Қызыл қалпақша саңырауы (Qyzyl qalpaqsha sañğrawy)

Species of fungus

Lactarius deliciosus, commonly known as the delicious milk cap, saffron milk cap and red pine mushroom, is one of the best known members of the large milk cap genus Lactarius in the order Russulales. It is native to Europe, but has been accidentally introduced to other countries along with pine trees, with which the fungus is symbiotic.

The species was known to Carl Linnaeus, who officially described it in the second volume of his Species Plantarum in 1753, giving it the name Agaricus deliciosus. When fresh, it exudes an orange red latex that does not change color. The mushroom is similar to L. rubrilacteus, which stains blue, exudes a red latex, and is also edible. It also resembles L. olympianus, which has white latex and tastes unpleasant. It is native to the southern Pyrenees where it grows under Mediterranean pines, as well as throughout the Mediterranean basin in Portugal, Bulgaria, Spain, Greece, Italy, Cyprus, France and elsewhere. Both this fungus and L. deterrimus are collected and sold in the İzmir Province of southwestern Turkey, and the Antalya Province of the south coast. After analysing DNA from collections around the world, mycologists Jorinde Nuytinck, Annemieke Verbeken, and Steve Miller have concluded that L. deliciosus is a distinct European species that differs genetically, morphologically, and ecologically from populations in North America or Central America. but may taste mild or bitter; High consumption of the species may cause urine to discolor to orange or red. At least one field guide holds Lactarius rubrilacteus in higher esteem.