Russula cyanoxantha - Charcoal Burner

Taxonomy

Phylum: Basidiomycota

Class: Agaricomycetes

Order: Russulales

Russula cyanoxantha is one of the many brittlegills whose cap colours are of very little help in the identification process. Although the Coarcoal Burner is most often found with red or purple colouring, the peltereaui variety illustrated here is wholly green. Other common colours include mixtures of purple, brown, grey - indeed all shades seen when charcoal burns.

This common species grows under broadleaf trees and is a common find in beechwoods and under grand old trees in parkland.

Identification Guide

Russula cyanoxantha is commonly referred to as the Charcoal Burner, because the colours of its cap range widely like those seen in a charcoal flame.

	Cap 5 to 15cm in diameter, the caps are almost spherical at first, becoming convex and later flattening with a slight central depression. Beneath the cuticle, which varies in colour from purple and brown to grey and (in Russula cyanoxantha var. peltereaui) green, the flesh is white and firm.
	Gills The greasy white, crowded, adnexed to very slightly decurrent gills are often forked; they are remarkably pliable for a Russula species.
Stem	15 to 30mm in diameter, cylindrical and 5 to 10cm tall, the stems are white, occasionally tinged with purple. The stem flesh is also white, and there is no stem ring.
Spore print	White.
Odour/taste	No distinctive odour; mild taste.
Habitat	Broad-leaf woodland.
Season	July to November.
Occurrence	Frequent.
Similar species	Russula xerampelina is equally variable in cap colour; it is commonly referred to as the Crab Brittlegill because of its distinctive fishy odour.