Charcoal Burner

Russula cyanoxantha

Deciduous and coniferous forests. Summer, autumn.

Fruiting bodies medium-sized, rarely large. Cap up to 15 cm across, the cuticle peels well, slimy, shiny, violet, bluish, greenish-violet. Gills white, when old cream, adnate, subdecurrent. Stem 5-10 (12)x 1.5-3 cm, white, rarely with a violet tinge. Flesh white, not bitter, with a pleasant smell. Characteristic features: firm, massive fruiting bodies, cap with a bluish, violet tinge. More common in deciduous forests. Grows singly or in small groups, likes calcareous soil, most often in deciduous or mixed forests with oak and hazel. One of the most valuable brittlegills. Uncommon.