Golden Milk Cap

Mushroom Observer ©2011 Noah Siegel

Abundant under oaks throughout coastal San Luis Obispo. This taxa is given the synonym L. insulsus (a European sp) in David Arora’s Mushroom Demystified.
The genus Lactarius is recognized by copious latex bleeding from cuts to the gills. This latex is best visible in young fresh specimens. The latex color, and color on drying is white and virtually unchanging in local collections of  L. alnicola. The cap takes on a flaring trumpet shape at maturity, and confusion with Cantherellus among the inexperienced has occurred.

This taxa was the most abundant fruiting species under oaks in San Luis Obispo open space in early December 2012.

A diagnostic field character is the blotchy yellow patches especially apparent on the stipe. They form an irregular mosaic pattern.

Mykoweb has a page for L. alnicola.  The wikipedia page for L. alnicola  describes a northwest conifer associated-form different in  a latex changing to yellow, cap edge ornamentation, and many other particulars. The Central California Live Oak associated form is highlighted at  the Mushroom Observer site.

Los Osos Oaks, 12/20/12

Dairy Creek, El Chorro Park