Russula sanguinaria
Encyclopedia
Russula sanguinaria, commonly known as the bloody brittlegill, is a strikingly coloured mushroom
, a member of the Russula
genus, which has the common name
of brittlegills. It is bright blood-red, inedible, and grows in association with coniferous trees. It was previously widely known as Russula sanguinea.
in 1803, and redescribed under its current binomial name by mycologist Stephan Rauschert in 1989. Agaricus sanguinea was described by Bulliard
and renamed Russula sanguinea by Elias Magnus Fries
.
Both the specific epithets
sanguinaria and sanguinea are derived from the Latin
word sanguis "blood", a reference to this mushroom’s colour. It is unclear whether this European species is the same as the American species Russula rosacea.
grows up to 10 cm (4 in) in diameter. At first it is convex, but later flattens, and sometimes becomes saucer-shaped when mature. It is bright blood-red, or rose coloured at first, fading slightly with age, and often having paler areas. The cap skin peels at the margin only. The stem
is firmly robust, occasionally white, but more commonly flushed with the cap colour. It is streaked vertically, and tends to turn greyish pink with age. The cream to pale ochre gills are adnate to slightly decurrent, narrow and forking. The spore print is also cream to pale ochre. The flesh is white, somewhat hot and peppery, and sometimes bitter on the tongue, with a faint fruity smell.
Most of the other common bright red Russula species grow with deciduous
trees.
zones, and is mycorrhizal with softwood trees, often Pinus (pine) in coniferous woodland, on sandy soils.
ky abdominal cramps. The active agent has not been identified but is thought to consist of sesquiterpene
s, which have been isolated from Russula sardonia
, and the related genus Lactarius
.
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...
, a member 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, which has the common name
Common name
A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...
of brittlegills. It is bright blood-red, inedible, and grows in association with coniferous trees. It was previously widely known as Russula sanguinea.
Taxonomy
The bloody brittlegill was first described as Agaricus sanguinarius by Heinrich Christian Friedrich SchumacherHeinrich Christian Friedrich Schumacher
Heinrich Christian Friedrich Schumacher , was a Danish surgeon, botanist and professor of anatomy at the University of Copenhagen...
in 1803, and redescribed under its current binomial name by mycologist Stephan Rauschert in 1989. Agaricus sanguinea was described by Bulliard
Jean Baptiste François Pierre Bulliard
Jean Baptiste François Pierre Bulliard was a French physician and botanist....
and renamed Russula sanguinea by Elias Magnus Fries
Elias Magnus Fries
-External links:*, Authors of fungal names, Mushroom, the Journal of Wild Mushrooming.*...
.
Both the specific epithets
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
sanguinaria and sanguinea are 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...
word sanguis "blood", a reference to this mushroom’s colour. It is unclear whether this European species is the same as the American species Russula rosacea.
Description
The robust 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...
grows up to 10 cm (4 in) in diameter. At first it is convex, but later flattens, and sometimes becomes saucer-shaped when mature. It is bright blood-red, or rose coloured at first, fading slightly with age, and often having paler areas. The cap skin peels at the margin only. The stem
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 firmly robust, occasionally white, but more commonly flushed with the cap colour. It is streaked vertically, and tends to turn greyish pink with age. The cream to pale ochre gills are adnate to slightly decurrent, narrow and forking. The spore print is also cream to pale ochre. The flesh is white, somewhat hot and peppery, and sometimes bitter on the tongue, with a faint fruity smell.
Similar species
- Russula helodes is macroscopically identical, but tends to favour sphagnumSphagnumSphagnum is a genus of between 151 and 350 species of mosses commonly called peat moss, due to its prevalence in peat bogs and mires. A distinction is made between sphagnum moss, the live moss growing on top of a peat bog on one hand, and sphagnum peat moss or sphagnum peat on the other, the...
moss in coniferous forests, and is much rarer. - Russula emeticaRussula emeticaRussula emetica, commonly known as the sickener, is a basidiomycete mushroom of the genus Russula, one of many species with a predominantly red-coloured cap and white gills and stalk. It gets its common name from its inedibility, as it causes vomiting and diarrhea when consumed...
(Schaeff.) Pers. grows in the same habitat, and has a bright red cap. However it almost never has a coloured stipe, and is very crumbly and fragile.
Most of the other common bright red Russula species grow with deciduous
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
trees.
Distribution and habitat
Russula sanguinaria appears in summer and autumn. It is widespread in the northern 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...
zones, and is mycorrhizal with softwood trees, often Pinus (pine) in coniferous woodland, on sandy soils.
Edibility
This mushroom is inedible; has a 'peppery' taste, and is sometimes quite bitter. Many similar-tasting Russulas are poisonous when eaten raw. The symptoms are mainly gastrointestinal in nature: diarrhoea, vomiting and colicColic
Colic is a form of pain which starts and stops abruptly. Types include:*Baby colic, a condition, usually in infants, characterized by incessant crying*Renal colic, a pain in the flank, characteristic of kidney stones...
ky abdominal cramps. The active agent has not been identified but is thought to consist of sesquiterpene
Sesquiterpene
Sesquiterpenes are a class of terpenes that consist of three isoprene units and have the molecular formula C15H24. Like monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes may be acyclic or contain rings, including many unique combinations...
s, which have been isolated from Russula sardonia
Russula sardonia
Russula sardonia, commonly known as the primrose brittlegill, is a mushroom of the Russula genus, which are commonly known as brittlegills. The fruiting body, or mushroom, is a reddish-purple, the colour of blackberry juice, and is found in coniferous woodland in summer and autumn...
, and the related genus Lactarius
Lactarius
Lactarius is a genus of mushroom-producing fungi. The genus, collectively known commonly as milk-caps, are characterized by the fact that they exude a milky fluid if cut or damaged...
.