Russula caerulea

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Russula caerulea
Russula caerulea 342205542.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Basidiomycota
Class: Agaricomycetes
Order: Russulales
Family: Russulaceae
Genus: Russula
Species:
R. caerulea
Binomial name
Russula caerulea
Fr. (1838)
Synonyms [1]
  • Agaricus caeruleus Pers. (1801)
  • Russula amaraKučera (1927)
Russula caerulea
Information icon.svg
Gills icon.png Gills on hymenium
Convex cap icon.svgUmbonate cap icon.svg Cap is convex or umbonate
Adnexed gills icon2.svgFree gills icon2.svg Hymenium is adnexed or free
Bare stipe icon.svg Stipe is bare
Transparent spore print icon.svg
Spore print is ochre
Mycomorphbox Edible.pngEdibility is edible

Russula caerulea, commonly known as the humpback brittlegill, is a member of the genus Russula , whose members are also known as brittlegills. It is a dark vinaceous or purple-colored edible mushroom, and grows with coniferous trees in late summer and autumn. It is found in Europe and North America.

Contents

Taxonomy

First described by mycologist Christian Hendrik Persoon in his 1801 work Synopsis methodica fungorum as Agaricus caeruleus, its specific epithet is the Latin caeruleus meaning "blue". [2] It was transferred to the genus Russula in 1838 by the Swedish father of mycology Elias Magnus Fries. The 1927 name Russula amara by Kučera is a synonym. [1]

Description

The cap is 3–10 cm (1–4 in) in diameter. It is dark purplish-brown, with a dark, sometimes almost black centre. At first it is convex, or even nearly bell-shaped, but later flattens. It nearly always retains a broad pointed boss (umbo) in the cap centre which is a profile that is almost unique within the genus. The cap skin peels to two-thirds, and it later has a furrowed margin. The firm, white stipe is 4–9 cm (1.5–3.5 in) high, 1–2 cm (0.5–1 in) wide and narrowly club-shaped. The gills are adnexed to almost free, and are pale ochre, giving a spore print of the same colour. They are quite closely spaced initially. The flesh is white and tastes mild, but the cap skin is bitter on the tongue. [3]

Spores are ellipsoid and ornamented. Size 8-9 μm × 6.5-8 μm. [4]

Similar species

Russula atropurpurea (Krombh.) Britzelm is infrequent with conifers, preferring deciduous woods, and forests. Its cap is never umbonate, but usually depressed.

Russula viscida Kudrna has no umbo either, and is very rare. The cuticle of the cap hardly peels at all. [3]

Distribution and habitat

Russula caerulea appears in late summer and autumn. It is widespread in the northern temperate zones, Europe, Asia, and North America. It is probably mycorrhizal with pine trees ( Pinus ), on sandy soils.

Edibility

This mushroom is edible, but has a bitter cap skin after chewing. [3]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Russula emetica</i> Species of fungus in the family Russulaceae with a wide distribution in the Northern Hemisphere

Russula emetica, commonly known as the sickener, emetic russula, or vomiting russula, is a basidiomycete mushroom, and the type species of the genus Russula. It has a red, convex to flat cap up to 8.5 cm (3.3 in) in diameter, with a cuticle that can be peeled off almost to the centre. The gills are white to pale cream, and closely spaced. A smooth white stem measures up to 10.5 cm (4.1 in) long and 2.4 cm (0.9 in) thick. First described in 1774, the mushroom has a wide distribution in the Northern Hemisphere, where it grows on the ground in damp woodlands in a mycorrhizal association with conifers, especially pine.

<i>Russula xerampelina</i> Species of fungus

Russula xerampelina, also commonly known as the shrimp russula, crab brittlegill, or shrimp mushroom, is a basidiomycete mushroom of the brittlegill genus Russula. Two subspecies are recognised. The fruiting bodies appear in coniferous woodlands in autumn in northern Europe and North America. Their caps are coloured various shades of wine-red, purple to green. Mild tasting and edible, it is one of the most highly regarded brittlegills for the table. It is also notable for smelling of shellfish or crab when fresh.

<i>Russula claroflava</i> Species of fungus

Russula claroflava, commonly known as the yellow russula, yellow swamp russula or yellow swamp brittlegill, is a basidiomycete mushroom of the genus Russula. It is found in wet places under birch and aspen woodlands across Europe and North America. It has a yellow cap, white gills and stipe and bruises grey. It is mild-tasting and regarded as good to eat.

<i>Russula adusta</i> Species of fungus

Russula adusta, commonly known as the blackening brittlegill or blackening russula, is a species of gilled mushroom. It is found in woodlands of Europe and North America. Russula adusta is a member of the Russula subgenus Compactae. The cap is brown to gray and somewhat shiny, with a mild taste and, reportedly, an odor of empty wine barrels. It has a propensity to turn black from cutting or bruising and has white spores. It can be found growing with conifers. Similar species include Russula albonigra and R. densifolia.

<i>Russula sanguinaria</i> Species of fungus

Russula sanguinaria, commonly known as the bloody brittlegill or rosey russula, is a strikingly coloured mushroom of the genus Russula, which has the common name of brittlegills. It is bright blood-red, inedible, and grows in association with coniferous trees. It was previously widely known as Russula sanguinea.

<i>Russula betularum</i> Species of fungus

Russula betularum is a small, very pale member of the Russula (brittlegills) genus of mushrooms. It is usually white to very pale pink, inedible, and grows with birch trees. It is commonly known as the birch brittlegill.

