Russula atropurpurea - Purple Brittlegill

Taxonomy

Phylum: Basidiomycota

Class: Agaricomycetes

Order: Russulales

Russula atropurpurea is quite a large species and very common. The centre is almost black, with a purple region near the rim, which gave it its former common name of Blackish-purple Russula. This mushroom is edible only if well cooked.

The Purple Russula is an edible mushroom, but it is must be well cooked.

You may also find this species recorded under the synonym Russula krombholzii.

Identification Guide

Convex young cap of the Purple Brittlegill

Although they are so often damaged by slugs, occasionally you come across a perfect specimen of this attractive mushroom intact and in its full glory.

This is quite an ubiquitous species and particularly common beneath oak trees and pines.

	Cap 4 to 10cm in diameter, the caps are at first convex, flattening as the fruiting body ages and usually developing slightly depressed centres. Red-purple near the rim, the caps are dark purple and often almost black in the centre. The flesh beneath the cuticle is white and it crumbles easily.
	Gills Adnate or adnexed, the fairly broad, crowded gills are pale cream, darkening slightly as the fruiting body ages.
Stem	10 to 20mm in diameter and 3 to 6cm tall, the smooth, brittle stems are white at first but becoming light grey with age. There is no stem ring.
Spore print	Ochre.
Odour/taste	Faint odour of apples; mild or fairly hot taste.
Habitat	Under broad-leaf trees and pines.
Season	July to October.
Occurrence	Common.
Similar species	Russula fragilis, which is quite variable in colour, sometimes mimics the appearance of Russula atropurpurea; it is much smaller, more fragile and its gills have finely-toothed edges. Russula xerampelina, the Crab Russula, has a red-flushed stem and it smells fishy.