Woolly Milkcap

Characteristics: cap 4-10 cm wide, pinkish-orange, with darker concentric zonation, skin of cap moist somewhat sticky, margin long inrolled and shaggy, woolly; lamellae white to pale cream; stipe white or pale pink; milk invariably white; taste: highly pungent; spores finely black-ridged to partly reticulate, 8-10 x 6-8 µm.
Occurrence: August to October; under birch trees in forests and parks, on acid sandy and clay soils; relatively common.
Possible confusion: downy milk cap (below).
Inedible (pungent): contains pungent resins that cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea if eaten untreated. After deactivation by repeated soaking and boiling, it can be used for salting, ensiling or pickling in spiced vinegar.
Text from "BLV-Handbuch Pilze" by Ewald Gerhardt; with the kind permission of Gräfe und Unzer Verlag