Milk cap mushroom identification

Milk cap mushroom identification can be tricky. Often closely related species display very similar characteristics, in this video, two common edible milk cap mushrooms
Lactarius volemus and Hygrophorus milky display almost identical characterisitcs, but if you pay close attention they can be differentiated.

Lactarius volemus has much more closely spaced gills, a more pronounced latex reaction, the gills stain brown in reaction to the latex and the latex can display a reaction to KOH testing.

Hygrophorus milky on the other hand has much wider spaced gills, less overall latex, and the latex does not stain the gills brown, nor does it react to KOH.

Both display an olive color change when KOH is applied to the cap, but they are slightly different hues of olive.

And last but not least a key characteristic of l. Volemus is the distinct smell of rotting fish given off by the fruiting body, which Hygrophorus milky lacks.

Out of all the milk cap mushrooms edible species are not guaranteed follow along to find out which ones are which.

For reference, Lactarius volemus is often reffered to as the Tawny milkcap and hygrophorous milky is often reffered to as Lactifluus hygrophoroides .