Russula fragilis
Russula fragilis, commonly known as the fragile russula, or fragile brittlegill, is a species of mushroom of the genus Russula, whose members are commonly known as brittlegills.
It is a small, fragile, long stemmed, and variably coloured brittlegill, found in mixed forests and woods in Eurasia and North America.
Taxonomy
Russula fragilis was first described as Agaricus fragilis by mycologist Christian Hendrik Persoon in 1801, and later placed in the genus Russula by Elias [Magnus Fries] in 1838.Description
The cap is in diameter. It varies greatly in colour, and can be dark purplish, with a dark, almost black centre, or may be various shades of olive-green, or violet-pink, or even pale yellow. The colour tends to fade quickly, and can become very pale. At first the cap shape is convex, but it later flattens. The cap skin peels to three quarters, and older specimens often have a furrowed margin.The fragile, white stipe is long for the size of the cap, and narrowly club-shaped. The gills are adnexed, and white giving a spore print of the same colour. They have distinctive nicks, or notches on their free edges, that can be seen under a hand lens, a very good diagnostic clue to species. The flesh is white and tastes very hot, with a fruity odour.