Russula birch (Russula betularum) photo and description

Russula birch (Russula betularum)

• Emetic russula

Birch Russula (Russula emetica) is a fungus belonging to the Russula family and the Russula genus.

Birch russula (Russula emetica) is a fleshy fruiting body, consisting of a cap and a stem, the flesh of which is characterized by white color and great fragility. At high humidity, it changes its color to grayish, has a slight smell and a sharp taste.

The mushroom cap in diameter reaches 2-5 cm, is characterized by a large thickness, but at the same time it is very brittle. In immature fruiting bodies, it is flattened, has wavy edges. As the fungus matures, it becomes slightly depressed. Its color can be very diverse, from rich red to copper. True, more often the hat of birch russula is lilac-pink, with a yellowish tinge in the center. At high humidity, it can become spotty, changing its color to cream. The top skin is very easy to remove from the cap.

The leg of birch russula is initially characterized by high density, but in wet weather it becomes very brittle and gets very wet. Its thickness along the entire length is approximately the same, but sometimes it is thinner in the upper part. The leg of birch russula is yellowish or white, wrinkled, often empty inside (especially in ripe fruiting bodies).

The hymenophore of the fungus is lamellar, consists of thin, rare and brittle plates, slightly fused with the surface of the stem. They are white and have jagged edges. The spore powder also has a white color, consists of small ovoid particles that form an incomplete network.

The described species is widely distributed in Northern Europe. Birch russula got its name for growing in birch forests. In addition, mushrooms of this species can also be found in mixed coniferous-deciduous forests, where many birches grow. Russula birch love to grow in wet places, sometimes found in swampy areas, on sphagnum. Russula birch mushroom is common in Our Country, Belarus, Great Britain, European countries, Ukraine, Scandinavia. Active fruiting begins in the middle of summer, and continues until the end of the first half of autumn.

Birch russula (Russula betularum) belongs to the number of conditionally edible mushrooms, but some mycologists classify it as inedible. The use of fresh mushrooms of this species can lead to mild gastrointestinal poisoning. True, the use of the fruiting bodies of the fungus along with the upper film, which contains toxic substances, leads to such an effect. If it is removed before eating mushrooms, then there will be no poisoning by them.