Russulaceae
71 common names
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Blackening brittlegill (Russula nigricans)
Description: a large, hard mushroom, with brownish or blackish brown cap and flesh that turns red when bruised; it blackens almost completely in age. The spores are white and the taste is mild to slightly acrid.
Distribution: Broad Widespread in Northern Hemisphere
Habitat: woodlands
Bloody brittlegill (Russula sanguinaria)
Copper brittlegill (Russula decolorans)
Description: Cap is copper-orange to dull orange to reddish brown. The gills are white to pale ocher. The stipe is white and smooth and all parts discolor gray to black when handled or cut.
Habitat: woodland; northern and montane conifer forests
Crab brittlegill (Russula xerampelina)
Distribution: Broad
Habitat: Variety of forest types
Crowded brittlegill (Russula densifolia)
Fragile brittlegill (Russula fragilis)
Description: Small to small-medium species with very fragile flesh that becomes water-soaked very quickly. The cap color is generally a mix of watery purple, pink, and olivaceous green on a whitish to grayish background, and the cap edge is translucent-striate. The spores are white, the odor mild or pleasantly fruity, and the taste very acrid. It occurs singly or in small groups, often on or near well rotted wood.
Distribution: Broad
Habitat: Near or well-rotted wood
Greasy green brittlegill (Russula heterophylla)
Green brittlegill (Russula aeruginea)
Lilac brittlegill (Russula lilacea)
Olive brittlegill (Russula olivacea)
Pelargonium brittlegill (Russula pelargonia)
Powdery brittlegill (Russula parazurea)
Stinking brittlegill (Russula foetens)
Tardy brittlegill (Russula cessans)
Winecork brittlegill (Russula adusta)
Distribution: Western
Habitat: Conifer forests
Yellow swamp brittlegill (Russula claroflava)
Description: Cap round, bright lemon-yellow to yellow, convex to flat, slightly sticky when wet. Gills start out white and slowly turn pale ocher. the stem is white and smooth. Occasionally gills and stipe turn gray-black when bruised or become gray with age.
Habitat: wet woodlands, marshes, swamps, and bogs with birch
Substrate: moss
Candy-cap (Lactarius rubidus)
Charcoal Burner (Russula cyanoxantha)
Description: Has been referred to as \'the Chameleon\' due to its large palette of colors including dull violets, purples, and gray-greens.
Habitat: woodland
Bleeding milk-cap (Lactarius rubrilacteus)
Habitat: It occurs in a variety of habitats and seems to associate primarily with pines and Douglas-fir, especially in younger stands.
Bright yellow milk-cap (Lactarius aspideoides)
Delicious milk-cap (Lactarius deliciosus)
Distribution: Broad North America and Europe
Golden milk-cap (Lactarius alnicola)
Gray milk-cap (Lactarius caespitosus)
Orange milk-cap (Lactarius subflammeus)
Distribution: Coastal
Habitat: Coastal conifer forests
Ordinary milk-cap (Lactarius trivialis)
Pale-capped violet-latex milk-cap (Lactarius pallescens)
Pitted milk-cap (Lactarius scrobiculatus)
Distribution: Broad
Habitat: common in our conifer forests
Purple staining milk-cap (Lactarius uvidus)
Red hot milk-cap (Lactarius rufus)
Distribution: Broad
Habitat: L. rufus commonly occurs with spruce and pine, often in abundance, for example, near the edge of bogs or in other moist areas where Sitka spruce occurs. It is very common in northern conifer forests around the world.
Red milk-cap (Lactarius rufus)
Distribution: Broad
Habitat: L. rufus commonly occurs with spruce and pine, often in abundance, for example, near the edge of bogs or in other moist areas where Sitka spruce occurs. It is very common in northern conifer forests around the world.
Scrobiculate milk-cap (Lactarius scrobiculatus)
Distribution: Broad
Habitat: common in our conifer forests
Slimy milk-cap (Lactarius pseudomucidus)
Distribution: Broad Western North America
Habitat: L. pseudomucidus is frequently found in coastal and mid-elevation conifer forests, and eastward at least as far as Idaho and southward into California.
