Boston Mycological Club
There are a few of these large blackening Russulas. R. nigricans is generally the one with the farthest-spaced gills. When bruised the color goes from red to black. When young, these mushrooms are white. Similar mushrooms to check for comparison are R. dissimulans, R. albonigra, and R. densifolia. Although R. albonigra is noted for not having the red intermediate phase in the color when bruised. This mushroom, when finally "matured" to a black corpse of itself, is often the host to Asterophera lycoperdoides. (The mushroom in the photo may be R. dissimulans.)
Bessette - Mushrooms of Northeastern North
America; page 245
Lincoff - Audubon Field Guide to North American
Mushrooms; page 701 (in the notes under R. dissimulans)
Barron - Mushrooms of Northeast North America;
page 311
Kibby - Mushrooms and Other Fungi; page 35
(this reference is for R. dissimulans)
Phillips - Mushrooms of North America; page
109
Arora - Mushrooms Demystified; page 90 (in
the comments under R. densifolia)
|
| Collected 2001-07-22; Stow, MA; Woodhead Farm. |