# Lactarius pyrogalus

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{{Short description|Species of fungus}}
{{stack begin}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Lactarius pyrogalus.jpg
| genus = Lactarius
| species = pyrogalus
| authority = ([Bull.](/source/Jean_Baptiste_Fran%C3%A7ois_Pierre_Bulliard) ex [Fr.](/source/Elias_Magnus_Fries)) (1838)
| synonyms_ref = <ref name="urlMycoBank">{{cite web |title=''Lactarius pyrogalus'' (Bull.) Fr. 1838 |url=http://www.mycobank.org/MycoTaxo.aspx?Link=T&Rec=157078 |publisher=International Mycological Association |work=MycoBank |access-date=2011-06-06}}</ref>
| synonyms = 
''Agaricus pyrogalus'' <small>Bull. (1792)</small><br/>
''Agaricus lactifluus'' var. ''pyrogalus'' <small>(Bull.) Pers.</small><br/>
''Galorrheus pyrogalus'' <small>(Bull.) [P.Kumm.](/source/P.Kumm.) (1871)</small><br/>
''Lactifluus pyrogalus'' <small>(Bull.) [Kuntze](/source/Otto_Kuntze) (1891)</small>
}}
{{mycomorphbox
| name = ''Lactarius pyrogalus''
| whichGills = decurrent
| capShape = flat
| hymeniumType=gills
| stipeCharacter=bare
| ecologicalType=mycorrhizal
| sporePrintColor=ochre
| howEdible=inedible
}}
{{stack end}}

'''''Lactarius pyrogalus''''', commonly known as the  '''fire-milk lactarius''', is a species of inedible [mushroom](/source/mushroom) in genus ''[Lactarius](/source/Lactarius_(fungus))''. It is greyish and differentiated from other grey ''Lactarius'' by its widely spaced, yellow gills. It is found on the forest floor in mixed woodland, especially at the base of [hazel](/source/hazel) trees.

==Taxonomy==
''Lactarius pyrogalus'' was first described by French mycologist [Pierre Bulliard](/source/Jean_Baptiste_Fran%C3%A7ois_Pierre_Bulliard) as ''Agaricus pyrogalus'' in 1792, before being given its current binomial name by Swedish mycologist [Elias Magnus Fries](/source/Elias_Magnus_Fries) in 1838.

==Description==
''Lactarius pyrogalus'' has a cap {{convert|5|-|10|cm|in|round=0.5|abbr=on}} across which is grey fawn, sometimes with a yellowish tinge,<ref name="Phillips">
{{cite book |title= Mushrooms and Other Fungi of Great Britain and Europe|last= Phillips|first= Roger|year= 1981|publisher= [Pan Books](/source/Pan_Books)|location= London|isbn= 0-330-26441-9|page=85}}</ref> with pink and purple tinges not unknown.<ref name="Roody">{{cite book |title= Mushrooms of West Virginia and the Central Appalachians|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=5HGMPEiy4ykC&q=Lactarius+pyrogalus&pg=PA100|access-date= 2008-07-31|last= Roody|first= William C.|year= 2003|publisher= [University Press of Kentucky](/source/University_Press_of_Kentucky)|location= Kentucky|isbn= 978-0-8131-9039-6|page= 100}}</ref> It is flattened convex to flat, later becoming funnel shaped.<ref name="Phillips"/> The cap is sometimes faintly concentrically banded, it is thin fleshed and becomes sticky when moist,<ref name="Phillips"/> but is not shiny.<ref name="Pegler">{{cite book |title= Mushrooms and Toadstools|last= Pegler|first= David N.|year= 1983|publisher= Mitchell Beazley Publishing|location= London|isbn= 0-85533-500-9|page= 78}}</ref> The stem is between 4 and 6&nbsp;cm, and between 7 and 15&nbsp;mm thick, generally cylindrical but sometimes slightly swollen at the base.<ref name="Phillips"/> The stem is whitish or concolorous with the cap, with whitish flesh.<ref name="Phillips"/> It has slightly [decurrent](/source/lamella_(mycology)) gills, which are yellow to flesh coloured, though later become a cinnamon-ochre colour.<ref name="Phillips"/> The well-spaced, yellow gills differentiate it from other greyish ''[Lactarius](/source/Lactarius_(fungus))'' species.<ref name="Pegler"/>

thumb|left|An underside view of ''L.&nbsp;pyrogalus'' showing the widely spaced gills exuding drops of white latex.

===Spores===
''Lactarius pyrogalus'' produces a light ochre [spore print](/source/spore_print); the spores are broadly elliptic, with warts generally joined by a moderately thick ridges in a well-developed network.<ref name="Phillips"/> The spores are 7&ndash;8 by 5.5&ndash;7&nbsp;[μm](/source/micrometre) in size.<ref name="Phillips"/><ref name="Pegler"/> The spores are [amyloid](/source/amyloid), meaning they stain dark blue in [Melzer's reagent](/source/Melzer's_reagent), and feature an incomplete net.<ref name="Pegler"/>

==Distribution==
''Lactarius pyrogalus'' is fairly common<ref name="Pegler"/> and is generally found at the base of [hazel](/source/hazel) trees alone or in scattered groups.<ref>{{cite book|title= The Encyclopedia of Fungi of Britain and Europe|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=ULhwByKCyEwC&q=Lactarius+pyrogalus&pg=PA306|access-date= 2008-07-31|last= Jordan|first= Michael|year= 2004|publisher= [Frances Lincoln](/source/Frances_Lincoln)|location= London|isbn= 978-0-7112-2378-3|page= 306}}{{Dead link|date=June 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> It is particularly common in hazel woodland managed for [coppice](/source/coppice).<ref>{{cite book |title= Complete British Wildlife|last= Sterry|first= Paul|year= 1997|publisher= [HarperCollins](/source/HarperCollins)|isbn= 978-0-583-33638-3|page= 352}}</ref> It can also be found elsewhere on the ground in mixed woodland.<ref name="Pegler"/> It is found in the autumn months of August, September and October.<ref name="Phillips"/><ref name="Pegler"/>

==Edibility==
''Lactarius pyrogalus'' has a very hot, acrid taste and is acidic.<ref name="Phillips"/> It is due to this taste that it received both its English name, fire-milk lactarius, and its scientific name, with "pyrogalus" translating as "fire milk".<ref name="Roody"/> Despite not being poisonous,<ref name="Pegler"/> it is not regarded as edible and should be avoided.<ref name="Phillips"/><ref name="Pegler"/> This is unlike its relative, the saffron milk-cap (''[L. deliciosus](/source/Lactarius_deliciosus)''), which is regarded as a choice mushroom.<ref>Phillips, 80.</ref>

==See also==
*[List of ''Lactarius'' species](/source/List_of_Lactarius_species)

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q1784373}}

pyrogalus
Category:Inedible fungi
Category:Fungi described in 1792
Category:Fungi of Europe
Category:Fungus species

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Lactarius pyrogalus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lactarius_pyrogalus) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lactarius_pyrogalus?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.