Russula xerampelina
Epicrisis systematis mycologici: 356. 1838.
Common Name: shrimp mushroom
For description see Adamcík, Roberts, Knudsen & Vesterholt (2008), and'California Mushrooms'.
Solitary to scattered in duff under conifers, especially Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii); common in fall and winter in coastal, foothill, and montane conifer forests.
Edible and excellent.
Russula xerampelina is a robust species with dark reddish purple to brownish purple cap, cream-colored gills, a stipe flushed with pink or purple tones, a mild taste, and a distinctive shrimpy odor, especially in age. Other distinguishing features are the rosy-blushed stipe and light ocher-brown stain when the stipe is scratched. Application of a ferrous sulfate solution on the stipe will give a dark grey to blackish grey reaction. Purple forms of Russula olivacea may be confused with R. xerampelina, but R. olivacea usually has some olive-green tones on the cap, lacks a shrimpy odor, and has a negative ferrous sulfate reaction.
Russula xerampelina is a species complex, with several species hiding under this name. Names that have been applied to these other ‘shrimp mushooms’ are R. elaeodes, R. graveolens, R. semirubra, and R. grundii but more data/research is needed to clarify this group.
Adamcík, S. (2002). Taxonomy of the Russula xerampelina group. Part 2. Taxonomic and nomenclatural study of Russula xerampelina and R. erythropoda. Mycotaxon 82: 241-267. (PDF)
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.
Kibby, G. (2003). Key to British species of Russula in the R. xerampelina group. Field Mycology 4(3): 93-100.
Knudsen, H. & Vesterholt, J. ed. (2008). Funga Nordica: Agaricoid, boletoid and cyphelloid genera. Nordsvamp: Copenhagen, Denmark. 965 p. (PDF)
Knudsen, H. & Vesterholt, J. ed. (2012). Funga Nordica: Agaricoid, boletoid, clavarioid, cyphelloid and gastroid genera. Vol. 1. Nordsvamp: Copenhagen, Denmark. 511 p.
Kränzlin, F. (2005). Fungi of Switzerland. Volume 6: Russulaceae. Verlag Mykologia: Luzern, Switzerland. 317 p.
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.
Siegel, N., Mohatt, K. & Trudell, S. (2025). Mushrooms of Alaska. Timber Press: New York, NY. 572 p.
Thiers, H.D. (1997). The Agaricales (Gilled Fungi) of California. 9. Russulaceae I. Russula. Mad River Press: Eureka, CA. 158 p.
