Russula xerampelina - Crab Brittlegill

Taxonomy

Phylum: Basidiomycota

Class: Agaricomycetes

Order: Russulales

It seems that most people agree on the odour of this fairly large and very common and widespread woodland mushroom; however, while young specimens smell slightly fishy, older ones stink of boiled shellfish.

Despite the strong odour when being cooked, the Crab Brittlegill is considered one of the finest of edible fungi, at least in this family.

Identification Guide

Cap	Various shades of reddish purple, wine, cinnamon, brown or ochre, often in blotches, usually darker towards the centre; peels only 1/4 to centre; irregularly convex, developing a shallow central depression; margin eventually striate; 7 to 15cm across.
Gills	Cream, turning ochre; adnexed; crowded.
Stem	White flushed with red, discolouring brown when bruised; cylindrical, occasionally with a slightly clavate base; 4 to 10cm long and 1 to 3cm dia.
Spore print	Deep cream.
Odour/taste	Of boiled shellfish - faint when young but much stronger when fully developed.
Habitat	This brittlegill occurs mainly with deciduous hardwood trees and in particular under Beech. It is sometimes seen also in coniferous forests.
Season	August to October.
Occurrence	Widespread but infrequent.
Similar species	Russula sanguinea and several other reddish or purplish brittlegills can look very similar, but they all lack the characteristic shellfish odour of the Crab Brittlegill.