Peppery milk cap or Fleecy milk cap

Cap 5-15 cm, convex at first with an inrolled margin, then flattened and finally funnel-shaped with a depressed center. Color white, creamy white, in mature specimens with a faint yellowish or ochre tint, especially in the center. Surface smooth, dry, matte, without zones, without a downy margin — this sets it apart from the “gruzd” group (Lactarius resimus, woolly milk cap, L. controversus).

Cap 8-25 cm — the largest white milk cap, very fleshy. Hemispherical at first with a thickly downy inrolled margin, then flattened and finally funnel-shaped. Color white, creamy white, in old specimens with an ochre or dirty-yellow tint, especially in the center. The surface is characteristically felted, downy, soft to the touch, like suede or felt. The downiness is especially noticeable at the margin.

Gilled hymenophore with the most characteristic feature of the species — very crowded, thin, narrow gills that run down the stem. No other milk cap has gills this crowded. Color creamy white, graying where damaged. They release plenty of white milk. Spore print white.

Gilled hymenophore. Gills distant (which sets it apart from L. piperatus with its crowded gills), broad, adnate or slightly decurrent. Color creamy white, turning yellowish or ochre with age, graying where damaged. They release white milk. Spore print white to pale cream.

Stem 4-8 cm tall, 1.5-2.5 cm thick, cylindrical or slightly tapering toward the base, firm, sometimes with small cavities in mature specimens. Color white. Surface smooth, dry, no ring and no volva.

Stem 3-6 cm tall, 1.5-4 cm thick — massive, short, cylindrical or thickened toward the base, very firm. Color white to cream. The surface is downy, like the cap, especially in the upper part. No ring and no volva.

Flesh white, very dense, fleshy, brittle. When damaged it abundantly releases white milk (there's a lot of it — a characteristic feature). The milk slowly turns yellow in the air after 1-2 hours; the reaction with alkali (KOH) is orange-yellow.

Flesh white, very dense, fleshy, even “woody” — a characteristic feature of the species; the mushroom is sturdy and rarely wormy. When damaged it releases plenty of white milk, which slowly turns yellow in the air after 1-2 hours. The cut flesh itself may also turn slightly yellow.

Smell faint, mushroomy, slightly resinous. Taste of the raw flesh and milk — extremely burning, sharp, purely peppery, without bitterness — one of the hottest among the milk caps. Touch your tongue to the cut and you'll feel a sharp “black pepper” sensation.

Smell faint, mushroomy, slightly earthy in old specimens. Taste of the raw flesh and milk — very burning, peppery, sharp, with a characteristic “dirty” aftertaste. Don't taste it raw.