Lactarius is an especially fascinating genus with all sorts of interesting species. Section Deliciosi has some of the best known forms with Lactarius deliciosus and Lactarius indigo being two of the most striking. In our area Lactarius barrowsii is the most frequent species, along with Lactarius deliciosus under Ponderosa Pine. Just below this vegetative zone in the pinyon-juniper is another species, Lactarius pinyonensis.
    I have collected this Lactarius for a number of years and for sometime was puzzled by it. The white coloration, salmon colored gills and flesh are distinctive. Like so many Lactarius in the Southwest, latex (droplets) are scarce to non-existent in this one. However, if one cuts directly though the flesh and gills, there is a marked line of wine colored latex that forms at the connections of the gills to the pileus trama. This gradually fades but it is very marked when first cut.
    Again, like so many mushrooms in the pinyon-juniper woodland, the fruit bodies of L. pinyonensis are quickly consumed by insect larvae and disappear without a trace. The entire mushroom family within the pinyon-juniper woodland is a little like a mythical happening with all sorts of slime molds, coral fungi, cup fungi, mushrooms and lichen, all suddenly carpeting the landscape only to disappear within a week or so.