Russula densifolia | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Fungi |
Division: | Basidiomycota |
Class: | Agaricomycetes |
Order: | Russulales |
Family: | Russulaceae |
Genus: | Russula |
Species: | R. densifolia |
Binomial name | |
Russula densifolia | |
Synonyms [1] | |
Russula densifolia, commonly known as the crowded russula or the reddening russula, is a species of agaric fungus in the family Russulaceae. It was first described in 1833 and given its current name in 1876. A widespread species, it is found in Asia, Europe, and North America, where it fruits on the ground in mixed and deciduous forests. Fruit bodies (mushrooms) are robust and squat, with caps up to 14.5 cm (5.7 in) in diameter, and stems that are 2–7.5 cm (0.8–3.0 in) long by 1.2–2.5 cm (0.5–1.0 in) thick. The mushrooms are characterized by the red and then black color changes that occur in the flesh when it is bruised, and a relatively thick cap cuticle. Although the mushroom is sold as an edible species in some areas of Asia, it is mild to moderately toxic, and may cause gastrointestinal upset if consumed. Several bioactive compounds have been isolated and identified from the mushroom.
The species was first described by Louis Secretan in 1833 as Agaricus adustus var. densifolius. In 1876, Claude-Casimir Gillet transferred it to the genus Russula. [2] Russula densifolia is classified in the section Nigricantes of Russula subgenus Compactae, which consists of species with robust, squat fruit bodies that discolor to brown or black. [3] [4]
Robert Shaffer defined four forms of R. densifolia in a 1962 monograph on section Compactae, differentiating them by spore print color, fruiting pattern, odor, gill spacing, and the intensity of the color change with bruising. Three forms are from the Pacific Northwest region of North America: form dilatoria has fruit bodies that darken to lavender gray to brownish gray; form fragrans has a fragrant odor and widely spaced gills; form cremeispora produces a light yellow spore print and has an obscurely two-layered cap cuticle. Form gregata, found in the eastern United States, grows gregariously in jack pine and Scotch pine forests. [1] The nomenclatural database Index Fungorum lumps these forms, as well as f. subrubescen, published by Patrick Reumaux in 1996, together into synonymy. Other synonyms include Rolf Singer's 1931 variety caucasica, Roger Heim's 1938 variety latericola, and C. Dagron's 1999 variety colettarum. [5]
The specific epithet refers to the closely spaced gills. The mushroom is commonly known as the "dense-gilled brittlegill" [6] or the "reddening russula". [7]
The cap, initially convex when young, becomes almost flattened, depressed, or funnel-shaped in maturity, and reaches a diameter of 4.5–14.5 cm (1.8–5.7 in). The smooth cap surface is sticky in moist, young specimens, but develops a polished look when dry. It is initially white before turning brownish gray and eventually blackish in age. The cap margin is curved inward throughout most of the life of the fruit body. The cap cuticle can be peeled up to one-half the radius of the cap. The flesh is white, but slowly stains reddish then grayish-black after being exposed to air. [6] This characteristic staining reaction can be slow to develop, or may not develop at all, especially in old fruit bodies where the underlying tissue has already darkened. [8] The flesh has no distinctive odor, and a hot, bitter taste. [9]
Gills are adnate (squarely fused) to slightly decurrent (extending a short way down the length of the stem), and interspersed with many tiers
Russula densifolia | |
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Gills on hymenium | |
Cap is convex or depressed | |
Hymenium is adnate or decurrent | |
Stipe is bare | |
Spore print is white | |
Ecology is mycorrhizal | |
Edibility is inedible |
of lamellulae (short gills that do not extend fully from the cap edge to the stem). [6] They are very crowded, with about 7–12 gills per centimeter. [10] Initially creamy white in color, they will stain reddish then blackish where they have been injured, or sometimes develop dirty reddish stains with age. The stem measures 2–7.5 cm (0.8–3.0 in) long by 1.2–2.5 cm (0.5–1.0 in) thick, and is nearly equal in width throughout its length. It is solid (i.e., not hollow) and hard, initially white before aging to brownish-black, and has a smooth to slightly scaly, dry surface. [6]
