Edible. Cooke. Eaten on the continent.
Lactarius subdulcis.
L. subdul´cis Fr.—sub; dulcis, sweet. Pileus .5–2 in. broad, thin, convex, then plane or slightly funnel-shaped, with or without a small umbo or papilla, glabrous, even, zoneless, moist or dry, tawny-red, cinnamon-red or brownish-red, the margin sometimes wavy or flexuous. Gills rather narrow, thin, close, whitish, sometimes tinged with red. Stem 1–2.5 in. long, 1–3 lines thick, equal or slightly tapering upward, slender, glabrous, sometimes villous at the base, stuffed or hollow, paler than or colored like the pileus. Spores 7.6–9µ. Milk white, taste mild or tardily and slightly acrid, sometimes woody or bitterish and unpleasant. Flesh whitish, pinkish or reddish gray, odor none.
Fields, copses, woods, swamps and wet places. July to October. Very common.
This species grows in almost every variety of soil and locality. It may be found in showery weather on dry, rocky soil, on bare ground or among mosses or fallen leaves. In drier weather it is still plentiful in swamps and wet, shaded places, and in sphagnous marshes. It sometimes grows on decaying wood. It is also as variable as it is common. Gillet has described the following varieties:
Var. cinnamo´meus. Pileus cinnamon-red, sub-shining. Stem stuffed, then hollow; taste mild, becoming slightly acrid or bitter.
Var. ru´fus. Pileus dull chestnut-red; becoming more concave. Stem spongy; taste mild.
Var. ba´dius. Pileus bay-red, shining as if varnished, with an obtuse disk and an inflexed, elegantly crenulate margin. Stem very glabrous, hollow.