Russula brevipes

Common card · No. 445236

Russula brevipes is a species of mushroom commonly known as the short-stemmed russula or the stubby brittlegill. The fruit bodies are white and large, with convex to funnel-shaped caps measuring 7–30 cm (3–12 in) wide set atop a thick stipe up to 8 cm (3 in) long. The gills on the cap underside are closely spaced and sometimes have a faint bluish tint. The spores are roughly spherical and have a network-like surface dotted with warts. Forms of the mushroom that develop a bluish band at the top of the stipe are sometimes referred to as variety acrior. Fruiting from summer to autumn, the mushrooms often develop under masses of leaves or conifer needles in a mycorrhizal association with trees from several genera, including fir, spruce, Douglas-fir, and hemlock. It is widespread in North America, and was reported from Pakistan in 2006. Although edible, the mushrooms have a bland or bitter flavor. They become more palatable once parasitized by the ascomycete fungus Hypomyces lactifluorum, a...

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