Ochre Brittlegill

Ochre Brittlegill Russula ochroleuca Pers. (illustrated 50% life size) Cap 4–10cm across, convex then flattening and with a depression, margin eventually furrowed; ochre, yellow, or sometimes greenish-yellow; fleshy; two-thirds peeling. Stem 40–70×15–25mm; white, greying slightly with age, especially when waterlogged. Flesh white; taste from mild to moderately hot. Gills adnexed; creamy. Spores 8–10×7–8µ, broadly ovate; warts up to 1.2µ high, joined by numerous fine lines forming a fairly well-developed network. Spore print whitish to pale cream (A–C). Cap surface cystidia absent; hyphae 2–3µ wide, often with yellow encrusting pigment. Habitat with broad-leaved trees and conifers; late summer to late autumn. Very common. Edible.