and is sometimes hollow. The brownish-white gills are slightly decurrent, and change colour with age to a pale reddish brown with mauve hints. The milk is white or cream in colour. The mushroom has a distinctive, strong oily smell, which has also been likened to bedbugs and wet laundry. The spores are oval, with plentiful warts joined by numerous ridges, forming a well-developed network. The spores typically measure 7.5 to 9 by 6.5 to 7.5 µm, and leave a cream print. var. incanus Lactarius quietus var. incanus is typically slightly larger than the nominate variety, and younger specimens feature a whitish bloom, after which the variant is named. It has a sweet smell reminiscent of maple syrup, and can be commonly found under oak trees. It can be confused with L. aquifluus and L. mutabilis, but both of these species are found in coniferous woodland. Edibility Lactarius quietus has been variously described as edible and inedible. The milk has a mild or slightly bitter taste. L. quietus var. incanus also has conflicting reports concerning its edibility, and so is not recommended. Habitat, ecology and areas of spreading Lactarius quietus is found growing exclusively at the base of oak trees, solitarily or in scattered groups, in soil. It can be found very commonly throughout autumn months. It is ectomycorrhizal, feeding symbiotically exclusively with oak, though studies have suggested it is also able to feed saprotrophically, growing from organic soil matter. L. quietus can be found only in Europe; in the United Kingdom, it is one of the one hundred most commonly encountered mushroom species. L. quietus var. incanus is found commonly in eastern North America. See also List of Lactarius species References quietus Fungi described in 1821 Fungi of North America Fungi of Europe Taxa named by Elias Magnus Fries