Russula

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Russula

The Sickener (R. emetica)

Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Fungi
Subkingdom:
Dikarya
Phylum:
Basidiomycota
Subphylum:
Agaricomycotina
Class:
Agaricomycetes
Order:
Russulales
Family:
Russulaceae
Russula
Genus:
Pers. 1797

Diversity
c.700 species
Around 750 worldwide species of mycorrhizal mushrooms compose the genus Russula.
They are typically common, fairly large, and brightly colored - making them one of the
most recognizable genera among mycologists and mushroom collectors. Their
distinguishing characteristics include a white to dark yellow spore print, brittle free
white gills, and an absence of partial veil or volva tissue on the stem. Members of the
related Lactarius genus have similar characteristics but emit a milky latex when their
gills are broken. The genus was described by Christian Hendrik Persoon in 1796.
Russula means reddish.

Identification

Like the genus Lactarius, Russulas have a distinctive flesh consistency, which is also
reflected in the appearance of the gills and stipe, and normally makes them immediately
recognizable. They have no trace of a veil (no ring, or veil remnants on the cap). The
gills are brittle except in a few cases, and cannot be bent parallel with the cap without
breaking. The spore powder varies from white to cream, or even orange.
While it is relatively easy to identify a sample mushroom as belonging to this genus, it
is a significant challenge to distinguish member species of Russula. This task often
requires microscopic characteristics, and subtle subjective distinctions, such as the
difference between a mild to bitter and a mild to acrid flavor. Moreover the exact
phylogenetic relationships of these mushrooms have yet to be resolved in the
professional mycological community, and may ultimately depend on DNA sequencing
analysis.

The Sickener (Russula emetica)

The following characteristics are often important in identifying individual species:

the exact color of the spore powder (white/cream/ochre),

the taste (mild/bitter/acrid),

color changes in the flesh,

the distance from the centre to which the cap skin can be pulled off: (peeling
percentage).

cap color (but this is often very variable within one species),

reaction of the flesh to ferrous sulphate (FeSO4), formalin, alkalis, and other
chemicals,

ornamentation of the spores, and

other microscopic characteristics, such as the appearance of the cystidia in

various mounting reagents.

Despite the difficulty in positively identifying collected specimens, the possibility to

spot the toxic species by their acrid taste makes some of the mild species, such as R.

cyanoxantha and R. vesca, popular edible mushrooms. As far as is known, no species of

Russula is deadly poisonous and mild-tasting ones are all edible.[1] Note that this rule
applies only to Russulas and not to other types of mushrooms!

Toxicity
The main pattern of toxicity seen among Russula species to date has been
gastrointestinal symptoms in those with a bitter taste when eaten raw or undercooked;
many of these are red-capped species such as R. emetica, R. sardonia and R. nobilis.
However, rhabdomyolysis was seen after consumption of R. subnigricans in Taiwan.
Several active agents have been isolated; one designated russuphelin A by researchers in
Japan.[2]
Russula emetica, commonly known as the sickener, is a basidiomycete mushroom of
the genus Russula, one of many species with a predominantly red-coloured cap and
white gills and stalk. It gets its common name from its inedibility, as it causes vomiting
and diarrhea when consumed. It has an extremely peppery taste, which is said partly to
disappear on cooking, along with its toxicity, though eating it is not recommended.
Mixing one emetica with otherwise edible red Russula will ruin the whole meal, and it
is a common reason some do not pick any red Russula-species.

Taxonomy
R. emetica was first described as Agaricus emeticus by Jacob Christian Schaeffer in
1774,[1] before being placed in the new genus Russula by Christian Hendrik Persoon in
1796, where it remains. Its specific epithet is derived from the Ancient Greek
emetikos/ 'emetic' or 'vomit-inducing'.[2] Similarly, its common names of
sickener, emetic russula and vomiting russula also refer to this attribute.
The uncommon European subspecies R. emetica longipes is distinguished by its longer
stalk and ochre-coloured gills.[3] The paler European mushroom Russula betularum of
coniferous forests and moorland is sometimes considered a subspecies.[3]

