Russula albonigra

Russula albonigra
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Fungi
Division:	Basidiomycota
Class:	Agaricomycetes
Order:	Russulales
Family:	Russulaceae
Genus:	Russula
Species:	R. albonigra
Binomial name
Russula albonigra (Krombh.) Fr., 1874

Russula albonigra Mycological characteristics
	Gills on hymenium
	Cap is convex or infundibuliform
	Hymenium is decurrent
	Stipe is bare
	Spore print is white
	Ecology is mycorrhizal
	Edibility is not recommended

Russula albonigra, commonly known as the blackening russula, ^[1] is a member of the genus Russula , all of which are collectively known as brittlegills. Its consumption is recommended against.

Taxonomy

First described by the mycologist Julius Vincenz von Krombholz in 1838, its specific epithet comes from Latin albus and niger, which mean white and black.

Description

The cap is up to 20 centimetres (7+3⁄4 in) wide, convex to infundibuliform, whitish then blackening, and sometimes viscous. ^[2] The stipe is up to 13 cm (5 in) long, ^[2] dusky, or white above, pale grey-ochreous towards the base. The gills are decurrent, crowded, thick, unequal, connected by veins, dusky whitish or yellowish. The flesh is white, turns black or sooty. The taste is somewhat bitter and unpleasant to mild. ^[3]

Habitat and distribution

It grows under hardwood and conifer trees in North America, being found in such places as the Pacific Northwest. ^{[1] [2]}

Uses

It may be possible to eat if cooked thoroughly, but is of little interest and resembles a poisonous species. ^[2]

See also

• List of Russula species

References

1. Thiers, Harry D.; Arora, David (September 1980). "Mushrooms Demystified" . Mycologia. 72 (5): 1054. doi:10.2307/3759750. ISSN   0027-5514.
2. Arora, David (1986) [1979]. Mushrooms Demystified: A Comprehensive Guide to the Fleshy Fungi (2nd ed.). Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press. p. 89. ISBN   978-0-89815-170-1.
3. Synopsis of the British Basidiomycetes. p. 281.