Content
Blue milkweed, in Latin Lactarius indigo, is a type of edible mushroom belonging to the genus Lactaceae, from the Russula family. It is unique for its color. Indigo color is not often found among representatives of the taxon, and such a rich color is very rare for edible mushrooms. The species is not found in the countries of the former Soviet Union.
Despite its exotic appearance, the mushroom is edible
Description of the blue milky
The mushroom got its name due to the color of the fruiting body, bright, juicy, only changing shade with age and becoming a little duller. To Russians who are not too experienced in mycology, photos of the Blue Milky Way may seem retouched. But there is no need to do this - the legs, caps and milky juice really have the color of classic jeans.
Description of the cap
The cap is round, lamellar, with a characteristic shape for milk mushrooms. It has a diameter of 5 to 15 cm; clear concentric circles of saturated and blurry blue color are clearly visible on the surface. Along the edge there are spots of the same color.
The young cap is sticky and convex, with downturned edges, and indigo color.With age, it becomes dry, funnel-shaped, less often - flat with a depression and a slightly drooping outer part. The color acquires a silvery tint and turns gray before decay.
The plates are located close to each other. The method of attachment of the hymenophore to the stalk is classified as descending or descending. Young mushrooms have blue plates, then they become lighter. Their color is always richer and darker than that of other parts of the fruiting body.
The pulp and acrid milky juice are blue. When damaged, the fruiting body of the fungus gradually oxidizes and turns green. The aroma is neutral. The spores are yellow.
The edges of the caps are curved downwards, and the plates are of a particularly rich indigo color.
Description of the leg
The thick cylindrical leg reaches a maximum height of 6 cm with a diameter of 1 to 2.5 cm. When young it is sticky, then becomes dry. The color of the leg is the same as that of the cap, but it is covered not with concentric circles, but with specks.
Concentric circles are clearly visible on the cap, and dots on the stem
Types of blue lacticians
The blue milky is a species; it cannot include taxa of its rank. But it has a variety, Lactarius indigo var. Diminutivus. It differs from the original form in its smaller size.
Hat var. Diminutivus reaches 3-7 cm in diameter, the stalk is 3-10 mm. Otherwise, the mushroom is no different from the original.
The variety differs from the original species only in size
Where and how do Blue Milktails grow?
The mushroom does not grow in Russia. Its range extends to the Central, southern and eastern parts of North America, China, and India. In Europe, the species can only be found in the south of France.
Blue milkweed grows singly or in groups and forms mycorrhiza in coniferous and deciduous forests. Prefers edges and damp, but not excessively, places. The lifespan of the mushroom is 10-15 days.After this, it begins to rot and becomes unsuitable for collection.
The species grows in Virginia (USA).
Are blue milkweeds edible or not?
Photos of the Blue Milky mushroom make many lovers of quiet hunting think that it is poisonous. It is their hats that are usually painted in such bright colors. Meanwhile, the mushroom is edible, even without the prefix “conditionally”.
Cooking usually (but not necessarily) involves pre-soaking the fruit body to remove the milky juice and accompanying bitterness. Mushrooms are placed in salted water for several days, the liquid is often changed.
Before cooking or salting, it is recommended to boil them for 15 minutes. If the mushroom is not used in preparations, with insufficient heat treatment it can cause gastrointestinal disorders in people who are not accustomed to such dishes.
Doubles and their differences
It is unlikely that many Russians will ever have to collect Blue Milk mushrooms, but knowing the differences between this mushroom and similar ones will be useful. Although among the representatives of the genus only Lactarius indigo has a truly blue color, so it is difficult to confuse it with other species. Among similar ones:
- Lactarius chelidonium – an edible species, usually growing under coniferous trees. The bluish cap has a gray or yellow tint, more pronounced along the edge and on the stem. Milky juice from yellow to brown.
Turns green with age
- Lactarius paradoxus grows in eastern North America in coniferous and deciduous forests.
The milky juice is blue, the plates are brown with a purple or red tint
- Lactarius quieticolor, or The saffron milk cap is dim, edible, grows in coniferous forests of Europe.
On the fault the cap is blue, its surface is orange with an indigo tint
Conclusion
Blue milky is an edible mushroom with an exotic appearance. It is difficult to confuse it with others; it is indeed indigo-colored. Unfortunately, Russian lovers of quiet hunting can only get to know it better abroad.
