Russula brevipes
Ann. Rept. NY State Mus. 43: 66. 1890.
Common Name: none
Cap (4)6-12(20) cm broad, broadly convex with depressed center to nearly infundibuliform at maturity; surface smooth, dry, subviscid to viscid when wet, white, sometimes yellowish to brownish in age; margin plane to decurved; flesh thick, solid, crisp, brittle, white, becoming yellowish in age; odor mild, taste slowly acrid.
Gills adnate to adnexed, decurrent with age, close; color white, often pale yellow or pale tan in age; lamellulae present.
Stipe (2)4-6(8) cm long, (1.5)2-3(4) cm thick, equal or tapered towards the base, solid; surface dry white, with yellowish to brownish discolorations in age.
Spores 8-10.5 x 6.5-9 µm, subglobose to subovoid to subellipsoid, with amyloid ornamentation of warts and ridges. Spore print white to pale yellow.
Solitary to scattered to gregarious in soil of our coastal forests, often in great abundance; most common late fall.
Edible, but usually mediocre.
Russula brevipes is one of the most common Russula species on the west coast, and is easily identified by its stature, large size, and white coloration which does not stain when handled. Russula brevipes var. acrior is distinguished by the greenish discoloration of the gills and conspicuous greenish band around the apex of the stipe.
This is a species complex with more than one taxa hidding under this name. More data/research is needed to clarify the species.
Arora, D. (1986). Mushrooms Demystified. Ten Speed Press: Berkeley, CA. 959 p.
Desjardin, D.E., Wood, M.G. & Stevens, F.A. (2015). California Mushrooms: The Comprehensive Identification Guide. Timber Press: Portland, OR. 560 p.
Hesler, L.R. (1960). A Study of Russula Types. Memoirs of the Torrey Botanical Club 21(2): 1-59.
Peck, C.H. (1890). Report of the State Botanist 1889. Ann. Rep. NY State Mus. 43: 54-97. (Protologue)
Roberts, C. (2007). Russulas of southern Vancouver Island coastal forests. Doctoral dissertation. University of Victoria: Victoria, BC, Canada. 667 p. (PDF)
Siegel, N. & Schwarz, C. (2016). Mushrooms of the Redwood Coast. Ten Speed Press: Berkeley, CA. 601 p.
Shaffer, R.L. (1964). The subsection Lacarioideae of Russula. Mycologia 56: 202-231. (PDF)
Thiers, H.D. (1997). The Agaricales (Gilled Fungi) of California. 9. Russulaceae I. Russula. Mad River Press: Eureka, CA. 158 p.
— The R. brevipes on the right is infected with Hypomyces lactifluorum
