, reaching a length of up to {{convert|8|cm|in|1|abbr=on}} and a thickness of {{convert|0.6|–|2|cm|in|1|abbr=on}}. When cut or injured, the fruit bodies ooze a white [[latex]] that does not change color upon exposure to air. The [[variety (botany)|variety]] ''normandensis'', in contrast, has latex that changes from white to yellow. {{biology-stub}} [[Category:Mushrooms]]