Today we are going to talk about a type of edible mushroom with a good quality. Its about Lactarius semisanguifluus. It is also known by the common names of níscalo and mícula. Belongs to the family russulaceae and it has good characteristics that make it a good edible and in high demand.
In this article we are going to explain all the characteristics and properties of the Lactarius semisanguifluus.
Key features
The hat of this mushroom is variable in size. There are some adult specimens that have a hat with a diameter that does not exceed 3 or 4 centimeters, although it is more common to find them with a diameter of between 5 and 10 centimeters. This measure depends on the rainfall that has occurred in the growing season and its area of distribution. When they are young this hat has a convex shape. As they develop, it plans and the center becomes a little sunken. Finally, when it reaches adulthood, it becomes funneling.
The surface of the hat has a matte appearance. Its color is pale orange and has not very marked concentric areas. As they develop, it quickly becomes greenish with some grayish tinge and with some darker green areas. They have a margin that is rolled up in the young specimens and is finer and fairly regular when they are adults. At this stage they are also slightly wavy.
It has certain adnate-type plates and a little decurrent. These blades are pale orange in color and have lamellae that are often bifurcated towards the foot. These lamellae turn a wine-red color on the wounds when the latex dries. And it is that the Lactarius semisanguifluus emits a type of reddish latex, in some cases it can be practically exuded continuously. When the mushroom is in its adult stage, these blades also turn green. These are indicative of your age.
As for the foot, they have it quite proportionate and cylindrical in shape with a color similar to that of the hat. If it can be differentiated in terms of color since it is somewhat paler. The foot is usually attenuated towards the base and a little scrobiculate. When it is young it is completely full, but it fills up fairly quickly. All the rest of the carpophorus in this fungus tends to turn green over time. This is how he points out that he is already an adult and even old.
Finally, its meat is compact and thick with a whitish color in the center and orange in the part of the periphery. As we have mentioned before, it exudes a latex that if we look at it when cut, this carrot orange color. However, when this latex dries in a few minutes it turns a wine red color. The smell of this mushroom is quite pleasant and fruity and its raw flavor is slightly pungent. This bitterness is not unpleasant and disappears during the cooking process.
Habitat and area of distribution of the Lactarius semisanguifluus
The chanterelle can be found in a common and abundant way in coniferous forests. Normally it is usually spread in the forests where the (Pinus sylvestris). The time when they are fully developed is in autumn. It is rare to find them in isolation, being more common to find them in groups of several specimens. They need a limestone soil where they can develop correctly.
There are those who claim that it has an edibility similar to that of the A lovely milkman. The habitat where it develops is a good indicator to know and not be confused with this species. It can be found from late summer to October and November. It has a greater preference for calcareous soils and for growing under scots pines. Can be cooked on the grill or whole in the pan with various seasonings.
Possible confusions of the Lactarius semisanguifluus
As we have seen in the characteristics, it is a type of mushroom with a smaller size than the species that we have considered so far from the Lactarius group. The foot can be quite long in proportion to the hat. Their measurements are similar. These dimensions can help us distinguish this species from others more easily.
The section in which the orange latex exudes is not only typical of the Lactarius semisanguifluus. There are several within this group that also exude an orange latex. Therefore, as there are species that are similar to each other, we must take into account which each one if we want to selectively choose. In this case, it is not so important to know how to differentiate between the Lactarius since they are all edible although they have different qualities. However, you will not have the problem of making a mistake when choosing a mushroom because they are poisonous.
El Lactarius semisanguifluus It is a species that is characterized because its hat turns green and exudes an orange latex that a few minutes later becomes a vinous red color both when cut and on the plates. On the other hand, the Lactarius sanguifluus has the latex of wine color directly to the cut. In addition, the hat is orange-ocher in color and the blades are reddish. These are some indications that serve to differentiate between these two species.
Another of the species of this genus with which we can confuse this fungus is el A lovely milkman. In this case we find a type of mushroom that has a bright orange cap and is not matte as it is in this mushroom. It also has a carrot-colored latex that does not turn reddish. If it is true that these species should not be confused with the toxic mushroom and Lactarius torminosus.
If we look at the color of the hat and the color of the latex as it exudes and dries it can be quite easy to differentiate these species from each other.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about the Lactarius semisanguifluus.