Bearded milkcap

Description:

5 to 15 cm in diameter, convex and then slightly depressed, the buff and pale pink caps are woolly, particularly at the inrolled margins, and usually have faint pinkish concentric bands and a pinkish-brown zone towards the centre. Beneath the woolly cuticle, the thick cap flesh is white and brittle. The shortly decurrent, crowded white gills are faintly tinged salmon pink, they exude a white unchanging latex when damaged. 10 to 23 mm in diameter and 3 to 6 cm tall, the stem usually tapers in slightly towards the base.

Habitat:

Ectomycorrhizal. Found under birch trees on lawns, in parks and on heathland. Unusually for a mycorrhizal mushroom, this milkcap sometimes appears, usually in groups, beneath birches that are less than five years old.

Notes:

I'm not sure whether I have the right ID for these fungi. Lactarius torminosus is another good canditate, however the cap of Lactarius torminosus is usually darker and has clear concentric circles towards the centre, which can fade with age. These mushrooms grew near young birches which also seems to be consistent with the description of Lactarius pubescens. Suggestions are more than welcome. Spotted in Balloërveld in rural area of Balloo, Holland. (sources:see reference)