Russula yellow (Russula claroflava) photo and description

Russula yellow (Russula claroflava)

Russula yellow immediately noticeable by the intense yellow cap, which is hemispherical, then almost flat and finally funnel-shaped, 5-10 cm in diameter, smooth, dry, with a smooth edge and with a skin peeling off along the edge. Margin more or less curved at first, then smooth, obtuse. The peel is shiny, sticky, removable for half of the cap. The plates are white, then pale yellow, with damage and aging they turn gray.

The leg is always white (never reddish), smooth, cylindrical, grayish at the base, dense.

The flesh is strong, white, usually grayish in air, with a slight sweetish or floral odor and a sweetish or slightly pungent taste, white, turning gray at the break and, finally, turning black, inedible or slightly edible when young.

Spore powder of ocher color. Spores 8,5-10 x 7,5-8 µm, ovate, spiny, with a well-developed reticulum. Pileocystidia are absent.

The fungus is characterized by a pure yellow color, non-caustic, graying flesh and yellowish spores.

Habitat: from mid-July to the end of September in damp deciduous (with birch), in pine-birch forests, along the edges of swamps, in moss and blueberries, singly and in small groups, not uncommon, more common in the northern regions of the forest zone.

It grows often, but not abundantly in damp birch, pine-birch forests, on the outskirts of sphagnum bogs from July to October.

The mushroom is edible, classified in the 3rd category. You can use it fresh salted.

Russula yellow – edible, has a pleasant taste, but is less valued than other russula, in particular, ocher russula. A good edible mushroom (category 3), used fresh (boil about 10-15 minutes) and salted. When boiled, the flesh darkens. It is better to collect young mushrooms with dense pulp.

Similar species

Russula ochroleuca prefers drier places, grows under both deciduous and coniferous trees. It has a sharper taste and lighter plates. Does not turn gray when damaged.