Bloody milk cap or Saffron milk cap

Cap 4-10 cm, convex at first with an inrolled margin, then flattened and finally funnel-shaped with a depressed center. Color pale orange-pink to flesh-orange, often with greenish or bluish stains where damaged. Concentric zones are often visible, as in the common Saffron milk cap. Surface dry, smooth, slightly sticky in wet weather.

Cap 4–15 cm across, convex at first, then funnel-shaped. Surface smooth or slightly sticky, bright orange or brick-rusty, with darker concentric zones. Turns greenish when damaged.

Gills. The gills are crowded, narrow, adnate or slightly decurrent. Color pale orange to flesh-colored; when damaged they exude dark wine-red milk, and with age the gills turn green where touched. Spore print cream to pale ochre.

Gills crowded, narrow, decurrent, bright orange, turning green when damaged. They release an orange milk that stays unchanged or slowly turns green — this is the key identification feature.

Stem 3-6 cm tall, 1-2 cm thick, cylindrical or slightly tapering downward, often hollow in mature specimens. Color pale orange with a pinkish tint, often with the characteristic small darker “pits” — just like the Saffron milk cap. Turns blue or green where damaged.

Stem 3–8 cm tall, 1–2.5 cm thick, cylindrical, solid (in young ones), hollow in mature ones. Surface orange, smooth, turning green when damaged. Often has small pits. No ring.

Flesh yellowish-white; when cut it quickly takes on a wine-red or dark burgundy tint. The milk is thick, dark red, the color of dried blood, with no noticeable bitterness. Exposed to air, the flesh may eventually turn green or blue where touched.

Flesh firm, orange-yellow or orange, slowly turning green on exposure to air when damaged. Releases an orange milk whose taste is mild or slightly acrid depending on where it grows. The mushroom tastes pleasant, slightly resinous.

Smell faint, pleasant, fruity-resinous — a typical saffron milk cap smell. Taste mild, with a light resinous note, no bitterness or acridity — unlike the “ordinary” milk caps, you can carefully touch it to your tongue raw.

Smell pleasant, fruity-resinous, with light notes of conifer forest. The aroma survives salting and pickling, giving the food a distinctive woodland character.