<i>Russula brevipes</i> Species of fungus

Russula brevipes is a species of mushroom commonly known as the short-stemmed russula or the stubby brittlegill. It is widespread in North America, and was reported from Pakistan in 2006. The fungus grows in a mycorrhizal association with trees from several genera, including fir, spruce, Douglas-fir, and hemlock. Fruit bodies are white and large, with convex to funnel-shaped caps measuring 7–30 cm (3–12 in) wide set atop a thick stipe up to 8 cm (3 in) long. The gills on the cap underside are closely spaced and sometimes have a faint bluish tint. Spores are roughly spherical, and have a network-like surface dotted with warts.

<i>Russula aeruginea</i> Species of fungus

Russula aeruginea, also known as the grass-green russula, the tacky green russula, or the green russula, is an edible Russula mushroom. Widely distributed in northern temperate regions, it is usually found under birch, mostly in pine forests. The very poisonous death cap can have a similar appearance, especially from above.

<i>Russula aurea</i> Species of fungus

Russula aurea, commonly known as the gilded brittlegill, is an uncommon species of mushroom found in deciduous woodland in Europe in summer and early autumn. Unlike many red-capped members of the genus, it is edible and mild-tasting.

<i>Russula atropurpurea</i> Species of fungus

Russula atropurpurea is an edible member of the genus Russula. It is dark vinaceous or purple, and grows with deciduous, or occasionally coniferous trees. It is commonly called the blackish purple Russula, or the purple brittlegill.

<i>Russula delica</i> Species of fungus

Russula delica is a mushroom that goes by the common name of milk-white brittlegill, and is a member of the genus Russula, all of which are collectively known as brittlegills. It is mostly white, with ochraceous or brownish cap markings, and a short robust stem. It is edible, but poor in taste, and grows in coniferous, broadleaved, or mixed woods. It can be confused with other white Russula species and certain white Lactarius species.

<i>Phlegmacium triumphans</i> Species of fungus

Phlegmacium triumphans, also known as the birch webcap, or yellow girdled webcap is a basidiomycete mushroom in the family Cortinariaceae. It is found in Europe and regarded as edible by some authorities, although others call it suspect and it resembles inedible species.

<i>Russula fellea</i> Species of fungus

The mushroom Russula fellea goes by the common name of the geranium-scented russula, or bitter russula and is a member of the genus Russula, all of which are commonly known as brittlegills. It is straw or honey coloured and in Britain grows in beech woods during autumn. It is inedible.

<i>Russula fragilis</i> Species of fungus

Russula fragilis, commonly known as the fragile russula, or fragile brittlegill, is a species of mushroom of the genus Russula, whose members are commonly known as brittlegills. It is a small, fragile, long stemmed, and variably coloured brittlegill, found in mixed forests, and woods in Europe, Asia, and North America.

<i>Russula gracillima</i> Species of fungus

The mushroom Russula gracillima, commonly known as the slender brittlegill, is a member of the genus Russula, whose members are commonly known as brittlegills. It is a small, pale, long stemmed brittlegill associated mainly with birch and is occasional in Europe, Asia, and North America.

<i>Russula heterophylla</i> Species of fungus

The edible wild mushroom Russula heterophylla, that has lately been given the common name of the greasy green brittlegill is placed in the genus Russula, the members of which are mostly known as brittlegills. It is a variably colored mushroom, found in deciduous forests, and woods in Britain, Europe, and Scandinavia. Appearing with broad-leaved trees in summer to early autumn, it usually has a greenish coloration.

<i>Russula albidula</i> Species of fungus

Russula albidula is a species of mushroom in the genus Russula. The species, known in the vernacular as the boring white russula or the whitish brittlegill, is nondescript, with a small or medium dirty white fruit body, and a highly acrid taste. It is found in eastern North America.

<i>Hygrophorus purpurascens</i> Species of fungus

Hygrophorus purpurascens, commonly known as the purple-red waxy cap, is a species of agaric fungus in the family Hygrophoraceae. Its cap has a pink background color with streaks of purplish red overlaid, and mature gills have red spots.

<i>Stropharia caerulea</i> Species of fungus

Stropharia caerulea, commonly known as the blue roundhead, is a species of mushroom forming fungus in the family Strophariaceae. It is a somewhat common species found in Europe and North America, where it grows as a saprophyte in meadows, roadsides, hedgerows, gardens, and woodchip mulch. S. caerulea was officially described to science in 1979, although it was known to be a distinct species for about two centuries before that. The scientific name Stropharia cyanea, as defined by Tuomikoski in 1953, and used by several later authors, is a synonym of S. caerulea.

<i>Russula mustelina</i> Species of mushroom

Russula mustelina, commonly known as the russet brittlegill, is a basidiomycete mushroom of the genus Russula native to Europe and North America. Swedish mycologist Elias Magnus Fries described the species in his 1838 book Epicrisis Systematis Mycologici seu Synopsis Hymenomycetum.

References

  1. 1 2 "Synonymy: Russula caerulea Fr., Epicr. syst. mycol. (Upsaliae): 353 (1838)". Species Fungorum . Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  2. Simpson DP (1979). Cassell's Latin Dictionary (5 ed.). London: Cassell Ltd. p. 883. ISBN   0-304-52257-0.
  3. 1 2 3 Roger Phillips (2006). Mushrooms. Pan MacMillan. p. 25. ISBN   0-330-44237-6.
  4. Buczacki, Stefan; Shields, Chris; Ovenden, Denys (2012). Collins Fungi Guide: The most complete field guide to the mushrooms & toadstools of Britain & Ireland. London: HarperCollins Publ. ISBN   978-0-00-746648-1.