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    Woolly milkcap

    Lactarius torminosus (Schaeff.) Pers. · Russulaceae

    Also: Bearded milkcap

    ☠ Poisonous

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    Identification in 5 steps

    Woolly milkcap
    Photo: Strobilomyces · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

    The woolly milkcap is a pink-zoned milkcap with a strongly inrolled, shaggy-felty margin. It grows under birches and has white, acrid milk.

    SeasonAugust to October
    Spore printcream
    FamilyRussulaceae
    1. Cap. The cap is 4 to 12 cm wide, yellowish pink with darker zones and a strongly inrolled, shaggy margin.
    2. Underside. The gills are cream to pink.
    3. Stem, ring and volva. The stem is pale pink, soon hollow, often with pitted spots. There is no ring or volva.
    4. Smell and taste. It tastes acrid; spit out a taste sample immediately.
    5. Flesh and colour change. The milk is white, unchanging and acrid.

    Lookalikes

    Causes vomiting and diarrhoea; the white milk reliably separates it from true saffron milkcaps.

    Habitat & Season

    Various soils. From the lowlands up into the hills and mountains.

    Host trees

    Birch.

    Season

    possible good main season

    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.

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    Safety

    Never eat a mushroom you have not identified with certainty. Poisonous mushroom: do not eat. If you suspect anyone has eaten it, call the poison emergency service immediately.

    Advice for your country

    United Kingdom

    Poison centre:

    NHS 111 (England)111

    Emergency: 999 · 112

    Ireland

    Poison centre:

    National Poisons Information Centre (public line)(01) 809 2166

    Emergency: 112 · 999

    Germany

    Poison centre:

    Giftnotruf Berlin030 19240Giftinformationszentrum München089 19240GIZ-Nord Göttingen0551 19240

    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.

    Red List Germany: Least concern

    Poisoning

    ToxinAcrid compounds.
    SyndromeGastrointestinal syndrome.
    SymptomsNausea, vomiting, diarrhoea.
    Onset30 minutes to 3 hours.
    What to do now: Call the poison centre immediately (NHS 111, England) and, in case of severe symptoms, the emergency number 999 / 112. Do not induce vomiting and do not give milk or salt water. Keep leftover mushrooms, trimmings and vomit for identification, and inform everyone who ate with you, because they should also be examined.

    Frequently asked questions

    Woolly milkcap: is it edible?

    No, it is poisonous. Causes vomiting and diarrhoea; the white milk reliably separates it from true saffron milkcaps. If you suspect poisoning, call the poison centre immediately (numbers for your country below).

    Woolly milkcap: when and where does it grow?

    In central Europe the season runs from August to October. Tree partners and habitat: Birch. Soil: Various soils. Elevation: From the lowlands up into the hills and mountains.

    Woolly milkcap: what are the lookalikes?

    The most important distinction is from Downy milkcap (Lactarius pubescens, poisonous): It is paler and also poisonous. Other lookalikes: Saffron milkcap.

    Related species

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    Sources

    Photo credits

    No substitute for having your finds checked in person. No guarantee of accuracy. Updated: 17.10.2026.

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