Rufous milkcap Lactarius rufus
inedible
_Figure_24.jpg){kind=link}
It is larger and tastes very hot.
View on the mapIdentification in 5 steps
The mild milkcap is a small, reddish-brown milk cap with mild milk and a mealy smell. It is considered inedible and is often mistaken for edible pinkgills.
SeasonJuly to November
Spore printcream white
FamilyRussulaceae
- Cap. The cap is 2 to 6 cm wide, reddish brown, glossy when damp and often with a dark centre.
- Underside. The gills are cream to pink, broad and run down the stem.
- Stem, ring and volva. The stem is slender and the same colour; there is no ring and no volva.
- Smell and taste. It smells mild, mealy to sweetish, and the milk is mild.
- Flesh and colour change. The flesh is pale and breaks pale pink.
Lookalikes
It smells mild, but is inedible because of its low culinary value and the risk of confusion.
Curry milkcap Lactarius camphoratus
edible with restrictions
Fresh it smells of bugs, dried of Maggi seasoning or camphor, and its spore print is cream-coloured. The mild milkcap, by contrast, has a smooth cap and does not smell of Maggi seasoning.
View on the mapSide by side
| Mild milkcap | Rufous milkcap | Curry milkcap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cap | 2 to 6 cm wide, reddish brown | 3 to 10 cm, reddish brown, matt, often bumped | 2 to 5 cm, reddish brown to dark chestnut brown |
| Underside | gills cream to pink, broad, run down the stem | gills cream to rust-coloured, decurrent | gills cinnamon brown |
| Stem | slender, same colour | cap-coloured, hollow with age | cap-coloured, thin |
| Flesh | pale, breaks pale pink | pale reddish, milk white | thin, brittle, milk watery white |
| Edibility | Inedible | inedible | edible with restrictions |
Habitat & Season
Fresh deciduous woods. From the lowlands to the hills and mountains.
Host trees
Beech, oak, hazel.
Season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
possible good main season
Under beech and oak.
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. Not an edible mushroom: do not collect it for the kitchen.
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.
Why it is not edible
Low culinary value, risk of confusion with pinkgills.
Do not collect for the kitchen.
Frequently asked questions
Is the mild milkcap edible?
No, the mild milkcap is not edible. It smells mild, but it has little culinary value and is easily confused with pinkgills.
When and where does the mild milkcap grow?
The mild milkcap grows from July to November in fresh deciduous woods, especially under beech, oak and hazel.
Which look-alikes can the mild milkcap be mistaken for?
It can be mistaken for the curry milkcap and the rufous milkcap. The curry milkcap smells of bugs when fresh and of Maggi seasoning or camphor when dried, and its spore print is cream-coloured, whereas the mild milkcap has a smooth cap and does not smell of Maggi seasoning. The rufous milkcap is larger and tastes very hot.
How do you recognise the mild milkcap?
The spore print is cream white. The cap is 2 to 6 cm wide, reddish brown, glossy when damp and often with a dark centre.
Related species
- Fleecy milk-cap Lactarius vellereus
- Delicious milk cap Lactarius deliciosus
- False saffron milkcap Lactarius deterrimus
- Salmon milkcap Lactarius salmonicolor
- Curry milkcap Lactarius camphoratus
- Woolly milkcap Lactarius torminosus
Sources
Photo credits
- Photo: User:Strobilomyces · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Rufous milkcap: Photo: (Photo by E. Barge) Barge EG, Cripps CL (2016) New reports, … · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Curry milkcap: Photo: Irene Andersson (Mushroom Observer) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
No substitute for having your finds checked in person. No guarantee of accuracy. Updated: 17.10.2026.