Lactarius alnicola var. alnicola Smith.
Cap 8-18cm across, convex with a depressed disc and inrolled margin, expanding to become funnel-shaped; yellow-ochre all over, although somewhat paler toward the edge, with some concentric bands of color; sticky to glutinous, with matted, minute hairs beneath the gluten near the margin. Gills decurrent, crowded, narrow, many layers, forked near the stem; whitish becoming cream then yellowy buff to yellowy brown, staining yellow when bruised. 30-60 x 20-30mm, hard, solid becoming stuffed; whitish above, more pale yellowy brown below, and tawny mycelium at the base; dry, distinctly pitted. Flesh thick, hard; whitish. Latex white, scanty, staining cut flesh yellow. Odor strong. Taste extremely and immediately acrid. Spores broadly ellipsoid, amyloid, 7.4-8.7 x 6.7-7.4µ; ornamented with warts and ridges up to 0.6µ. high, with many connectives or forming a partial reticulum. Deposit almost white. Habitat gregarious in woods, particularly under alder and conifers. Quite common in the northern Rocky Mountains. Found in western North America. Season July-September. Not edible. Comment My collection has the smell of Lactarius alnicola var. pungens Smith & Hesler, but otherwise its characteristics are identical to Lactarius alnicola var. alnicola.