Candy cap

looks very much like a number of other orange Lactarius, but if dried is unmistakable... strong, strong smell of maple syrup. Personally, I think they also feel different - the cap is subtly rough almost like a cat's tongue, which does not appear to be true of other species. Very common in this park.

comments (3)

Christine Young

Lion

How cool that it smells like maple syrup! Posted 3 years ago
1. morpheme
  
  Lion
  
  These are pretty wild - the chemical compound that's in them... it's actually the same as the one in fake maple flavor.. You can cook with them. I tried it once - used some dried candy caps in shortbread cookies. I can't say I was overly impressed, but it's fun to be able to ID them and if you stick one in your pocket, you'll smell like maple for years... Posted 3 years ago
2. 1. Christine Young
    
    Lion
    
    Haha, awesome! Posted 3 years ago

The Candy Cap

Lactarius rubidus is characterized by a rusty-brown, usually depressed cap, subdecurrent, pinkish buff gills that bleed a watery latex, and a smooth, brittle stipe colored like the cap. Fresh specimens have a faint, sweet odor, but when dried smell strongly of fenugreek and maple syrup, thus the common name "candy cap".

Info 3 0

Similar species: Russulales

Species identified by morpheme