Russula farinipes

Description

Russula farinipes is an inedible but not poisonous mushroom. These yellowish brittlegills grow on calcareous soil in broadleaf woodland. Oaks, Beech, and birches are common mycorrhizal partners of this mushroom. It is fairly common in broadleaf and mixed woodlands and it is also found throughout mainland Europe, from northern Scandinavia right down to the Mediterranean.

Common names: Floury Brittlegill.

Mushroom Identification

1. Cap

   The cap is 3-6 (9) cm in diameter, initially hemispherical, convex, later convex-expanded, expanded, concave-expanded, depressed, sometimes asymmetric, with a thin, even or wavy, scarred edge. The surface of the cap is smooth, bare, sticky, dry with age, shiny, ocher-orange, pale yellow, light ocher-yellowish, brownish, brownish-cream, grayish-brownish, yellowish-brownish.

2. Gills

   The hymenophore is lamellar. The gills have a medium thickness, accreted, slightly run over the stem, white at first, later yellowish, secreting drops of liquid.

3. Spores

   7-9(11) * 6-8(10) μm, elliptical or rounded, with a warty, spiky surface.

4. Spore Print

   White.

5. Stem

   The stem is 2-5 cm high, 1-2 cm in diameter, cylindrical, narrowed at the base, often eccentric, at first solid, later with cavities, at first white, later yellowish, with a floury coating on top.

6. Flesh

   The flesh is dense, thin, white, and yellowish under the skin, with a sharp, bitter taste and a pleasant mushroom or fruit smell.

7. Habitat

   Grows from mid-July to September, in deciduous forests, forest plantations, with beeches, oaks, birches, on wet areas, singly and in groups.

Look-Alikes

1. Russula claroflava

   Has a bright yellow cap and white gills; it is found on the wet ground under birch trees. It has a strong fruity odor, has yellowish gills, and provides a yellow-ochre spore print.

2. Russula ochroleuca

   Has ochre-yellow caps with white gills.

History

The currently-accepted scientific name of the attractive brittlegill dates from an 1893 publication by the Swedish mycologist Lars Romell (1854 - 1927).

Russula, the generic name, means red or reddish, and indeed many of the brittlegills do have red or somewhat reddish caps.

The specific epithet farinipes refers to the surface of the stem, the upper section of which has a farinaceous texture, meaning that it is covered in a flour-like powder.

Photo sources:

Photo 1 - Author: federicocalledda (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Photo 2 - Author: fungalfan (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Photo 3 - Author: marcofloriani (CC BY-NC 4.0)