Species details
Yellow swamp brittlegill
Russula claroflava
Traditionally edible
Photo: Luridiformis at en.wikipedia · CC BY 3.0 · Photo source · License
Description
A bright yellow Russula of damp birch habitats with a white stem that greys markedly with age and handling.
Identification features
The cap is 4–10 cm wide, intensely yellow with partly peelable skin. Gills start white, become slightly yellowish and grey with age. The white stem later turns ash grey.
Identification checklist
Check the bright yellow cap, damp birch habitat, mild taste and strong greying of stem and flesh with age.
Detailed features
- Cap
- The cap is 4–10 cm wide, intensely yellow with partly peelable skin.
- Hymenophore
- Gills start white, become slightly yellowish and grey with age.
- Stem
- The white stem later turns ash grey.
Size
- Cap diameter
- 4–10 cm
Habitat
Grows in groups on damp ground with birch, sometimes alder, in summer and autumn; not common.
Fruiting period
July, August, September, October
Ecology
- Host trees
- Birch (Betula), Alder (Alnus)
- Soil
- Moist
- Notes
- Grows in groups on damp ground with birch, sometimes alder, in summer and autumn; not common.
How to separate similar species
Russula ochroleuca and Russula solaris may also be yellow but are acrid or inedible. Yellow colour alone is therefore insufficient.