Russula rubescens

Appearance

Cap: 4-10 cm; broadly convex when young, later flat or broadly convex; dry; more or less smooth; fairly evenly dull red, but sometimes mottled with whitish, yellowish, or olive areas; fading; the margin not lined or lined faintly and widely; the skin peeling halfway or more to the center.

Gills: Attached or running very slightly down the stem; close or nearly distant; rarely forking; white to cream, eventually yellowish.

Stem: 3-7 cm long; 1-2.5 cm thick; more or less equal; dry; smooth; whitish at first, later discolored grayish; bruising reddish, then blackish over the course of as much as an hour.

Flesh: White; bruising promptly or slowly reddish on exposure, then blackish over the course of as much as an hour.

Odor and Taste: Odor not distinctive; taste mild.

Distribution

Eastern North America

Habitat

Mycorrhizal with hardwoods, especially oaks; growing alone, scattered, or gregariously; summer and fall