Lactarius circellatus Fr. Gebänderter Milchling. Cap 5–10cm across, flattened convex, later shallowly funnel-shaped and often rather irregular, dull grey brown to pale umber, often slightly violet tinged, and with a slight silvery appearance when dry, with concentric lighter and darker bands always present, firm fleshed, slightly stick when moist, margin slightly inrolled at first. Stem 30–60 x 8–20mm, cylindrical or spindle-shaped, whitish to concolorous with the cap. Flesh whitish, becoming hollow in stem. Gills adnexed to slightly decurrent, yellowish white at first, soon pale ochre, later dull yellowish ochre. Milk white, not changing colour with KOH; taste mild at first then hot. Spore print pale ochre (D) with slight salmon tinge. Spores broadly elliptic, with thickish ridges mostly running across the spore and with few cross-connections, 6–7 x 5–6.5µ. Habitat under hornbeams and frequent where these occur. Season summer to autumn. Edibility unknown -avoid. Distribution, America and Europe. |