About this fungus
Fragile Brittlegill is a fungus in the Russulaceae family. Its habitat and field characteristics are summarised below.
A small, thin woodland brittlegill whose cap, gills and stem break exceptionally easily. Cap colour is highly variable and may combine pink, purple, red, olive, grey or yellow tones.
What to check
Look for the unusually delicate build, white to cream gills with finely uneven or notched edges, a cap skin that peels well towards the centre, and a white spore print. There is no ring or volva. These features can support the name, but exact separation from similar small brittlegills commonly needs microscopy.
Variation
The cap can be dark purple with a darker centre, violet-pink, red, olive-green, greyish, pale yellow or almost white. Several colours may occur on one cap. Its weak fruity smell can also be absent, especially in old or dry material.
Lookalikes
Other small, fragile Russula species overlap in size and colour, and the old broad name may not represent the same genetic species in every region. Gill-edge form, spore print, spores and microscopic cap structures are more useful together than cap colour or smell alone.
Habitat and range
Ectomycorrhizal on damp, shaded woodland soil with broadleaved or coniferous trees. Reported tree partners include birch and oak, but associations vary geographically. It is not regarded as a food mushroom.
Food safety
Inedible.
Photographs
CC BY-SA 3.0
Jerzy Opioła / CC BY-SA 4.0
Jerzy Opioła / CC BY-SA 3.0