The cap is initially convex, but as it matures the center forms a depression and the outer edges rise until it assumes the shape of a shallow funnel; its final width is typically between 2 and 12 cm (0.8 and 4.7 in).
The cap margin is strongly curled inward; when young, it is tomentose (covered with a thick matting of hairs), forming a veil-like structure that partly covers up the gills.
This tomentum diminishes with age.
The cap surface is at first similarly tomentose, but eventually, the hairs wear off, leaving the surface more or less smooth.
The surface starts off somewhat sticky with clear concentric rings of darker shade (a zonate pattern); these rings, especially the outer ones, usually fade in maturity.
The cap color is pinkish-orange to pale dull pink, becoming orange to whitish toward the margin as the pink gradually fades.
The white to flesh-colored flesh is firm and brittle, but becomes flaccid in age.
The latex that is produced when the mushroom tissue is cut or injured is white to cream, and does not change color with prolonged exposure to air, nor does it stain the gills.
It has an acrid taste, with a slight to pungent odor.

The gills are subdecurrent (running only a small way down the length of the stem), close to crowded together, narrow, and sometimes forked near the stem.
Their color is whitish, becoming pink-tinged, turning pale tan with age.
The adult stem is 1.5–8 cm (0.6–3.1 in) long, 0.6–2 cm (0.2–0.8 in) thick, fragile, more or less equal in width throughout, and cylindrical or narrowed at the base.
Its surface is dry, and either smooth to pruinose (covered with a very fine whitish powder on the surface).
The color ranges from pale light pink to yellowish-tinged or slightly pinkish-orange to orange-white, sometimes spotted.
The interior of the stem is firm, beige white, and filled with a soft pith, but it eventually becomes hollow.
Occasionally, white mycelium is visible at the base of the stem where it meets the ground.

The fruit body formation of L. torminosus is pileostipitocarpic.
In this type of development, the hymenium forms early on the underside of the cap and upper stem of the mushroom primordium.
As the cap enlarges, the margin, made of flaring filamentous hyphae that grow outward and downward, tends to curve inward, eventually forming a flap of tissue roughly parallel to the stem surface.
As further development takes place, these hyphae make contact with and adhere to the hymenial surface of the stem, covering basidia and macrocystidia (very long cystidia) already present.
The junction between the two tissues produces a cavity that provides some temporary protection to the basidia, although they are already fertile when the cap margin starts to grow.
The cap is initially convex, but as it matures the center forms a depression and the outer edges rise until it assumes the shape of a shallow funnel; its final width is typically between 2 and 12 cm (0.8 and 4.7 in). The cap margin is strongly curled inward; when young, it is tomentose (covered with a thick matting of hairs), forming a veil-like structure that partly covers up the gills. This tomentum diminishes with age. The cap surface is at first similarly tomentose, but eventually, the hairs wear off, leaving the surface more or less smooth. The surface starts off somewhat sticky with clear concentric rings of darker shade (a zonate pattern); these rings, especially the outer ones, usually fade in maturity. The cap color is pinkish-orange to pale dull pink, becoming orange to whitish toward the margin as the pink gradually fades. The white to flesh-colored flesh is firm and brittle, but becomes flaccid in age. The latex that is produced when the mushroom tissue is cut or injured is white to cream, and does not change color with prolonged exposure to air, nor does it stain the gills. It has an acrid taste, with a slight to pungent odor.
The gills are subdecurrent (running only a small way down the length of the stem), close to crowded together, narrow, and sometimes forked near the stem. Their color is whitish, becoming pink-tinged, turning pale tan with age. The adult stem is 1.5–8 cm (0.6–3.1 in) long, 0.6–2 cm (0.2–0.8 in) thick, fragile, more or less equal in width throughout, and cylindrical or narrowed at the base. Its surface is dry, and either smooth to pruinose (covered with a very fine whitish powder on the surface). The color ranges from pale light pink to yellowish-tinged or slightly pinkish-orange to orange-white, sometimes spotted. The interior of the stem is firm, beige white, and filled with a soft pith, but it eventually becomes hollow. Occasionally, white mycelium is visible at the base of the stem where it meets the ground.
The fruit body formation of L. torminosus is pileostipitocarpic. In this type of development, the hymenium forms early on the underside of the cap and upper stem of the mushroom primordium. As the cap enlarges, the margin, made of flaring filamentous hyphae that grow outward and downward, tends to curve inward, eventually forming a flap of tissue roughly parallel to the stem surface. As further development takes place, these hyphae make contact with and adhere to the hymenial surface of the stem, covering basidia and macrocystidia (very long cystidia) already present. The junction between the two tissues produces a cavity that provides some temporary protection to the basidia, although they are already fertile when the cap margin starts to grow.
Lactarius torminosus