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Salmon milkcap (Lactarius salmonicolor), whole fruiting body
Lactarius_salmonicolor.jpg: Eric Steine… · CC BY-SA 3.0
Inedible

Salmon milkcap

Lactarius salmonicolor · Russulaceae

The salmon milkcap (Lactarius salmonicolor) is a milkcap with a salmon-orange cap and orange milk that grows only under fir.

Last updated: Prepared by the Poros Mantar editorial team6 sources checkedReport a correction

FamilyRussulaceae
SeasonJun, Aug–Nov
Spore printPale pinkish cream
Cap width4–12 cm
Stem length3–6 cm
Records in Turkey2 records
CultivationWild only
StatusInedible

The salmon milkcap (Lactarius salmonicolor) is a milkcap with a salmon-orange cap and orange milk that grows only under fir. It is a close relative of the saffron milk cap but, unlike it, hardly ever turns green. Some sources list it as edible, but this is debated, and since the saffron milk cap group is easily confused with poisonous milkcaps, our advice is not to eat it.

Also called: salmon milk cap Turkish: Köknar kanlıca mantarı

Salmon milkcap (Lactarius salmonicolor), whole fruiting body

How to recognise it

Salmon milkcap, part by part

No ring or volva Spore print: Pale pinkish cream Faintly fruity; taste mild, then bitterish.

Salmon milkcap (Lactarius salmonicolor), cap seen from above
Cap4–12 cm, convex becoming centrally depressed; salmon-orange with faint zoning; little or no green staining; sticky when wet.
Salmon milkcap (Lactarius salmonicolor), gills under the cap, seen from below
GillsCrowded, pale orange gills, slightly decurrent.
Salmon milkcap (Lactarius salmonicolor), stem and stem base
Stem3–6 cm, orange, sometimes with faint pits; becoming hollow.

When and where

Jun, Aug–Nov

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Junin season
  7. Jul
  8. Augin season
  9. Sepin season
  10. Octin season
  11. Novin season
  12. Dec

The salmon milkcap fruits from late summer to November in Europe. Our Turkish map records are from June (Ankara) and October (Bolu).

Type Inedible

Months seen JuneAugustSeptemberOctoberNovember

Colour OrangePink

Regions Black Sea RegionCentral Anatolia RegionAnkaraBolu

Where do salmon milkcaps grow?

Only under fir (Abies), often on calcareous or neutral soil, forming mycorrhizae with the tree. In Turkey it is expected in Turkish fir and Taurus fir forests.

Where is salmon milkcaps found in Turkey?

Our map data (GBIF and iNaturalist) holds 2 Turkish records: Ankara (June) and Bolu (October). iNaturalist lists 14 research-grade observations from Turkey, under the Turkish name Köknar Kanlıca Mantarı (fir saffron milk cap). It has also been published from the Kastamonu area (Ünal and Karadeniz, 2020, Ağaç ve Orman).

Which months

  1. Jan0
  2. Feb0
  3. Mar0
  4. Apr0
  5. May0
  6. Jun1
  7. Jul0
  8. Aug0
  9. Sep0
  10. Oct1
  11. Nov0
  12. Dec0

2 provinces, 2 observations (GBIF, iNaturalist); months from observation dates. Record density also reflects where observers work.

Latest salmon milkcap observations

On "illustrative" cards the image is a photo of the species; the observation photo cannot be shown here because of its licence, but can be seen at the source.

Salmon milkcap (Lactarius salmonicolor), in its natural habitat
In its habitat

Look-alikes

What could it be confused with?

Salmon milkcap can be mistaken for the species below. Each card shows the look-alike and how it differs from Salmon milkcap.

Salmon milkcap (Lactarius salmonicolor), whole fruiting body
This species Salmon milkcap
Saffron milk cap (Lactarius deliciosus), whole fruiting body Edible species

not Salmon milkcap

Saffron milk cap Lactarius deliciosus

The saffron milk cap grows under pine, is carrot-orange and stains clearly green. The salmon milkcap is found only under fir and hardly greens at all.

False saffron milkcap (Lactarius deterrimus), whole fruiting body Inedible

not Salmon milkcap

False saffron milkcap Lactarius deterrimus

Grows under spruce and pine, greens quickly and extensively, and its milk turns wine-red within minutes.

