Species details
Olive brittlegill
Russula olivacea
Conditional / expert preparation
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Description
A large robust Russula with a variably olive, reddish, or brown cap, ochre gills, and often a pink-flushed stem.
Identification features
The cap is large, thick-fleshed, and highly variable in colour. Brittle gills become ochre. The stout stem is white or flushed pink to wine-red.
Identification checklist
Check size, brittle Russula texture, ochre spore print, gill colour, and the overall colour pattern. Microscopic characters may be needed for certainty.
Detailed features
- Cap
- The cap is large, thick-fleshed, and highly variable in colour.
- Hymenophore
- Brittle gills become ochre.
- Stem
- The stout stem is white or flushed pink to wine-red.
- Flesh
- White to yellowish and brittle, with a faint fruity smell.
- Smell
- Faintly fruity.
- Spore print
- Yellow-ochre.
Size
- Cap diameter
- 7–20 cm
- Stem height
- 4–10 cm
- Stem diameter
- 1,5–4 cm
Habitat
Mycorrhizal in deciduous and mixed woodland, often with beech and oak, in summer and autumn.
Fruiting period
July, August, September, October
Ecology
- Trophic mode
- Mycorrhizal
- Host trees
- Beech (Fagus), Spruce (Picea)
- Substrate
- Forest soil
- Notes
- Mycorrhizal in deciduous and mixed woodland, often with beech and oak, in summer and autumn.
How to separate similar species
Several large Russula are very similar and cap colour is variable. Identification from a photo or colour alone is insufficient.
Similar species
Interesting facts
Did you know? It is among the largest Russulas; cap colour is highly variable and is not sufficient on its own.