Russula vivida

Detailed description

A robust mushroom, with the cap up to 4.5 cm diameter, bright red to madder red. It is centrally depressed at maturity, slightly viscid, glabrous, and finely rugulose and creviced towards margins. The gills, which are joined to the stipe (adnate), are crowded, thin, simple or occasionally forked near the stipe. They are up to 4 mm deep, white, but tinted bright red in places. The stalk is 3.5 cm long and 1 cm diameter. It is solid, dry, finely felted under lens, and white with faint reddish tints. The flesh is white, and does not change colour on exposure to air. Spore print not known. The spores are elliptical to broadly elliptical, 7–10 x 6.5–8 µm. They are obliquely apiculate, with the apiculus to 1.5 µm long. The spores are ornamented with amyloid truncated spines and verrucae to 0.7(–1) µm high, isolated, in confluent groups, or joined by fine amyloid ridges and forming a partial reticulum. The context of the cap is white, unchanging. Both the gills and context have a mild taste.