Russula claroflava - Yellow Swamp Brittlegill

Taxonomy

Phylum: Basidiomycota

Class: Agaricomycetes

Order: Russulales

Russula claroflava, the Yellow Swamp Brittlegill, grows in boggy ground under birch trees. It has pale ochre-yellow gills. (The Common Yellow Russula, Russula ochroluca, has pale cream gills.)

This is an edible mushroom with a pleasant taste and texture.

It is almost impossible to confuse this brittlegill with any other member of the Russula genus. Its habitat requirements - damp ground beneath birch - and its pure yellow cap are clear distinguishing features.

Although mainly a summer and autumn mushroom, Russula claroflava does sometimes appear in spring.

Identification Guide

Cap	4 to 10cm in diameter, the caps are convex at first, later flattening and often with slightly depressed centres. Bright yellow, sometimes fading to ochre-yellow, the cap surface is smooth when dry and sticky when wet. The cuticle peels half-way to the centre, and the flesh beneath the cuticle is white, greying slowly where cut or broken.
Gills	Adnexed or free, the fairly crowded, forked gills are pale ochre; they darken gradually as the fruiting body ages.
Stem	10 to 20mm in diameter and 4 to 10cm tall, the brittle stems are white at first but becoming greyer with age. The stem flesh is also white, and there is no stem ring.
Spore print	Pale ochre.
Odour/taste	No significant odour; mild or slightly hot taste.
Habitat	In damp birch woodland.
Season	July to October.
Occurrence	Frequent.
Similar species	Russula ochroleuca has an ochre-yellow cap, often greening slightly in the middle; it has hot, peppery flesh.