Treeline Russula. Found in the grass at 12,000ft along the bank of upper Halfmoon Lake. About 20+ feet away from dwarf willow.
Sticky white latex oozed out everywhere it was cut or pierced
Associations & Ecology: definitely mycorrhizal with a red oak and possibly other trees or large shrubs, grows in mixed woods.
Saprobe? No
Growth Habits: Solitary and gregarious both occur
Fungus shape: Agaricoid
Odor: sometimes none, sometimes sweet & soapy (only slightly). when cut and chem tested odor is spermatic, strongly so
Cap colors: Zonate peach or orange-brown on light tan
Cap diameter: 2-5 cm but sometimes 11 cm and larger
Cap texture: when wet sticky and slimy, no hairs
Cap features: none
Cap shape: standard for a Lactarius, ie starting broadly convex becoming plane but often moderately indented
Cap height: not measured
Cap margin: when young inrolled, with age sometimes uplifted
Cap surf. stain: NONE!
Cap ctx. stain: NONE!
Gill color: offwhite, when wounded stain brown
Gill spacing: close
Gill attachment: Emarginate (broadly attached not decurrent)
Exudate occurs? Yes, sparse
Exudate color: white unchanging (and does not stain mushroom but if blotted on white paper no imm. change but next day bright yellow!
Gill staining: none!
Short gills: present
Stipe shape: Equal ie standard for a Lactarius
Stipe color: white
Ring or veil: None
Stipe texture: Smooth in particular no potholes
Stipe height: 1-2 cm
Stipe width: not measured
Stipe context: semi hollow with hollowness tapering to solid
Base width: not measured
Base shape: Equal
Basal myc. col.: white
Code: SHVtdmVl
Recent weather: rainy
Taste: distinctive, tastes unnatural (astringent?) with strong mouthfeel of biting stinging feel that lasts. The spicy mouthfeel can be to point of pain, sometimes immediate sometimes delayed
Cap contx color: white
Spore print: fits cream, salmon, off white or slight pink
Ammonia: negative
KOH cap surface: bright yellow
KOH cap context: bright yellow
KOH gills: bright yellow
Iron salts: not attempted
Notes: perennial appearing every summer through fall. These pictures are from 2021, either 22jul or 06oct.