The Purple Brittlegill (Russula atropurpurea) is one of Britain's commonest brittlegills, with a glossy cap that is deep red to purple at the edge and almost black at the centre, often fading to paler or cream patches. The gills and stem are white, the stem greying with age, and like all brittlegills the flesh snaps cleanly like chalk. It has a faint fruity smell of apples.
It grows with oak and beech and other broadleaf trees, from early summer into autumn. The Fragile Brittlegill (Russula fragilis) is smaller and more delicate, with minutely toothed gill edges, while the Crab Brittlegill (Russula xerampelina) develops a fishy smell. Edibility reports vary, as the taste ranges from mild to quite hot, so it is not one to collect.
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Distribution
Very common and widespread
Habitat
With mixed trees
Etymology
Russula is a diminutive of the Latin russus, 'reddish', after the red caps of many species. atropurpurea is from the Latin ater, 'black', and purpureus, 'purple', after the dark centre of the cap.
Associates
Fagus, Quercus
Conservation
Cap
The cap is 5-12 cm across, convex with a depressed centre and smooth. It is red to purple, often blackish towards the centre, though it often has light spots or is entirely cream at the centre. The cuticle peels about 45% of the way in.
| Colour | |
|---|---|
| Shape | Convex, Depressed |
| Surface | Smooth |
| Width | 5 - 12 cm |
| Peeling | 9/20 |
Gills
Crowded and white to pale cream; brittle.
| Colour | |
|---|---|
| Spacing | crowded |
Flesh
White and brittle, breaking cleanly like chalk.
| Colour | |
|---|---|
| Odour | Fruity, of apples |
| Taste | Mild to acrid in gills |
Stem
The stem is cylindrical and smooth, white becoming ash-grey with age. It is firm when fresh, later soft and fragile, and has no ring.
| Colour | |
|---|---|
| Texture | Smooth |
| Shape | Cylindric |
Macrochemicals
The guaiac reaction is positive, from slow to rapid.
Spores
The warts are blunt and 0.5-0.7μm high, forming short chains with scattered fine connectives. The subglobose spores are 7-9 x 5.5-7 μm.
| Colour | |
|---|---|
| Shape | Subglobose |
| Ornamentation | Warty |
| Size | 7-9 x 5.5-7 μm |
Microscopic Features
Dermatocystidia are cylindrical to subclavate, often capitate, 4-6μm across and 0-1 septate.
| Dermatocystidia | Cylindrical, Capitate |
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Classification
- ↳ Phylum: Basidiomycota
- ↳ Subphylum: Agaricomycotina
- ↳ Class: Agaricomycetes
- ↳ Order: Russulales
- ↳ Family: Russulaceae
- ↳ Genus: Russula
Synonyms
- Agaricus atropurpureus Krombh.
- Russula atropurpurea (Krombh.) Britzelm.
- Russula atropurpurea var. krombholzii
- Russula atropurpurea var. krombholzii Singer nom. illegit.
- Russula depallens sensu Cooke [Ill. Brit. Fung. 985 (1021) Vol. 7 (1888)]
- Russula depallens var. atropurpurea (Krombh.) Melzer & Zvára
- Russula krombholzii Shaffer
- Russula rubra sensu Cooke [Ill. Brit. Fung. 996 (1025) Vol. 7 (1888)]
- Russula undulata Velen.
Reference Sources
T. Læssøe, J. H. Peterson (2019) Fungi of Temperate Europe Vol. 1. Princeton University Press.
G. Kibby (2021) The Genus Russula in Great Britain. Geoffrey Kibby.
