Gilded Brittlegill

Russula aurea – Edible

Coniferous and deciduous forests, parks. Summer, autumn.

Fruiting bodies medium-sized, large. Cap 5-10 cm across, convex, later broadly flattened, irregularly flattened, slightly depressed; the cuticle is adnate and peels with difficulty; yellowish-red, golden, apricot, brick-coloured. Young gills cream, later yellowish, yellow, broad, adnate. Stem 3-9x 1-2.5 cm, white, yellowish when old. Flesh thick, firm, slightly bitter in taste. Characteristic features: gills and stem yellowish, spores large. Grows singly or in small groups, likes calcareous soil. Edible, but very rare. Protected.