Lactarius luridus (Pers.) Gray, syn.: Lactarius acris var. luridus (Pers.) Bataille, Lactarius uvidus var. luridus (Pers.), Lactifluus luridus (Pers.) Kuntze, Lactarius violascens (Otto) Fries ss. Dhncke, Lactarius uvidus var. violascens ss Konr.&Maubl.EN: Lurid Milckcap, DE: Fahler MilchlingSlo.: vrsta mleniceDat.: Sept. 14. 2014Lat.: 46.35999 Long.: 13.70078Code: Bot_837/2014_DSC4254Habitat: mixed wood, Fagus sylvatica and Picea abies dominant trees; growing under Fagus; southeast oriented, moderately inclined mountain slope; shallow, skeletal soil layer; overgrown calcareous, colluvial sand, stone and scattered rocks; relatively dry and warm place; in shade; partly protected from direct rain by tree canopies; average precipitations ~ 3.000 mm/year, average temperature 7-9 deg C, elevation 620 m (2.030 feet), alpine phytogeographical region.Substratum: soil.Place: Lower Trenta valley, right bank of river Soa, between villages Soa and Trenta, between 'Na Melu', Trenta 2b and abandoned farm house 'Strgulc', Soa 47, East Julian Alps, Posoje, Slovenia EC.Comments: Taxonomical history of Lactarius luridus is very complicated (Ref.2. see Systematik). Species names luridus, uvidus, acris, violascens have been used differently by different authors. I rely on Basso (1999) Ref.3 and IF. She keeps in the section Uvidi (having violet milk) six species. The fungi photographed correspond the closest to the description of Lactarius luridus although the description of its hut doesn't fit very well. Hut of Lactarius luridus is according to most sources 'more or less' zonate, while the mushrooms found were not. Exceptionally, the picture published in Breitenbach (2005) Ref.6. shows two pilei, which are also not zonate. Other options of determination seem less appropriate: L. violascens is distinctly, dark zonate and has narrower spores, L. cistophilus is a Mediterranean species, L. pseudouvidus and L. robertianus are Arctic Alpine elevations species. Although L. uvidus has azonate pileus like this find, it grows under Betula, Salix, and sometimes under Picea abies, has narrower spores (but not according to Ref.4) and prefers moist habitats. Hence Lactarius luridus seems the best option for this find.Two pilei were found about 20 m apart in the same habitat; pilei 6-7 cm in diameter; cutis viscid; stipe dry, 5 cm tall and 1.3 cm in diameter, hollow; gills bruise gray-violet when cut or damaged; milk whitish-pale-yellow, with time and in contact with gills becoming pale violet; taste of milk, trama and gills mild, after some time somewhat bitter and slightly burning; trama when cut slowly darkens gray-violet; smell indistinctive; SP whitish-beige, oac857.Spores show scattered large warts and ridges. Dimensions:8.7 [9.8;10.3] 11.4 x 7.4 [8.2;8.5] 9.3 microns; Q = 1.1 [1.2] 1.3; N = 32; C = 95%; Me = 10 x 8.4 microns; Qe = 1.2. Olympus CH20, NEA 100x/1.25, magnification 1.000 x, oil, in water, fresh material. AmScope MA500 digital camera.Ref.:(1) Personal communication with Mr. Bojan Rot,
www.gobenabovskem.si (2)
de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fahler_Milchling (accessed Sept.7. 2018) (3) M. T. Basso, Lactarius Pers, Fungi Europaei, Mycoflora (1999), p194. (4) G.J.Krieglsteiner (Hrsg.), Die Grosspilze Bade-Wrttembergs, Band 2., Ulmer (2000), p 365.(5) R.M. Daehncke, 1200 Pilze in Farbfotos, AT Verlag (2009), p 956. (6) (x) J. Breitenbach, F. Kraenzlin, Eds., Fungi of Switzerland, Vol.6. Verlag Mykologia (2005), p 78.
