Lactarius oculatus
Lactarius oculatus cystidia
Norway spruce
Lactarius oculatus
Lactarius oculatus
Lactarius oculatus
Lactarius oculatus
Lactarius oculatus
Lactarius oculatus cystidia
The Eye Spot Milky.  Found late summer, early fall.  This milk cap mushroom has
several features that are not always apparent: the lined cap margin, zonate cap when
young and absence of papilla (nipple) when cap becomes depressed, or sunken.
These collections of Lactarius oculatus were associated with spruce, pine and
mosses; various hardwoods also present.  Growing in boggy area that remains damp
even during dry weather.
The cap and stem of Lactarius oculatus is sometimes covered with a fine
whitish down (canescent) described as a bloom or dusting.  Latex white and
sometimes changing to pale yellow.  Spore print white; also reported as pale
yellow in mass.  Note different lengths of gills.
The base of the stem of the eye spot milky sometimes exhibits stiff white hairs, usually
when growing near wood.  Will sometimes appear to grow from wood, but actually grows
from the ground and
through the wood.
The cystidia of Lactarius oculatus have tapered,
pointed and constricted ends.
See North American species of
Lactarius, Hesler and Smith, 1979

Notes on Lactarius in the high-elevation
forests of the southern Appalachians,
G.F. Bills, Mycologia 78(1), 1986.
Lactarius oculatus
Lactarius oculatus
Lactarius oculatus