Lactarius subflammeus, commonly known as the orange milk cap, is a species of fungus in the family Russulaceae.

It is found in western North America in the late summer and fall and is especially common in the Pacific Northwest, where it grows on the ground near conifers like pine and spruce.

The brightly colored fruit bodies, which are slimy or sticky, have scarlet caps when young that soon fade to brilliant orange.

The margin of the cap is curved inward then arched, with short translucent striations (grooves) at maturity.

[1] The cap cuticle is a modified ixotrichoderm, meaning that the hyphae are embedded in a slimy or gelatinous layer.

It has a mild taste, abundant latex, and as its specific epithet suggests, smells like coconut when it is dry.

[4] Like all species in the genus Lactarius, L. subflammeus is mycorrhizal, forming mutualistic associations with trees.

The fruit bodies of L. subflammeus grow scattered to grouped under conifers or in mixed conifer-hardwood forests near pine and spruce, from August to December.

[5][7] The mushroom's range extends north into Canada, where it has been found near Victoria, British Columbia in coastal forests dominated by Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii).