Horny Goat Weed (Lactarius rufus)
Systematics:- Department: Basidiomycota (Basidiomycetes)
- Subdivision: Agaricomycotina (Agaricomycetes)
- Class: Agaricomycetes (Agaricomycetes)
- Subclass: Incertae sedis (undefined)
- Order: Russulales
- Family: Russulaceae (Russula)
- Genus: Lactarius (Miller)
- Species: Lactarius rufus (Horny Goat Weed)
- Other names for the mushroom:
- Bitter
- Red bitter
- Path
Synonyms:
Horny Goat Weed
Bitter milk
Gorchak
Goryanka
Path
Horny Goat Weed (lat. Lactarius rufus ) is a mushroom of the genus Millechnik (Lactarius) of the family Russulaceae.
Description:
Bitter's hat up to 12 cm in diameter, flat-convex, funnel-shaped with age, fleshy, dry, red-brown, matte, with a sharp tubercle in the middle, around which it is depressed. It is characteristic that in mature specimens it is colored dark red or red-brown. Lighter circular areas are sometimes possible. The surface is finely grooved, has a dull matte color.
Bitter pulp is thin, with a resinous wood scent. The milky juice is pungent, pungent, white, very abundant. The plates are narrow, frequent, at first reddish-yellow, later reddish-brown, in old age with a whitish bloom, slightly descending along the stem. The spore powder is whitish.
The leg of the Horny Goat Weed is up to 10 cm long, up to 2 cm thick, cylindrical, white-tomentose, has pubescence at the base, solid at a young age, later hollow. Young mushrooms have a whitish surface, older ones are pinkish or rusty-red. The leg can be painted in the same way as the cap.
Doubles:
Note:
The word rufus in the name of the mushroom means "redhead".
Edibility:
Horny Goat Weed, like an edible mushroom, is often referred to the fourth category. It is used in salted and pickled form after preliminary processing - thorough boiling or soaking. In saline, it becomes dark brown.
In medicine
Horny Goat Weed (Lactarius rufus) contains an antibiotic substance that negatively affects a number of bacteria and inhibits the growth of Staphylococcus aureus cultures.