Russula densifolia produces a white to pale yellow spore print. Spores are oval to elliptical to roughly spherical, hyaline (translucent), amyloid, and measure 7.6–9.5 by 6.7–7.5 µm. They have a rough, reticulate surface marked by ridges and low, isolated warts that are 0.2–0.5 μm high. The cystidia in the hymenium are thin-walled and hyaline, with shapes ranging from club-shaped with broad tips to somewhat fuse-shaped with short and narrow appendages at the tip; cystidia have dimensions of 30–80 by 5–10 µm. Under the hymenium, the subhymenium is starkly differentiated. There are abundant sphaerocysts (fragile, spherical cells common in the Russulaceae) present in the gill tissue, and the cap tissue has clusters of these cells. The cap cuticle, typically 125–200 µm thick, is embedded in a gelatinous layer, and is differentiated into two layers: the epicutis, which consists of interwoven hyphae, and the underlying subcutis. [4] Shaffer attempted to differentiated several forms of the mushroom by differences in cap cuticle thickness and morphology, [1] although these forms are now not considered to have taxonomic significance. [11]
The mushroom is mild to moderately toxic, and may cause gastrointestinal upset if consumed. [12] David Arora has noted that much of the bitter taste can be removed with cooking, but "the end product is insipid at best and indigestible or even poisonous at worst." [7] Despite this, however, the mushroom is sold as an edible species in Phayao Province and Chiang Mai Province in northern Thailand. [13] It is also used in traditional Chinese medicine for its purported antirheumatic activity. [14]
Another similarly colored Russula is R. nigricans , which can be distinguished from R. densifolia by its darker cap and widely spaced gills. [15] Another lookalike, R. dissimulans , has a dry cap surface, and a mild taste. [7] R. albonigra stains directly to black when injured, and has a taste reminiscent of menthol. [9] R. densifolia is often confused with R. acrifolia , but the latter's gills do not change color when bruised. [16] R. adusta , found with conifers, has a less acrid taste, and its cut flesh changes to light pink rather than red. [17]
Russula densifolia is a mycorrhizal species. Descriptions have been published of the morphology of the ectomycorrhizae that it forms with European beech (Fagus sylvatica), [18] [19] and Norway spruce (Picea abies). [20] Its mushrooms grow on the ground singly, scattered, or in groups in both mixed and deciduous forests, [6] and tend to appear in the summer and autumn. In Spain, it is common in dune pine forests. [21] Fruit bodies can be parasitized by the fungus Asterophora lycoperdoides . [22] Widely distributed, Russula densifolia is known from Asia (including China, India, [23] Japan, [24] and Thailand [13] ), Europe [15] and North America. [7]
In a study of the chronological sequence of ectomycorrhizal fungi communities of Pinus densiflora forests of eastern China, R. densifolia was shown to reach its peak abundance in 30-year-old stands. In another Chinese study, the species was found to be one of the six most common Russula species associated with 1- to 2-year-old seedlings of Pinus yunnanensis . [25] In Mexico, they have been found with oak. [26] The fungus is well-adapted to live in cold climates, as its mycelium has a relatively high tolerance to low temperatures, although repeated freezing/thawing cycles tend to slow the growth of mycelium. The lethal temperature required for 50% of the mycelium to die is −8.6 °C (16.5 °F). [27]
Aqueous extracts of the fruit bodies contain polysaccharides that have been shown in laboratory tests to be highly efficient at inhibiting infection by tobacco mosaic virus. [28] Several bioactive compounds have been isolated and identified from the mushroom, including allitol, stearic acid, furan-3-carboxylic acid, (22E,24R)-3β-hydroxyergosta-5,22-diene, 3β-hydroxy-5α,8α-epidioxy-24ξ-methylcholesta-6-ene, dihydrofuran-2,5-dione,3β-hydroxy-5α,8α-epidioxyergosta-6,22-diene, palmitic acid, uracil, cis-butenedioic acid, thioacetic anhydride, succinic acid, 1-ethylic-βD-glycoside, 2-acetamino-2-deoxy-β-D-glucose, and cerebroside B. [29]
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.
Russula virescens is a basidiomycete mushroom of the genus Russula, and is commonly known as the green-cracking russula, the quilted green russula, or the green brittlegill. It can be recognized by its distinctive pale green cap that measures up to 15 cm (6 in) in diameter, the surface of which is covered with darker green angular patches. It has crowded white gills, and a firm, white stipe that is up to 8 cm (3 in) tall and 4 cm (1.6 in) thick. Considered to be one of the best edible mushrooms of the genus Russula, it is especially popular in Spain and China. With a taste that is described variously as mild, nutty, fruity, or sweet, it is cooked by grilling, frying, sautéeing, or eaten raw. Mushrooms are rich in carbohydrates and proteins, with a low fat content.
