Species details
Purple brittlegill
Russula atropurpurea
Inedible
Photo: Dominicus Johannes Bergsma · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Photo source · License
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Description
A robust purple to wine-red Russula with an almost black cap centre, white stem and a more or less acrid taste.
Identification features
The cap is about 8–12 cm wide, purple to wine-red, often very dark centrally and glossy. Gills start white and may later brown-spot. The stem remains white.
Identification checklist
Check the very dark purple cap centre, white stem and young white gills. In Russula, colour alone is not sufficient for identification.
How to separate similar species
Several wine-red or violet Russula are similar. Reliable identification requires a combination of colour, taste, spore print and habitat.
Habitat
Grows with broadleaved and coniferous trees, often with oak and in mixed woods, from summer to late autumn; common.
Fruiting period
June, July, August, September, October, November