[2] Like other mushrooms in the family Russulaceae, the L. vellereus fruit body has crumbly, rather than fibrous, flesh, and when this is broken the fungus exudes a milky latex.

It has firm flesh, and a stipe which is shorter than the fruit body is wide.

The gills are fairly distant (quite far apart), decurrent, and narrow, and have brown specks from the drying milk.

[4] Another similar, but phylogenetically distant species is Lactarius controversus, distinguishable mainly by its white gills and lack of rosy markings on the upper cap.

The mushroom is found in deciduous woods, from late summer to early winter.