Lactarius eucalypti is a milk-cap fungus that fruits only in years of higher rainfall, so its mushrooms do not appear every season. Found in Australia, it grows on the ground in woodlands of jarrah, karri (E. diversicolor) and marri, and the mushrooms typically appear in May and June.
The species belongs to the milk-cap genus Lactarius in the family Russulaceae. It was described as new to science in 1987 by Orson K. Miller, Jr. and Roger N. Hilton, and it remains a distinctive member of Australia's woodland fungi.
Distribution and Habitat
The species is found in Australia, where it grows on the ground in woodlands of jarrah, karri (E. diversicolor) and marri.
Mushrooms are most commonly seen in May and June, with June close behind May. Sightings drop sharply after July and are scarce from September through November.
Because fruiting depends on higher rainfall, the peak months do not mean mushrooms appear in every year.
Photos
Photographs from by Sofia Zvolanek via iNaturalist, licensed under CC BY 4.0., via iNaturalist, licensed under CC0 1.0., by Em Lamond via iNaturalist, licensed under CC BY 4.0., by Rosie Steinberg via iNaturalist, licensed under CC BY 4.0., by Hugh Chan via iNaturalist, licensed under CC BY 4.0., by Elspeth Swan via iNaturalist, licensed under CC BY 4.0., by Todd Huang via iNaturalist, licensed under CC BY 4.0., by Andrew Allen via iNaturalist, licensed under CC BY 4.0., and by grampianshiker via iNaturalist, licensed under CC BY 4.0., credited on each photo.
Ecology and classification
Habitat
Classification
- Phylum
- Basidiomycota
- Class
- Agaricomycetes
- Order
- Russulales
- Family
- Russulaceae
- Genus
- Lactarius
- Species
- Lactarius eucalypti
Sources
- GBIF Species names and classification
- iNaturalist Photos
- Wikidata Common names and conservation status
- Wikipedia Summary extract
