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Woolly milkcap Lactarius torminosus
poisonous
A stronger pink, with stubble on the cap; also poisonous raw.
View on the mapIdentification in 5 steps
The bearded milkcap is a pale pink milk cap with a felty cap margin and acrid, white milk. Eaten raw it is poisonous, and even cooked it stays inedible.
SeasonJuly to October
Spore printcream
FamilyRussulaceae
- Cap. The cap is 4 to 10 cm wide, pale pink to pink, felty at the margin.
- Underside. The gills are pale pink and close together.
- Stem, ring and volva. The stem is pale and felty, with no ring and no volva.
- Smell and taste. The milk is acrid and white. Never taste it.
- Flesh and colour change. The flesh is pale and does not change colour.
Lookalikes
A pale pink milk cap with acrid milk; poisonous raw and easily mistaken for the woolly milkcap.
Delicious milk cap Lactarius deliciosus
edible
Orange, orange milk, edible.
View on the mapFalse saffron milkcap Lactarius deterrimus
edible
Orange with greenish stains, edible.
View on the mapSide by side
| Bearded milkcap | Woolly milkcap | Delicious milk cap | False saffron milkcap | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cap | pale pink, 4 to 10 cm | strong pink | orange | orange, greenish |
| Underside | pale pink gills | pink gills | orange gills | orange gills |
| Stem | pale, felty | felty | orange stem | orange |
| Flesh | milk white, acrid | milk white, acrid | milk orange | milk orange, turns green |
| Edibility | Poisonous | poisonous | edible | edible |
Habitat & Season
Acidic, sandy soils. Lowlands to low mountain ranges.
Host trees
Birch.
Season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
possible good main season
Autumn under birch.
Mushroom regions with a daily forecast
There are no records per region for this species yet. The country pages lead to all regions with a daily forecast.
Safety
Never eat a mushroom you have not identified with certainty. Poisonous mushroom: do not eat it. If you suspect someone has eaten it, call the emergency number and the poison centre immediately.
Advice for your country
Ireland
Poison centre:
National Poisons Information Centre (public line)(01) 809 2166
Emergency: 112 · 999
Germany
Poison centre:
Emergency: 112
Mushroom advice: DGfM: find a mushroom expert. Certified mushroom experts of the German Mycological Society (DGfM).
Collecting rules: Mushrooms that are not specially protected may be collected in small quantities for personal use unless a protected area or ban applies. Certain specially protected edible species (e.g. cep, chanterelle, birch bolete) may be collected in small quantities for personal use.
Austria
Poison centre:
Vergiftungsinformationszentrale (VIZ)01 406 43 43
Emergency: 112 · 144
Mushroom advice: Austrian Mycological Society (ÖMG): mushroom advice. Mushroom advice by the Austrian Mycological Society or regional services such as municipal market offices.
Collecting rules: At most 2 kg of mushrooms per person per day unless the forest owner has prohibited collecting; organised collecting events are prohibited. Additional state rules apply (collecting hours, closed seasons), e.g. Carinthia, Tyrol, Vorarlberg, Salzburg.
Conservation and collecting rules
Not specially protected.
Salzburg: Collecting poisonous mushrooms is banned, except single specimens for identification.
Poisoning
ToxinAcrid-tasting lactones and irritants in the milk.
SyndromeGastrointestinal syndrome.
SymptomsNausea, vomiting, stomach cramps and diarrhoea, sometimes dizziness.
OnsetUsually within a few hours of the meal.
What to do now: This is an emergency, even if there are no symptoms yet. Go to a hospital immediately or call 999 / 112 and the poison centre (NHS 111, England). Do not wait to see whether symptoms appear, and do not be misled by an apparent improvement. Do not induce vomiting. Keep leftover mushrooms, cleaning scraps and vomit, and tell everyone who shared the meal.
Frequently asked questions
Can the bearded milkcap be cooked?
No, it stays inedible and poisonous.
How does it differ from the woolly milkcap?
The woolly milkcap is a stronger pink with coarser stubble; both are poisonous.
What should I do if I have eaten it?
Call the emergency number and the poison centre if you have symptoms.
Related species
- Woolly milkcap Lactarius torminosus
- Delicious milk cap Lactarius deliciosus
- False saffron milkcap Lactarius deterrimus
- Salmon milkcap Lactarius salmonicolor
- Fleecy milk-cap Lactarius vellereus
- Curry milkcap Lactarius camphoratus
Sources
Photo credits
- Photo: Holger Krisp · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Woolly milkcap: Photo: Strobilomyces · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Delicious milk cap: Photo: Borch3kawki at Polish Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- False saffron milkcap: Photo: Hagen Graebner, edited by Ak ccm (talk) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
No substitute for having your finds checked in person. No guarantee of accuracy. Updated: 17.10.2026.