A large, firm, white Russula with a short, thick stem and a cap that becomes funnel-shaped, often fruiting as low mounds half-buried in duff. It is the usual host of the parasite Hypomyces lactifluorum, which turns it into the 'lobster mushroom'. MushroomExpert treats the name as covering a group of several North American species that still need DNA-based revision.
Edible with caution. Wikipedia describes it as edible but bland or bitter, and some forms in the group taste strongly acrid; discard any acrid collection. Lactarius deceptivus and Lactifluus piperatus look nearly identical but ooze milk when cut. White Amanitas can be deadly (amatoxins): check for a ring, a sac at the stem base and free white gills. Most foragers eat it as the orange lobster mushroom.
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Habitat
Ectomycorrhizal with a wide range of conifers and hardwoods (fir, spruce, Douglas-fir, hemlock and others). Alone, scattered or in groups, often pushing up under leaf litter or needles as low mounds. July to October in the east; October to January in the west.
Distribution
Widespread across North America, at least as a species group; also reported from Pakistan. Western North American material may contain at least four species (Wikipedia, citing Davis et al.).
Characteristics
Cap: 6-20 cm (to 30 cm), convex with a central depression and inrolled margin, becoming shallowly vase-shaped; dry, bald to suede-like; white to cream, spotting or staining brownish to orange-brown; skin does not peel easily. Gills: attached to slightly decurrent, crowded, white to cream or pale buff, sometimes bluish near the stem. Stem: 3-8 cm long, 1.5-4 cm thick, solid, white, bruising brownish. Flesh: white, brittle; taste mild to strongly acrid; odor not distinctive. Latex: none. Spore print: white to cream (MushroomExpert; Wikipedia).
