Russula albidula

Taxonomy

The species was first described by the American mycologist Charles Horton Peck in 1898. Mycologist David Arora, describing the fruit bodies as "plain, unprepossessing, [and] profoundly forgettable", calls the species the "boring white Russula". Another common name is the "whitish brittlegill".

Description

The cap of the fruit body is convex to almost flat, 2.5 to broad, with a white surface that becomes yellowish when dry. The cap surface is viscid when moist, and have a cuticle that can be peeled off. The gills are white, equal, sometimes forking next to the stipe, and have an adnate or slightly decurrent attachment to the stem. The stipe is white, smooth, 2.5 to long and 0.8 to wide. The flesh, which is fragile and white, Specimens found in the field are typically dirty and dingy.

In deposit, the spores are pale yellow. Viewed microscopically, they are roughly spherical, thin-walled, and have dimensions of 6–7.5 by 7.5–10 μm. The surface of the spores is marked by broken reticulations.

Edibility

The highly acrid taste of Russula albidula is a deterrent to consumption,

Similar species

Other Russula species that bear a resemblance to R. albidula include R. albella, R. albida, R. anomala, and R. subalbidula. It may also be confused with white waxycaps (genus Hygrophorus) or Tricholoma species.

Habitat and distribution

The fruit bodies can be found growing solitary or grouped together on the ground in woods (both mixed and coniferous) or the edges of woods; specimens are often found near oak trees. The species has a penchant for appearing in poor soil like that found on roadsides and along trails. It is distributed in eastern North America.

References

References

1. Arora D.. (1986). "Mushrooms Demystified: a Comprehensive Guide to the Fleshy Fungi". Ten Speed Press.
2. (1987). "A Field Guide to Mushrooms, North America". Houghton Mifflin.
3. Beardslee HC.. (1914). "Notes on a few Asheville fungi". Mycologia.
4. Murrill WA.. (1910). "North American Flora. Vol. 9". New York Botanical Press.
5. Miller Jr., Orson K.. (2006). "North American Mushrooms: A Field Guide to Edible and Inedible Fungi". [[FalconGuide]].