Russula cyanoxantha, synonymous with R. xyanoxantha, commonly known as the charcoal burner, is a basidiomycete mushroom

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...

, distinguished from most other members of the Russula

Russula

Around 750 worldwide species of mycorrhizal mushrooms compose the genus Russula. They are typically common, fairly large, and brightly colored - making them one of the most recognizable genera among mycologists and mushroom collectors...

genus by the fact that its gill

Gill (mushroom)

A lamella, or gill, is a papery hymenophore rib under the cap of some mushroom species, most often but not always agarics. The gills are used by the mushrooms as a means of spore dispersal, and are important for species identification...

s do not split, but are soft and flexible. It is one of the most common species of Russula in Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

.

It is an edible mushroom

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...

. It was designated "Mushroom of the Year" in 1997 by the German Association of Mycology.

Description

The most salient characteristic is the weak gills, which feel greasy to the touch, are flexible and do not break. The cap is 4–15 cm (1.5–6 in) wide, convex at first and later flattened, and greenish to bright brown (they vary considerably in color). The stipe is pure white, slightly convex underneath, up to 10 cm in height and 1.5–2.5 cm (0.5–1 in) in diameter. The spores are pure white. The stipe will give a green reaction when rubbed with iron salts (Ferrous Sulphate). Most other (but not all) russula species give a salmon reaction. Coupled with the gill flexibility this is a good diagnostic clue to species level.

Distribution and habitat

Russula cyanoxantha grows in slightly acidic, but nutrient-rich soil. Like all Russulas, it is a mycorrhizal fungus. It is found most commonly in beech

Beech

Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...

 forests, and often in deciduous or mixed forests, appearing from May to November, with the highest concentration in July to September.

Use

Suitable for many kinds of preparation; the flesh is not as hard as that of many other edible Russulas. It has a mild, nutty taste.

Similar species

The cap of the grey-green Russula Russula grisea is more blue-grey but has violet or green hues with light cream gills. This fungus also grows in mixed forests, particularly under beech, and more rarely in coniferous forests.

External links

• Russulales News page on Russula cyanoxantha
• “Russula cyanoxantha” Healing-Mushrooms.net, April, 2008.