Sooty Milkcap vs Whiskery Milkcap

Lactarius fuliginosus compared with Lactarius mairei

Key Differences

• Sooty Milkcap is Data Deficient while Whiskery Milkcap is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Sooty Milkcap	Whiskery Milkcap
Kingdom same	Fungi (Fungi)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum same	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class same	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order same	Russulales (Russulales)	Russulales (Russulales)
Family same	Russulaceae	Russulaceae
Genus same	Lactarius	Lactarius
Species	Lactarius fuliginosus	Lactarius mairei

Evolutionary Relationship

Sooty Milkcap and Whiskery Milkcap share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Lactarius.

Conservation Status

Sooty Milkcap

DD — Data Deficient

Whiskery Milkcap

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Sooty Milkcap	Whiskery Milkcap
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Sooty Milkcap

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and United States.

Whiskery Milkcap

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden