Russula fragilis
Epicr. syst. mycol.: 359. 1838.
Common Name: none
For description see Roberts, Siegel & Schwarz, & 'California Mushrooms'.
Scattered to gregarious on well decayed wood or in duff in conifer forests, oak woodlands, and boreal forests; fruiting in fall, fairly common throughout the state.
Unknown, strongly acrid.
Russula fragilis can be distinguished by its small size, variable cap colors, white gills, stipe, and spores, and acrid taste. The cap displays a combination of white, green, olive, red, purple, and blackish purple tones, typically with a dark disc. Another Russula with a multi-colored cap is Russula xerampelina, but it larger, has a mild taste, shrimp-like odor, a stipe with pink to purple tones, and a positive grayish green reaction to ferrous sulfate.
Arora, D. (1986). Mushrooms Demystified. Ten Speed Press: Berkeley, CA. 959 p.
Desjardin, D.E., Wood, M.G. & Stevens, F.A. (2015). California Mushrooms: The Comprehensive Identification Guide. Timber Press: Portland, OR. 560 p.
Kränzlin, F. (2005). Fungi of Switzerland. Volume 6: Russulaceae. Verlag Mykologia: Luzern, Switzerland. 317 p.
Knudsen, H. & Vesterholt, J. ed. (2008). Funga Nordica: Agaricoid, boletoid and cyphelloid genera. Nordsvamp: Copenhagen, Denmark. 965 p.
Knudsen, H. & Vesterholt, J. ed. (2012). Funga Nordica: Agaricoid, boletoid, clavarioid, cyphelloid and gastroid genera. Vol. 1. Nordsvamp: Copenhagen, Denmark. 511 p.
Roberts, C. (2007). Russulas of southern Vancouver Island coastal forests. Doctoral dissertation. University of Victoria: Victoria, BC, Canada. 667 p. (PDF)
Siegel, N. & Schwarz, C. (2016). Mushrooms of the Redwood Coast. Ten Speed Press: Berkeley, CA. 601 p.
Thiers, H.D. (1997). The Agaricales (Gilled Fungi) of California. 9. Russulaceae I. Russula. Mad River Press: Eureka, CA. 158 p.
