 "Lactifluus vellereus" is one of a handful of north temperate milk caps that belong to the genus "Lactifluus" which has been separated from "Lactarius" on phylogenetic grounds.Its closest species is "L. bertillonii", with which it forms a rather isolated clade in the genus.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.