Lactarius torminosus, commonly known as the woolly milkcap or the bearded milkcap, is a large agaric fungus. A common and widely distributed species, it is found in North Africa, northern Asia, Europe, and North America. It was first described scientifically by Jacob Christian Schäffer in 1774 as an Agaricus, and later transferred to the genus Lactarius in 1821 by Samuel Frederick Gray. A variety, L. torminosus var. nordmanensis, is known from the United States, Canada, and Switzerland. L. torminosus officially became the type species of Lactarius in 2011 after molecular studies prompted the taxonomic reshuffling of species between several Russulaceae genera.
Hydnellum peckii is a fungus in the genus Hydnellum of the family Bankeraceae. It is a hydnoid species, producing spores on the surface of vertical spines or tooth-like projections that hang from the undersurface of the fruit bodies. It is found in North America, Europe, and was recently discovered in Iran (2008) and Korea (2010). Hydnellum peckii is a mycorrhizal species, and forms mutually beneficial relationships with a variety of coniferous trees, growing on the ground singly, scattered, or in fused masses.
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.
Xerocomellus zelleri, commonly known as Zeller's bolete, is an edible species of mushroom in the family Boletaceae. First described scientifically by American mycologist William Alphonso Murrill in 1912, the species has been juggled by various authors to several genera, including Boletus, Boletellus, and Xerocomus. Found solely in western North America from British Columbia south to Mexico, the fruit bodies are distinguished by their dark reddish brown to nearly black caps with uneven surfaces, the yellow pores on the underside of the caps, and the red-streaked yellow stems. The fungus grows in summer and autumn on the ground, often in Douglas fir forests or on their margins. The development of the fruit bodies is gymnocarpic, meaning that the hymenium appears and develops to maturity in an exposed state, not enclosed by any protective membrane.
Dendrocollybia is a fungal genus in the family Tricholomataceae of the order Agaricales. It is a monotypic genus, containing the single species Dendrocollybia racemosa, commonly known as the branched collybia or the branched shanklet. The somewhat rare species is found in the Northern Hemisphere, including the Pacific Northwest region of western North America, and Europe, where it is included in several Regional Red Lists. It usually grows on the decaying fruit bodies of other agarics—such as Lactarius and Russula—although the host mushrooms may be decayed to the point of being difficult to recognize.
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.
Panellus stipticus, commonly known as the bitter oyster, the astringent panus, the luminescent panellus, or the stiptic fungus, is a species of fungus in the family Mycenaceae, and the type species of the genus Panellus. A common and widely distributed species, it is found in Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America, where it grows in groups or dense overlapping clusters on the logs, stumps, and trunks of deciduous trees, especially beech, oak, and birch. During the development of the fruit bodies, the mushrooms start out as tiny white knobs, which, over a period of one to three months, develop into fan- or kidney-shaped caps that measure up to 3 cm (1.2 in) broad. The caps are orange-yellow to brownish, and attached to the decaying wood by short stubby stalks that are connected off-center or on the side of the caps. The fungus was given its current scientific name in 1879, but has been known by many names since French mycologist Jean Bulliard first described it as Agaricus stypticus in 1783. Molecular phylogenetic analysis revealed P. stipticus to have a close genetic relationship with members of the genus Mycena.
Tylopilus plumbeoviolaceus, commonly known as the violet-grey bolete, is a fungus of the bolete family. First described in 1936, the mushroom has a disjunct distribution, and is distributed in eastern North America and Korea. The fruit bodies of the fungus are violet when young, but fade into a chocolate brown color when mature. They are solid and relatively large—cap diameter up to 15 cm (5.9 in), with a white pore surface that later turns pink, and a white mycelium at the base of the stem. The mushroom is inedible. A number of natural products have been identified from the fruit bodies, including unique chemical derivatives of ergosterol, a fungal sterol.
Lactarius subflammeus, commonly known as the orange milk cap, is a species of fungus in the family Russulaceae. It is found in western North America in the late summer and fall and is especially common in the Pacific Northwest, where it grows on the ground near conifers like pine and spruce. The brightly colored fruit bodies, which are slimy or sticky, have scarlet caps when young that soon fade to brilliant orange. The stem—typically longer than the width of the cap—is also bright orange but the gills are whitish. The mushroom secretes a whitish latex when it is cut or injured.
Lactarius pubescens, commonly known as the downy milk cap, is a species of fungus in the family Russulaceae. It is a medium to large agaric with a creamy-buff, hairy cap, whitish gills and short stout stem. The fungus has a cosmopolitan distribution, and grows solitarily or in scattered groups on sandy soil under or near birch.
Lactarius affinis, commonly known as the kindred milk cap, is a species of milk-cap mushroom in the family Russulaceae. It is found northeastern North America, where it fruits in the summer and fall, and is common in the Great Lakes region. Its fruit bodies have medium to large, slimy dull yellow or brownish caps. Although not considered poisonous, it is unpalatable because of its highly acrid taste.
