Oak milkcap or Rufous milk cap

The cap is 3 to 10 cm across, usually 4 to 8 cm, convex with an inrolled margin at first, then flattened with a shallow central dip and finally shallowly funnel-shaped; a central bump is rare.

It's a dull reddish brown, cinnamon or yellow-brown, darker in the centre, with faint darker concentric zones or rings of spots. The surface is matt and dry, though it can look a little shiny in wet weather.

The cap is 3-10 cm, convex at first with a small umbo in the centre, then flattened and finally funnel-shaped with a depressed centre. It's reddish brown, russet or brick-red, darker when young and paler, faded when old. The surface is dry and matte, slightly sticky in wet weather. The margin is even, inrolled in young mushrooms.

The gills run slightly down the stem and are crowded and narrow, cream or pinkish buff at first, later reddish brown, often with rusty spots. Broken gills release plentiful white to creamy-white milk that doesn't turn bright yellow.

The spore print is cream with a slight salmon-pink tinge.

The gills are crowded, narrow, adnate or slightly decurrent, whitish to cream, taking on a russet tint with age, like the cap. When damaged, they release white milk. The spore print is cream.

The stem is 3 to 7 cm tall and 0.5 to 1.5 cm thick, the colour of the cap and darker reddish brown towards the base, cylindrical, often furrowed lengthways, solid at first and later hollow. There's no ring.

The stem is 4-8 cm tall and 0.7-1.5 cm thick, cylindrical or slightly tapering toward the base, and often hollow in mature mushrooms. It's the same colour as the cap or slightly paler. The surface is dry and smooth, with no ring or volva, often with whitish down at the base.

The flesh is firm, brittle and whitish, reddish brown in the stem base, and browns with age.

The flesh is whitish or pinkish, firm in the cap and fibrous in the stem. When damaged, it releases plenty of white milk that doesn't change colour or turn yellow in the air. That white, stable milk is an important identifying feature.

An oily smell, often said to be like bugs, strongest in old or drying caps. The taste is mild to slightly bitter, not hot.

The smell is faint and slightly resinous, with no distinctive notes. The raw flesh and milk taste very hot, sharp and peppery. There's no need to taste it: the colour of the milk is enough to identify it.