Russula brevipes
Encyclopedia
Russula brevipes is a species of mushroom
commonly known as the short-stemmed russula. It is edible
, although its quality is improved once parasitised by the ascomycete fungus Hypomyces lactifluorum, transforming it into an edible known as a lobster mushroom.
in 1890. Its specific epithet is derived from the Latin
brevis "short" and pes "foot", hence "short-footed".
can range from 7 to 30 cm (3–12 in) in diameter, whitish to dull-yellow in color, and is funnel-shaped with a central depression. The gills are narrow and thin, decurrent
in attachment, nearly white when young but becoming pale yellow to buff in age, and sometimes forked near the stipe
. The stipe
is 3–8 cm long, 2.5–4 cm thick, white in color but with yellowish-brownish discolorations in age. The spore print
is white to light cream in color.
The variant R. brevipes var acrior Shaffer has a subtle green shading at the stipe apex and on the gills.
forest ecosystems. Recently, it has been reported in Pakistan
's Himalayan
moist temperate
forests associated with Pinus wallichiana.
named russulactarorufin along with lactarorufin-A and 24-ethyl-cholesta-7,22E-diene-3β,5α,6β-triol have been isolated and characterized from this species.
Mushroom
A mushroom is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or on its food source. The standard for the name "mushroom" is the cultivated white button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus; hence the word "mushroom" is most often applied to those fungi that...
commonly known as the short-stemmed russula. It is edible
Edible mushroom
Edible mushrooms are the fleshy and edible fruiting bodies of several species of fungi. Mushrooms belong to the macrofungi, because their fruiting structures are large enough to be seen with the naked eye. They can appear either below ground or above ground where they may be picked by hand...
, although its quality is improved once parasitised by the ascomycete fungus Hypomyces lactifluorum, transforming it into an edible known as a lobster mushroom.
Taxonomy
Russula brevipes was initially described by American mycologist Charles Horton PeckCharles Horton Peck
Charles Horton Peck, born March 30, 1833 in Sand Lake, New York, died 1917 in Albany, New York, was an American mycologist of the 19th and early 20th centuries...
in 1890. Its specific epithet is derived from the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
brevis "short" and pes "foot", hence "short-footed".
Description
Fully grown, the capPileus (mycology)
The pileus is the technical name for the cap, or cap-like part, of a basidiocarp or ascocarp that supports a spore-bearing surface, the hymenium. The hymenium may consist of lamellae, tubes, or teeth, on the underside of the pileus...
can range from 7 to 30 cm (3–12 in) in diameter, whitish to dull-yellow in color, and is funnel-shaped with a central depression. The gills are narrow and thin, decurrent
Decurrent
Decurrent is a term used in botany and mycology to describe plant or fungal parts that extend downward.In botany, the term is most often applied to leaf blades that partly wrap or have wings around the stem or petiole and extend down along the stem...
in attachment, nearly white when young but becoming pale yellow to buff in age, and sometimes forked near the stipe
Stipe (mycology)
thumb|150px|right|Diagram of a [[basidiomycete]] stipe with an [[annulus |annulus]] and [[volva |volva]]In mycology a stipe refers to the stem or stalk-like feature supporting the cap of a mushroom. Like all tissues of the mushroom other than the hymenium, the stipe is composed of sterile hyphal...
. The stipe
Stipe (mycology)
thumb|150px|right|Diagram of a [[basidiomycete]] stipe with an [[annulus |annulus]] and [[volva |volva]]In mycology a stipe refers to the stem or stalk-like feature supporting the cap of a mushroom. Like all tissues of the mushroom other than the hymenium, the stipe is composed of sterile hyphal...
is 3–8 cm long, 2.5–4 cm thick, white in color but with yellowish-brownish discolorations in age. The spore print
Spore print
thumb|300px|right|Making a spore print of the mushroom Volvariella volvacea shown in composite: mushroom cap laid on white and dark paper; cap removed after 24 hours showing pinkish-tan spore print...
is white to light cream in color.
The variant R. brevipes var acrior Shaffer has a subtle green shading at the stipe apex and on the gills.
Distribution and habitat
It is a common ectomycorrhizal fungus associated with several hosts across temperateTemperate
In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally relatively moderate, rather than extreme hot or cold...
forest ecosystems. Recently, it has been reported in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
's Himalayan
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
moist temperate
Temperate
In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally relatively moderate, rather than extreme hot or cold...
forests associated with Pinus wallichiana.
Edibility
A non-descript edible species, Russula brevipes is commonly parasitized by the parasitic ascomycete Hypomyces lactifluorum, transforming it into an edible known as a lobster mushroom.Bioactive compounds
The sesquiterpene lactoneSesquiterpene lactone
Sesquiterpene lactones are a class of chemical compounds; they are sesquiterpenoids and contain a lactone ring, hence the name....
named russulactarorufin along with lactarorufin-A and 24-ethyl-cholesta-7,22E-diene-3β,5α,6β-triol have been isolated and characterized from this species.