Lactifluus deceptivus, commonly known as the deceiving milkcap, is a common species of fungus in the family Russulaceae. It is found throughout eastern North America on the ground in coniferous forests near hemlock or deciduous forests near oak, and in oak-dominated forests of Costa Rica. It produces large mushrooms with funnel-shaped caps reaching up to 25 cm (9.8 in) in diameter, on top of hard white stems that may reach 4–10 cm (1.6–3.9 in) long and up to 3 cm (1.2 in) thick. The gills are closely spaced together and yellowish-cream in color. When young, the cap is white in all parts, but the depressed center becomes dull brownish in age and breaks up into scales. The edge of the cap has a roll of cottony tissue that collapses as the cap expands. The surface of the stem—especially near the base—has a velvety texture. The mushroom "bleeds" a milky white acrid latex when it is cut or injured. Similar milk-cap species with which L. deceptivus might be confused include Lactifluus piperatus, L. pseudodeceptivus, L. caeruleitinctus, L. subvellereus, Lactarius arcuatus and Lactarius parvulus.
Lactarius argillaceifolius is a species of fungus in the family Russulaceae. The mushrooms produced by the fungus have convex to flattened drab lilac-colored caps that are up to 18 cm (7.1 in) wide. The cream-colored gills are closely spaced together and extend slightly down the length of the stem, which is up to 9 cm (3.5 in) long by 3.5 cm (1.4 in) thick. The mushroom produces an off-white latex when injured that stains the mushroom tissue brownish.
Lactarius vinaceorufescens, commonly known as the yellow-staining milkcap or the yellow-latex milky, is a poisonous species of fungus in the family Russulaceae. It produces mushrooms with pinkish-cinnamon caps up to 12 cm (4.7 in) wide held by pinkish-white stems up to 7 cm (2.8 in) long. The closely spaced whitish to pinkish buff gills develop wine-red spots in age. When it is cut or injured, the mushroom oozes a white latex that rapidly turns bright sulfur-yellow. The species, common and widely distributed in North America, grows in the ground in association with conifer trees. There are several other Lactarius species that bear resemblance to L. vinaceorufescens, but most can be distinguished by differences in staining reactions, macroscopic characteristics, or habitat.
Hygrophorus bakerensis, commonly known as the Mt. Baker waxy cap, the brown almond waxy cap or the tawny almond waxy cap, is a species of fungus in the family Hygrophoraceae. It is characterized by its medium to large, relatively slender-statured fruit bodies with an almond odor, and growth often on or near rotting conifer wood. The slimy cap is brown in the center and cream to white near its curved edges. The gills and the stem are white, and in moist environments are often covered with droplets of a translucent liquid. The mushroom is known only from the United States, where it is common in coniferous forests throughout the Pacific Northwest. It was initially collected in Washington State on Mount Baker, a volcano. Although edible, the mushroom is not considered to be of high quality.
Collybia tuberosa, commonly known as the lentil shanklet or the appleseed coincap, is an inedible species of fungus in the family Tricholomataceae, and the type species of the genus Collybia. Like the two other members of its genus, it lives on the decomposing remains of other fleshy mushrooms. The fungus produces small whitish fruit bodies with caps up to 1 cm (0.4 in) wide held by thin stems up to 5 cm (2.0 in) long. On the underside of the cap are closely spaced white gills that are broadly attached to the stem. At the base of the stem, embedded in the substrate is a small reddish-brown sclerotium that somewhat resembles an apple seed. The appearance of the sclerotium distinguishes it from the other two species of Collybia, which are otherwise very similar in overall appearance. C. tuberosa is found in Europe, North America, and Japan, growing in dense clusters on species of Lactarius and Russula, boletes, hydnums, and polypores.
Imleria badia, commonly known as the bay bolete, is an edible, pored mushroom found in Eurasia and North America, where it grows in coniferous or mixed woods on the ground or on decaying tree stumps, sometimes in prolific numbers. Both the common and scientific names refer to the bay- or chestnut-coloured cap, which is almost spherical in young specimens before broadening and flattening out to a diameter up to 15 cm (6 in). On the cap underside are small yellowish pores that turn dull blue-grey when bruised. The smooth, cylindrical stipe, measuring 4–9 cm long by 1–2 cm thick, is coloured like the cap, but paler. Some varieties have been described from eastern North America, differing from the main type in both macroscopic and microscopic morphology.
Hygrophorus russula, commonly known as the pinkmottle woodwax, false russula, or russula-like waxy cap, is a fungus native to North America and Europe.