Bloody milk cap (Lactarius sanguifluus), whole fruiting body Edible species

not Salmon milkcap

Bloody milk cap Lactarius sanguifluus

The bloody milk cap has blood-red to purple milk from the start and grows under pine.

Woolly milkcap (Lactarius torminosus) Poisonous

not Salmon milkcap

Woolly milkcap Lactarius torminosus

Pinkish with a woolly margin, grows with birch, and has white, acrid milk.

Bearded milkcap (Lactarius pubescens) Poisonous

not Salmon milkcap

Bearded milkcap Lactarius pubescens

Pale pinkish cream with a hairy margin, under birch; white, very acrid milk.

Fiery milkcap (Lactarius pyrogalus), whole fruiting body Inedible

not Salmon milkcap

Fiery milkcap Lactarius pyrogalus

Greyish brown, grows under hazel and hornbeam, with burning-hot white milk.

Some sources list the salmon milkcap as edible, others call it poor; the saffron milk cap group is often confused with poisonous milkcaps, and in Turkey such mix-ups have caused poisonings. Our advice is not to eat it. If poisoning is suspected, call poison control and keep any leftover mushroom.

Frequently asked questions

Is the salmon milkcap edible?

Our advice is not to eat it. Some sources list it as edible, but this is debated and it can be confused with poisonous milkcaps.

How does it differ from the saffron milk cap?

It grows only under fir, is salmon-orange and hardly ever turns green. The saffron milk cap grows under pine and greens clearly.

Is it poisonous?

It is not considered poisonous. The real risk is confusing it with white-milked, acrid poisonous Lactarius species.

Which tree does it grow under?

Only under fir, with which it forms a mycorrhizal partnership.

When does it appear?

From late summer to November in Europe; our Turkish records are from June and October.

What colour is its milk?

Orange; it may redden slightly over time but does not turn green.

Where does the Turkish name come from?

Köknar kanlıca mantarı is the Turkish name iNaturalist gives this species; it points to its tie to fir (köknar).

Where is it found in Turkey?

Our map data holds 2 records from Ankara and Bolu, and it has been published from Kastamonu. iNaturalist has 14 research-grade observations.

When is salmon milkcap season in Turkey?

In our calendar, salmon milkcap season runs Jun, Aug–Nov. The salmon milkcap fruits from late summer to November in Europe. Our Turkish map records are from June (Ankara) and October (Bolu).

Where do salmon milkcaps grow?

Only under fir (Abies), often on calcareous or neutral soil, forming mycorrhizae with the tree. In Turkey it is expected in Turkish fir and Taurus fir forests.

Where are salmon milkcaps found in Turkey?

Our map data (GBIF and iNaturalist) holds 2 Turkish records: Ankara (June) and Bolu (October). iNaturalist lists 14 research-grade observations from Turkey, under the Turkish name Köknar Kanlıca Mantarı (fir saffron milk cap). It has also been published from the Kastamonu area (Ünal and Karadeniz, 2020, Ağaç ve Orman).

What can the salmon milkcap be confused with?

The salmon milkcap can be confused with saffron milk cap (Lactarius deliciosus, edible species), false saffron milkcap (Lactarius deterrimus, inedible), bloody milk cap (Lactarius sanguifluus, edible species), woolly milkcap (Lactarius torminosus, poisonous), bearded milkcap (Lactarius pubescens, poisonous) and fiery milkcap (Lactarius pyrogalus, inedible). Look-alikes are compared on this page.

What is the salmon milkcap called in Turkish?

In Turkish, the salmon milkcap (Lactarius salmonicolor) is called Köknar kanlıca mantarı.

Related species

All species → · Identify by photo →

Sources

  1. Mumcu Küçüker ve Başkent (2015), Mycorrhiza: Lactarius deliciosus ve L. salmonicolor yayılış modeli pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  2. Ünal ve Karadeniz (2020), Ağaç ve Orman dergisi 1(2): Kastamonu yöresinde tespit edilen Lactarius türleri dergipark.org.tr
  3. Wikipedia (EN): Lactarius salmonicolor en.wikipedia.org
All sources (6)
  1. First Nature: Lactarius salmonicolor, Salmon Milkcap first-nature.com
  2. iNaturalist: Lactarius salmonicolor (Türkçe ad ve Türkiye gözlemleri) inaturalist.org
  3. GBIF: Türkiye kayıtları gbif.org
Photo credits (8)