Russula ochroleuca - Ochre Brittlegill

Taxonomy

Phylum: Basidiomycota

Class: Agaricomycetes

Order: Russulales

Russula ochroleuca, the Ochre Brittlegill or Common Yellow Russula, is found in all kinds of woodland from mid summer through to early winter. It is edible but the tase is sommetimes rather peppery.

This is not only one of the most common of the brittlegills, but it is also quite distinctive and (compared with most other members of its genus, that is) relatively easy to identify with confidence.

Identification Guide

This is one of the most common of all the brittlegills, and it is particularly plentiful in pine forests, often tucked in close to the bases of pine trees.

Unlike the superficially similar Yellow Swamp Brittlegill (Russula claroflava), with which it is sometimes confused, the Ochre Brittlegill (Russula ochroleuca) is most often found in the drier areas of forests where the soil is well drained.

	Cap 4 to 10cm in diameter, the ochre-yellow cap is initially convex and then flat, developing a slight depression at maturity. As the fruiting bodies age, the cap margin becomes striate and the cuticle easily peels back over the outer two thirds of the diameter. Most specimens remain yellow, but a few develop a green tinge to the cap. Beneath the surface, the flesh is white and brittle.
	Gills The creamy-white gills are adnexed or adnate, narrow and brittle; they gradually turn a darker shade of cream as the fruiting body matures.
Stem	15 to 25mm in diameter, the stems are 4 to 7cm tall, white at first but greying slightly with age. The stem usually tapers inwards towards the apex.
Spore print	Pale cream.
Odour/taste	No distinctive odour; taste variable from mild to fairly hot.
Habitat	Coniferous and deciduous woodland.
Season	August to November.
Occurrence	Very common
Similar species	Russula claroflava is found on wet ground under birch trees. It has a strong fruity odour, has yellowish gills and provides a yellow-ochre spore print.