Fishbiscuit Russula

Appearance

Cap: 3-18 cm; convex when young, later flat or broadly convex, often with a slightly sunken center; sticky when fresh; more or less smooth, the cap "skin" peeling about halfway to the center, sometimes breaking up in age; white to whitish or orangish yellow when young, but soon discoloring dirty yellowish to reddish brown, and in age appearing completely tawny brown; bruising reddish brown; the margin not lined.

Gills: Attached to the stem; crowded, close, or almost distant; white to cream, eventually yellowish cream; bruising and discoloring reddish brown.

Stem: 3-10 cm long; 1-3.5 cm thick; sturdy; more or less equal; dry; smooth; whitish, but soon flushed reddish brown; bruising reddish brown.

Flesh: White; discoloring yellowish to yellowish brown or reddish brown on exposure; thick.

Distribution

East of the Rocky Mountains, with range extending as far south as Costa Rica.

Habitat

Mycorrhizal with hardwoods, and with conifers in northern areas; growing scattered or gregariously