Russula under birch

[treecreeper]

I can't make up my mind about this russula, which was growing under birch on wet sandy clay. Colour is usually white at first, slightly darker at centre, but soon pink-vinaceous in patches with the white showing. Usually convex but sometimes with a broad umbo. Slightly sticky (but in the rain). Stipe white, more or less clavate. Taste only moderately hot. No particular smell.

Choices seem to be

R. betularum
R. gracillima
R. luteotacta
R. exalbicans (R. pulchella as was)

Any ideas please.

[Andy Overall]

Originally Posted by treecreeper

I can't make up my mind about this russula, which was growing under birch on wet sandy clay. Colour is usually white at first, slightly darker at centre, but soon pink-vinaceous in patches with the white showing. Usually convex but sometimes with a broad umbo. Slightly sticky (but in the rain). Stipe white, more or less clavate. Taste only moderately hot. No particular smell.

Choices seem to be

R. betularum
R. gracillima
R. luteotacta
R. exalbicans (R. pulchella as was)

Any ideas please.

R. exalbicans for me. Pink and white combination is good, as is the host. The singular shot shows classic R. exalbicans with the pinkish margin, surrounded by white and then a dirty green centre.

Andy

[treecreeper]

Thanks Andy, I'll go with Russula exalbicans. Spore print is quite a deep cream colour which rules out R. luteotacta and R. betularum (spores 'whitish') and probably rules out R. gracillima (spores 'pale cream to cream'). Also it closely matches the photo of R. exalbicans in Roger Phillips.