''Lactarius helvus'', commonly known as fenugreek milkcap, is a member of the large milkcap genus ''
Lactarius
''Lactarius'' is a genus of mushroom-producing, ectomycorrhizal fungi, containing several edible species. The species of the genus, commonly known as milk-caps, are characterized by the milky fluid ("latex") they exude when cut or damaged. Like ...
'' in the order
Russulales
The Russulales are an order of the Agaricomycetes, (which include the agaric genera ''Russula'' and '' Lactarius'' and their polyporoid and corticioid relatives). According to the ''Dictionary of the Fungi'' (10th edition, 2008), the order con ...
. Fruiting bodies can be found in ''
Sphagnum'' moss in coniferous and deciduous woodland in Europe, and possibly North America, although considerable debate continues about the North American variety, formerly referred to as ''Lactarius aquifluus''. Mushrooms are pale brown-grey or beige in colour and funnel-shaped, with colourless, watery milk. Its distinctive smell has been likened to
fenugreek
Fenugreek (; ''Trigonella foenum-graecum'') is an annual plant in the family Fabaceae, with leaves consisting of three small obovate to oblong leaflets. It is cultivated worldwide as a semiarid crop. Its seeds and leaves are common ingredients ...
,
celery
Celery (''Apium graveolens'') is a marshland plant in the family Apiaceae that has been cultivated as a vegetable since antiquity. Celery has a long fibrous stalk tapering into leaves. Depending on location and cultivar, either its stalks, lea ...
,
liquorice
Liquorice (British English) or licorice (American English) ( ; also ) is the common name of ''Glycyrrhiza glabra'', a flowering plant of the bean family Fabaceae, from the root of which a sweet, aromatic flavouring can be extracted.
The liqu ...
, or
Maggi
Maggi ( or ) is an international brand of seasonings, instant soups, and noodles that originated in Switzerland in the late 19th century. The Maggi company was acquired by Nestlé in 1947.
History
Early history
Julius Maggi (1846–1912) ...
instant soup. Mildly toxic when raw, it has been implicated in the poisoning of 418 people near
Leipzig
Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as wel ...
in October 1949. However, it is used in small quantities as a spice when dried.
Sotolon
Sotolon (also known as sotolone) is a lactone and an extremely powerful aroma compound, with the typical smell of fenugreek or curry at high concentrations and maple syrup, caramel, or burnt sugar at lower concentrations. Sotolon is the major arom ...
, the agent that gives the fungus its odour, also occurs in fenugreek,
maple syrup
Maple syrup is a syrup made from the sap of maple trees. In cold climates, these trees store starch in their trunks and roots before winter; the starch is then converted to sugar that rises in the sap in late winter and early spring. Maple tree ...
and
lovage
Lovage (), ''Levisticum officinale'', is a tall perennial plant, the sole species in the genus ''Levisticum'' in the family Apiaceae, subfamily Apioideae. It has been long cultivated in Europe, the leaves being used as a herb, the roots as a veg ...
.
The possible North American variety has a more salmon to pink color with scant watery milk and a strong smell of maple syrup or caramel. In Quebec it is known as the maple milky cap (Lactaire à odeur d'érable), and is fairly commonly eaten cooked and also sold as a dried powder and used as a spice, much in the same way that the
candy cap mushroom is used on the west coast. Thus far, there have been no reported cases of illness from this variety in North America. Some confusion with the species Lactarius quietus var incanus is possible due to the similar smell. Lactarius quietus var incus, however, has a darker and more red appearance and when young, its milk is opaque and white, as opposed to the clear milk in Lactarius helvus. Furthermore, the possible North American variety of Lactarius helvus is restricted in distribution to the great lakes and north east, while lactarius quietus var incanus is commonly found much further south.
Taxonomy
It was initially described by
Elias Magnus Fries
Elias Magnus Fries (15 August 1794 – 8 February 1878) was a Swedish mycologist and botanist.
Career
Fries was born at Femsjö (Hylte Municipality), Småland, the son of the pastor there. He attended school in Växjö.
He acquired ...
in 1821 as ''Agaricus helvus'', before he placed it in the genus ''Lactarius'' in 1838. Peck's ''Lactarius aquifluus'' has been deemed a synonym. The specific epithet ''helvus'' is derived from the
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
for 'honey-yellow'. Its name in
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
is ''Maggipilz''. S
Description
The velvety
cap is initially slightly convex (planoconvex), becoming funnel-shaped (infundibuliform) as it matures; it is 4–15 cm (1½–4 in) in diameter and has a faint