Description
The sticky cap is 310 cm (14 in) wide and a bright scarlet or cherry red in colour
with finely ridged margins. The cuticle is readily peeled from the cap.[4] It is initially
convex, then later flat, or depressed. The brittle flesh is white and the taste is very sharp
and peppery. The spore print is white, as are the narrowly spaced gills. The stipe is up to
7 cm (3 in) long and 1 cm ( in) wide, cylindrical and white.[5] The fungus has an
unusual fruity smell.
It is one of many red-coloured species of Russula; the related Beechwood Sickener (R.
nobilis) is found under beech in Europe. Many, such as the paler R. sanguinaria, are
inedible, though R. aurea is edible and good: it has a yellow stem, gills and flesh under
its red cap.[6] Another inedible species, R. fragilis has notched gills, and its stalk stains

blue with naphthol.[7] The red pigments of this and other russulas are water soluble to
some degree, and fruiting bodies will often bleach or fade with rain or sunlight.[8]
Spores are roughly spherical, with dimensions of 810 m; they are hyaline, and
covered with small spines (echinulate).[4]

Distribution and habitat

The Sickener may be found in wet places in coniferous woodlands in Europe, North
Africa, Asia and North America, and can be very common.[3] There is some doubt over
the extent of its range in North America, as some sightings refer to the related Russula
silvicola; initially the name "Russula emetica" was often applied to any red-capped
white russula encountered. Sightings in Australia are now referred to the similarly
coloured Russula persanguinea.

Toxicity
As its name implies, the Sickener is inedible, though not as dangerous as once described
in older mushroom guides. The symptoms are mainly gastrointestinal in nature:
diarrhoea, vomiting and colicky abdominal cramps. The active agent has not been
identified but thought to be sesquiterpenes, which have been isolated from the related
genus Lactarius and from Russula sardonia.[9]
The bitter taste does disappear on cooking and it is said to be edible, though not
recommended.[7] A study in England and southern Scotland found that the Red Squirrel
(Sciurus vulgaris) is known to forage for, store and eat the Sickener.[1

Russula emetica, the vomiting Russula.

It goes without
saying that this
month's fungus,
Russula
emetica, is not
edible. That's
the value of
Latin names-they convey
something
interesting
about the
fungus that
helps you to
remember it. In
this case,
emetica refers

to the gastrointestinal "unpleasantness" induced by eating this mushroom. In

other words, if you eat it, you will almost certainly throw up, undergo emesis,
puke, ralph, buick, upchuck, hurl, heave, spew, have a Technicolor TM yawn,
toss your cookies, worship the porcelain goddess, or maybe even vomit!

Russula emetica is characterized by having a red cap (pileus) in which the

cuticle peels 1/3-3/4 of cap radius, a pure white stem (stipe), and a very acrid
or peppery hot taste. To test the taste of a mushroom, break off a very small
piece of the cap and gills, about 2 mm X 2 mm, and chew it in your mouth,
rolling it around all parts of your tongue for a few seconds, then SPIT IT OUT
(i.e. do not swallow it). You should NEVER taste mushrooms you know to be
deadly poisonous, such as Amanita bisporigera and the other death angels or
Galerina autumnalis and related species. You probably should not taste
possible hallucinogens such as Amanita muscaria or Psilocybe species, or
even known gastrointestinal upsetters such as Omphalotus illudens or
Chlorophyllum molybdites. Although it is unlikely that using this method you
could absorb enough of any toxin to cause you any problems, I DO NOT
TAKE RESPONSINBILITY FOR ANY OF YOUR ACTIONS. (How's that
for a disclaimer?) In any case R. emetica is one of the hottest, most acrid
members of its genus and among the hottest of mushrooms. As you can
imagine, you will not have a pleasant dining experience for many reasons.
However, all that being said, there is some doubt as to whether we have true
Russula emetica in North America, but indications are that we probably do.
However, the species is probably restricted to Sphagnum bogs. In Europe,
from where it was described by Fries, it certainly does exist. More news will
be forthcoming as more DNA phylogenetic studies are done on the Russulales.

