Lactarius repraesentaneus Lactarius repraesentaneus Lactarius repraesentaneus, commonly known as the northern bearded milkcap, the northern milkcap, or the purple-staining milkcap, is a species of fungus in the Russulaceae family. It has a northerly distribution, and is found in temperate regions of North America and Europe, associated with spruce trees. Distinguishing features of its fruit body include the large orange-yellow cap up to wide, cream to pale yellow gills, and a yellow coarsely-pitted stem that is up to long and thick. Cut fruit bodies ooze a white latex that will stain mushroom tissue lilac to purple. Several chemicals have been isolated and identified
Lactarius repraesentaneus uvidus", "L. luridis", "L. psammicola", and "L. speciosus". The mushroom is commonly known as the "northern bearded milkcap", the "northern milkcap", or the "purple-staining milkcap". The specific epithet "repraesentaneus" is Latin for "well-represented". The cap of "L. repraesentaneus" is wide, convex to broadly funnel-shaped. The margin (the edge of the cap) is conspicuously bearded on young specimens. The cap surface is faintly zoned to azonate, with a thin layer of matted fibers, often becoming scurfy with age. It is dry to somewhat sticky, light yellow to orange-yellow, sometimes with rusty tints when older. The attachment of the gills to the