Western Lactarius

Lactarius luculentus

This western Lactarius grows under high-elevation conifers, and features an orange cap and stem. It is medium in size, and its white milk does not change color when exposed to air. The gills develop brownish stains, and the surface of the stem lacks potholes.
Western lactarius Fall,Geotagged,Lactarius luculentus,United States,Western Lactarius

Appearance

Cap: 2-6 cm; convex becoming flat or shallowly depressed, often with a central bump; dry or moist; smooth; bright orange, becoming duller orange with age; sometimes with a brownish center; consistently without concentric zones of color or texture.

Gills: Attached to the stem or beginning to run down it; close; whitish to orangish or pinkish; often developing brownish stains and discolorations.

Stem: 2-6 cm long; under 1 cm thick; more or less equal; dry or moist; without potholes; smooth; colored like the cap or a little paler.

Flesh: Whitish to pale yellowish; not changing when sliced.

Milk: White; not changing on exposure; staining the gills brownish.
Lactarius luculentus large grouping, so confirmed that this is a milky cap by breaking one - white milk that didn't change color Fall,Geotagged,Lactarius luculentus,United States

Distribution

Colorado to Washington and California
Western Lactarius very common orange lactarius Fall,Geotagged,Lactarius luculentus,United States,Western Lactarius

Habitat

Mycorrhizal with conifers at high elevation in the western mountains, and with Sitka spruce in coastal forests; summer and fall

References:

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http://www.mushroomexpert.com/lactarius_luculentus_laetus.html
Taxonomy
KingdomFungi
DivisionBasidiomycota
ClassAgaricomycetes
OrderRussulales
FamilyRussulaceae
GenusLactarius
SpeciesLactarius luculentus
Photographed in
United States of America