Lactarius helvus (Fr.) Fr.
Maggipilz, Fenugreek Milkcap.
Cap 5–12cm across, flattened convex with a shallow depression, sometimes with a small umbo, yellowish to bricky-cinnamon with numerous slightly darker flecks or small flattened scales, thin and firm-fleshed at first but becoming soft and easily broken, margin incurved at first. Stem 50–120 x 5–30mm, cylindrical to slightly club-shaped, reddish-ochre or cinnamon to darkish brick, often powdery or finely downy. Flesh whitish, becoming hollow in stem. Gills adnate to slightly decurrent, prolonged down the stem as short ridges, pale or buffy ochre. Milk clear; taste mild or slightly bitter. Smell almost none when fresh smelling very strongly of curry or stock cubes when dried and persisting for years. Spore print whitish with a slight salmon tinge (A–B). Spores elliptic with small warts mostly joined by slender ridges in a poorly developed network, 6.5–9 x 5.5–6.5µ. Habitat conifer woods on heaths and moors. Season summer to autumn. Uncommon. Slightly poisonous but sometimes dried and powdered to use as a condiment. (Never eat any mushroom until you are certain it is edible as many are poisonous and some are deadly poisonous.) Distribution, America and Europe.