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General Information and Identification, Habitat and Ecology, Toxicity, Edibility and Preparation

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This is an easy genus of gilled mushrooms to recognize because they all exude a fluid, milky or clear, called a latex, when broken. The latex may be white or colored, and the color may change as the latex dries. This greatly facilities identification.

They're quite similar to the related Russulas, which have no latex, but share all of the other characteristics:

Milky caps all have white gills (which may discolor slightly with age) that attach to the stem (there's no space between the stem and the origin of the gills -- Amanitas, on the other hand, have free gills). The spore print is white to cream-colored.

There's never a ring or skirt around the stem.

These mushrooms are so brittle that they crumble when handled roughly.

Habitat and Ecology

All grow on the ground near trees, and each species prefers or grows exclusively with a particular species or group of tree species, which helps with identification if you know your trees. Milky caps exchange nutrients with the trees, so they're most common in summertime, when deciduous trees are most active (those that partner with evergreens have longer seasons).

This large group contains both delicious edible and poisonous (but non-fatal) species, so you must take care identifying the species.

Edibility and Preparation

The edible species may be mild and sweet or moderately strong-flavored, with a meaty texture. Almost any cooking method works, although I prefer sautéing them. Flavored with the same seasonings traditionally used with meat, they make excellent meat substitutes in vegetarian mock meat dishes.

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