Milk mushrooms - a large brotherhood of mushrooms in the family Russula. Their name is a direct translation from the Latin name Lactrarius. They got this name due to the fact that these fungi do not have fibers, and when broken, they secrete milky juice. In some representatives of this genus, it is weak-eating, and some emit caustic, poisonous milk.
The family includes the well-known and beloved mushrooms and mushrooms, as well as traps, rubella, smoothies, milkweeds and many others. Millers are mushrooms that prefer moist soils in coniferous and deciduous forests. The main period from the appearance is the end of July. You can meet some of the species until the beginning of October.
The appearance of the milkmen is familiar to everyone. A vivid example is the ubiquitous saffron milk cap. The only thing that changes is the color of the hats, which varies from white to gray, brown, red-brown. When a mushroom mushroom, the photo of which is presented in the article, appears from the ground, it first has a convex plate head with an edge turned inside, later it opens and becomes like a saucer with a pressed center or funnel, and the edges begin to shag. The surface is dry or wet, mucous. In some mushrooms, it is velvety. Some milky mushrooms have a hat up to 5 centimeters in diameter, and some giants grow up to 15 centimeters in diameter. The legs are usually the same color with a hat or a little lighter. Its length varies depending on the habitat of the fungus (the height of the grass or moss) - from a few millimeters to 6-7 centimeters. Legs are hollow or tight. The body of the mushrooms is penetrated by channels through which the milky juice flows. Usually it is white, which in the air begins to darken and stain the fungus itself.
Considering that some mushrooms are very fragile and sensitive to damage, from touching over time, they appear on the so-called “burns” - dark spots that spread over the entire surface in a very short time. By the way, this fragility was reflected in the name of the mushroom. According to the scientists' assumptions, the etymology of the word “breast” comes from the word “breast”, which means “fragile” in Lithuanian. True, there is another variant of the origin of this name - from the word "breast" - mushrooms growing in clusters, "clusters", in large groups.
Mushrooms are found everywhere. The area of their distribution is quite extensive. In total, about 120 species are known, 90 of which are found in the entire former Soviet Union. In Europe, these mushrooms are considered poisonous and not eaten, but in Russia, with great pleasure, they collect many of them.
They are great for winter harvesting. They are salted and pickled, some of the species are dried and then used to flavor first and second courses, as well as in the preparation of various mushroom sauces.
Mushrooms are also used in pharmacology. Lactariovilin, an antibiotic used in the treatment of tuberculosis, as well as diseases of the kidneys and gall bladder, is obtained from some types of camelina. The bitter juice contains a substance that inhibits the growth of Staphylococcus aureus.