Russula rhodopoda (Red-stemmed Brittlegill)

Russula rhodopoda

Pine forests, spruce forests. Summer, autumn.

Fruiting bodies medium-sized, rarely large. Cap 5-10 cm across, convex, domed-hemispherical, later flattened, margins bent downwards, sticky, then dry, shiny, the cuticle comes off easily, red, cherry-coloured. Gills white, quickly becoming cream, ochre-cream, adnate. Stem 3-8x1-2 cm, white, with a red bloom or streaked with red, whitish at the top, the base tapered. Flesh white, firm, thick (up to 1.5 cm), bitter in taste. Characteristic features: the company of spruce, a red cap and a stem with a red bloom. Grows singly or in small groups. Common. Edible, but because of its bitter taste it should not be collected.