It is

relatively east to identify a mushroom as a member of the genus Russula,

although the species are quite difficult to distinguish. Russula and Lactarius

species are unique among mushrooms in that they contain sphaerocysts, a

fancy name for spherical cells that in profile appear round. These sphaerocysts
cause the members of these genera to be more fragile than "regular"
mushrooms of the same size and stature. In general, Russula species are even
more fragile than Lactarius, such as Lactarius indigo, which also differs in
having a milky latex exude from the gills when cut. In addition, the stem of
both genera typically breaks very cleanly like a piece of chalk. Russula can be
easily identified by the "drop-kick" method-- the mushroom should shatter
into a million pieces if properly kicked. There are, of course, many exceptions
to the drop-kick rule (such as the tough Russula brevipes and the very dense
Russula compacta group), but it's fun to try anyway, especially in frustration
in trying to identify most Russula species. In the pink picture "A" contains
sphaerocysts of a Russula. Compare this with "B," the hyphal construction of
a "regular" mushroom, in this case, an, Inocybe. It is not known why these
sphaerocysts exist, but, along with amyloid ornamented basidiospores, they do
place Russula and Lactarius in a different family called the Russulaceae. As it
turns out, the Russulaceae have more in common with the polypore genera
Bondarzewia, Albatrellus and Heterobasidion, the false truffles Zelleromyces
and Macowanites, some tooth fungi, such as Hericium and Auriscalpium, the
coral fungus Clavicorona pyxidata and even some of the corticioid (crust)
fungi such as Gloeocystidiellum and Vararia. All of these have amyloid spores
(blue in Melzer's reagent, which is mostly iodine), and along with the
Russulaceae, they are placed in an order called the Russulales. You may recall
that most of the other gilled fungi are in the Agaricales. One exception is
Lentinellus, which gets classified in the Russulales. You can read more about
the DNA studies that came to these conclusions at Steve Miller's Russulales
Website at the University of Wyoming. In particular see his Phylogenetic tree
of the Russulales.

All Russula and

Lactarius species are
mycorrhizal, which
means they have a
mutualistic association
with the roots of trees,
especially members of
the oak family
(Fagaceae) and pine
family (Pinaceae). In
this mutualism, the
fungus receives sugars
from the tree's
photosynthesis, while

the trees benefit by the fungal ability to absorb water and minerals,
particularly phosphorous and nitrogen. Thus both organisms benefit, and
neither one would survive very well without the other. Plants with
mycorrhizae have a definite competitive advantage of those without. In fact,
more than 90% of vascular plants form some sort of mycorrhizal association.
Although most of the species prefer wet weather, it's a common occurrence
that Russulas can be found when it's very dry, and there aren't many other
mushrooms around. Sometimes Russulas can compose the greatest amount of
mushroom biomass collected on your foray into the forest on any particular
day. Besides benefiting the trees, thee is a large input of energy to the forest
ecosystem benefits by this large amount of biomass. In particular, Russula
species make great food for slugs, as shown to the left and below to the right.
As long as it's wet, the slugs will be out eating what seems to be quite a treat
for them.

There are hundreds, if not thousands of Russula species, most of which are not
well characterized nor well delimited, mostly because they are obligate
mutualists and cannot be cultured. Most species are very difficult to identify.
Even if you find a red Russula and think it's R. emetica, you're probably
wrong. At Bart Buyck's Russulales News you can find an online key to the
Russula species in
North America by
Geoff Kibby and Ray
Fatto. According to
their key, I counted
128 (one hundred
twenty-eight!!) species
of Russula that can
have a red pileus-- 83
of these have a red
pileus and an entirely
white stem! Some characters that must be noted are:

Color and size of the cap (pileus)

Color of the stem, including any changes in color between the bottom
of the stem and the top

Exact color of the gills

Exact color of the spore print (ranges from pure white to cream to tan to
almost yellow)

Whether or not the cap cuticle peels, and to what extent

Taste (acrid, mild, or bitter)

Any staining reactions of the stem or the cap on bruising (usually some
gray or brown)

Whether or not the gils fork dichotomously (rare)

Odor (some smell vaguely of fish or shrimp, and others smell like
almonds or maraschino cherries--some just smell indescribably foul)

Basidiospore length and ornamentation, as well as many other

microscopic features.

For more pictures of the Russulales see my pictures of the Russulales. I have
lots more on my computer.
For LOTS more great information and more pictures of the Russulales see
these two great sites. Both are excellent resources.

Bart Buyck's Russulales News web page.

Steve Miller's Russulales Website.

I hope you enjoyed learning something about Russula emetica and the rest of
the Russulales. They are beautiful and photogenic mushrooms, but frustrating
and difficult to identify to species. However, with some practice, you can do
it! Good Luck! Otherwise just enjoy their beauty.