Russula azurea

What You Should Know

Russula azurea belongs to the genus Russula, and family Russulaceae. It is a small to medium-sized mushroom. It is easily recognized by the exceptional bluish-violet color of the cap, the white lamellae and stem, and the non-bitter taste.

In a similar habitat, the Amethyst Dove (Russula amethystina) can be found with a wine cap, white stub and non-bitter taste. However, the lamellae turn yellow as the spores mature, as there is ocher spore pollen.

Other names: Russule azurée (French), Weißblättriger Reif-Täubling (German).

Russula azurea Mushroom Identification

1. Cap

   At first hemispherical, but soon flat with a shallow depression. Bluish-violet or violet, usually darker in the center, sometimes with greenish tints. Sometimes you can see dark stripes located in a circle. The surface is smooth and dusty, with a matte appearance in dry weather. The margin is straight and slightly grooved in fully developed specimens. The skin peels off halfway to the center. Diameter up to 8 cm.

2. Gills

   White, finally creamy-yellowish. Moderately dense to sparse, partially ingrown and brittle.

3. Stem

   Cylindrical, often slightly tapering in the middle. White. The surface is smooth or finely ridged. Height up to 7 cm.

4. Flesh

   White, thin and brittle. There is no particular smell. The taste is pleasant, not pungent.

5. Spores

   The spore pollen is white. Spores are 7.5-9 x 6-7.5 μm in size. They are decorated with tiny spikes without a mesh pattern.

6. Habitat

   Mountain coniferous forests. It occurs under fir (Abies), spruce (Picea) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris). Fruits singly or in groups in summer and autumn. Probably a rare species.

Russula azurea Synonyms

1. Russula cinereoviolacea Allesch., 1886

2. Russula inconspicua Velen., 1920

Sources:

Photo 1 - Author: Jerzy Opioła (Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported)

Photo 2 - Author: Jerzy Opioła (Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported)

Photo 3 - Author: Jerzy Opioła (Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported)