Green-cracking Brittlegill

Russula virescens

Coniferous and deciduous forests. Summer, autumn.

Fruiting bodies large. Cap 5-10 (13-15) cm across, convex-flattened, sometimes depressed, margins bent downwards, fleshy, firm, greenish, greyish-yellowish-greenish, the cuticle cracked, fissured. Young gills white, later pale cream, brownish, adnexed. Stem 3 -8 (10)x 1.5-4 (5) cm, firm, brittle, white, when old becoming greyish, spotted brownish. Flesh up to 2 cm thick, white, firm, with a pleasant smell and taste. Characteristic features: cap massive, greenish, the margins paler; warmth-loving. Grows singly or in small groups, likes the company of oak and birch and calcareous soil. Rare. Edible, valuable. Should be classed as protected. When collecting green, greenish brittlegills, be very careful: the Death Cap may grow nearby, and it will mercilessly punish anyone who makes a mistake.