Purple-bloom Russula

not listed

not listed

not listed

Purple-bloom Russula is a medium-sized brittlegill mushroom. It is common and widespread in deciduous and mixed woodlands and forests of North America east of the Rocky Mountains. It is found from June through October, singly or in groups, on the ground near hardwoods, especially oaks. It obtains its nutrients from the rootlets of oak and other hardwood trees (mycorrhizal).

The cap is convex when young. As it ages it flattens and sometimes develops a shallow depression at the center. It is ¾″ to 2 ¾″ in diameter, sometimes larger. The color is variable. It is usually purple but may also be purplish-red, reddish, pinkish, olive, yellow, or brown. It is sometimes mottled with two or more of these shades. It is covered with a fine white powder (bloom) giving it a velvety or powdery appearance. The skin on at least the outer half of the cap peels away easily. On mature caps the margin is sometimes narrowly grooved (striate) near the margin.

The gills are white at first, turning cream-colored to pale yellow with age. They are closely spaced and are broadly to narrowly attached to the stalk. The margins are sometimes colored due to contact with the stalk when the mushroom was developing.

The stalk is ¾″ to 3″ long and ⅜″ to 1″ in diameter. It is firm, fairly smooth, white, and often tinged with purple or red. The bottom is the same size or slightly wider than the top.

The flesh is thin, brittle, and white. It does not change color when sliced. It is edible but not pleasant.

The spore print is creamy white to pale yellow.

Hardwood and mixed forests and woodlands

Sources

4, 24, 26, 29, 30, 77.

Common and widely distributed east of the Rocky Mountains, uncommon im Minnesota.

Russula mariae, Lebanon Hills Regional Park

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Location: Dakota County

Location: Hibbing, Mn

Location: Lebanon Hills Regional Park