Sticky milk-cap (Lactarius affinis)
Toadskin milk-cap (Lactarius olivaceoumbrinus)
Velvety milk-cap (Lactarius fallax)
Habitat: Litter in spruce and mixed conifer forests along the coast and in the interior mountains
Alder milkcap (Lactarius occidentalis)
Distribution: Western Northern Hemisphere
Habitat: Occurs with alders
False saffron milkcap (Lactarius deterrimus)
Liver milkcap (Lactarius hepaticus)
Rollrim milkcap (Lactarius resimus)
Rufous milkcap (Lactarius rufus)
Distribution: Broad
Habitat: L. rufus commonly occurs with spruce and pine, often in abundance, for example, near the edge of bogs or in other moist areas where Sitka spruce occurs. It is very common in northern conifer forests around the world.
Shrimp mushroom (Russula xerampelina)
Distribution: Broad
Habitat: Variety of forest types
Almond-scented russula (Russula laurocerasi)
Description: One of the larger russulas. It has a viscid yellowish brown cap with a grooved margin, whitish to brown-stained stipe, and strong, but generally pleasant, odor of almond extract or maraschino cherries. The spores are cream to pale yellow and the taste is very acrid.
Distribution: Western
American russula (Russula americana)
Bicolored russula (Russula bicolor)
Black and white russula (Russula albonigra)
Blackening russula (Russula albonigra)
Blackening russula (Russula nigricans)
Description: a large, hard mushroom, with brownish or blackish brown cap and flesh that turns red when bruised; it blackens almost completely in age. The spores are white and the taste is mild to slightly acrid.
Distribution: Broad Widespread in Northern Hemisphere
Habitat: woodlands
Blue Russula (Russula parazurea)
Cascade russula (Russula cascadensis)
Creamy russula (Russula cremoricolor)
Emetic russula (Russula emetica)
Description: Cap is scarlet to cherry-red and the top layer peels easily. Gills are white. Stipe is white as well and smooth to finely and irregularly ridged.
Habitat: damp or wet woodlands, with conifers in particular
Fragile russula (Russula fragilis)
Description: Small to small-medium species with very fragile flesh that becomes water-soaked very quickly. The cap color is generally a mix of watery purple, pink, and olivaceous green on a whitish to grayish background, and the cap edge is translucent-striate. The spores are white, the odor mild or pleasantly fruity, and the taste very acrid. It occurs singly or in small groups, often on or near well rotted wood.
Distribution: Broad
Habitat: Near or well-rotted wood
Grass-green russula (Russula aeruginea)
Graying russula (Russula decolorans)
Description: Cap is copper-orange to dull orange to reddish brown. The gills are white to pale ocher. The stipe is white and smooth and all parts discolor gray to black when handled or cut.
Habitat: woodland; northern and montane conifer forests
Green russula (Russula aeruginea)
Grey russula (Russula grisea)
Integrated russula (Russula albonigra)
Pleasing Russula (Russula placita)
Rainbow Russula (Russula olivacea)
Red and black russula (Russula dissimulans)
Reddening russula (Russula densifolia)
Rosy Russula (Russula sanguinaria)
Short-stemmed russula (Russula brevipes)
Distribution: Broad, common
Shrimp Russula (Russula xerampelina)
Distribution: Broad
Habitat: Variety of forest types
Small yellow russula (Russula chamaeleontina)
Tacky green russula (Russula aeruginea)
Tan-colored Russula (Russula olivacea)
Western russula (Russula occidentalis)
Description: It is a medium-sized or larger mushroom, with a variably colored cap---usually it is purplish with a yellow-green center, but it can appear in many shades of purplish, olive-green, and browns, usually in mixtures. The gills are cream to pale yellowish and the stipe is white and often turns grayish in age or when handled, sometimes with a reddish phase. The flesh is white and turns reddish to grayish to black when exposed. The spores are cream-colored.
Distribution: Broad, common
Habitat: Conifer forests
Yellow cap russula (Russula flaviceps)
The sickener (Russula emetica)
Description: Cap is scarlet to cherry-red and the top layer peels easily. Gills are white. Stipe is white as well and smooth to finely and irregularly ridged.
Habitat: damp or wet woodlands, with conifers in particular