Alder Milkcap vs Brook Alder

Lactarius obscuratus compared with Alnus maritima

Key Differences

Alder Milkcap is Least Concern while Brook Alder is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Alder Milkcap	Brook Alder
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Russulales (Russulales)	Fagales (Beeches & Oaks)
Family	Russulaceae	Betulaceae
Genus	Lactarius	Alnus
Species	Lactarius obscuratus	Alnus maritima

Conservation Status

Alder Milkcap

LC — Least Concern

Brook Alder

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Alder Milkcap	Brook Alder
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Alder Milkcap

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Brook Alder

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, France, Netherlands, and United Kingdom. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Alder Milkcap

The Alder Milkcap (Lactarius obscuratus) is a species in the genus Lactarius. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Brook Alder

The Brook Alder (Alnus maritima) is a species in the genus Alnus. It is currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.