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Monday 24 August 2015

Bloody brittlegill - Russula sanguinaria (Schumach.) Rauschert - Cyprus

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.
Russula sanguinaria appears in summer and autumn. It is widespread in the northern temperate zones, and is mycorrhizal with softwood trees, often Pinus (pine) in coniferous woodland, on sandy soils
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 colicky abdominal cramps. The active agent has not been identified but is thought to consist of sesquiterpenes, which have been isolated from Russula sardonia, and the related genus Lactarius
Around 750 worldwide species of ectomycorrhizal 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. Their distinguishing characteristics include a white to dark yellow spore print, brittle free white gills, and an absence of partial veil or volvatissue on the stem. Members of the related Lactarius genus have similar characteristics but emit a milky latex when their gills are broken. The genus was described by Christian Hendrik Persoon in 1796.
 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Photos Akanthou 26/12/2014 by George Konstantinou


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