Danny’s DNA Discoveries – Lactarius
by Danny Miller
Piperites clade - Purple staining Lactarius
Lactarius pallescens
This common conifer species, described from Idaho, is white and KOH will turn the flesh yellow. The stem is rather viscid.
Lactarius californiensis is a southern species with an off-white cap and a yellow KOH reaction, reported from Oregon, but collections are needed to determine what it really is.
Lactarius pallescens © Michael Beug
Lactarius montanus
This common conifer species, also described from Idaho, has a more greyish cap, sometimes with orange or lilac tints. KOH turns the cap green. DNA between BC and CO can differ by up to 6bp, so it's possible this is a species complex.
Lactarius cascadensis is said to be a lilac grey alder species that is large with tan coloured gills, but it has not been found in a long time and nothing is really known about it.
Lactarius montanus © A and O Ceska
Lactarius aspideoides
This rare east coast mixed forest species has a yellow cap.
Lactarius aspideus/pallidomarginatus
The very similar (but with a dryer stem) European L. aspideus has been reported from here and the almost genetically identical L. pallidomarginatus has been described from Colorado. We don't know which of these 3 species are present in the PNW (we have no local DNA), so more collections are needed to find out.
Lactarius aspideoides © R Lebeuf
L. representaneous
This rare, European conifer species is also yellow, but it is bearded with a scrobiculate stem. DNA has been found in WA so far, and it's reported from elsewhere in the PNW.
Lactarius representaneus © Ian Gibson