Overview

Russulas are one of the most frequently encountered mushrooms in the Pacific Northwest. They are often overlooked by mushroom enthusiasts due to their abundance, and difficulty in identification to the species level. It is easy to recognize a russula, but difficult to know exactly which one it is.

Key Characteristics

– White gills
– White spores
– Brittle tissue
– Stem snapping cleanly like an apple
– Often large mushrooms
– Very common

With a little practice, one can begin recognizing the ‘look’ of russulas without close inspection. The challenge with russalas comes when trying to identify the exact species. With potentially over 100 individual species of russula in just the Pacific Northwest, finding characteristics to differentiate among them can be frustrating. Microscopic or genetic work is sometimes required to identify russulas to a species level

See Also