The Sickener

Description:

Commonly known as the Sickener, he looks a bit under the weather himself -- insects and other creatures (Red Squirrels have been found to favor this mushroom) have done a number to it already. There is a huge debate onto what is and isn't considered to be Russula emetica (once, it was common practice to label all red-capped and white-fleshed Russulas as the Sickener), and while microscopic studies aim to describe very similar but slightly different species, it might just turn out that they're all the same!

Habitat:

This guy was smack in the center of a hiking trail that leads up to the sky island Mount Wrightson, presumably daring me to take a bite out of it as well. They have been reported from North America, Europe, northern Africa, and Asia, and fruit in the States close to winter. Sickeners are known to develop under both conifers and hardwoods, are fairly common, and are found alone (such as this one), singly and scattered, in small troops and large groups over a vast area. Occurs on very rotten wood (an odd feature for a Russula).

Notes:

About this mushroom: the red, usually striated-at-margin cap can fade to yellowish and white areas in age, and is usually convex with a slight central depression. The white to cream gills are free, slightly attached (adnexed), or broadly attached (adnate), mediumly-crowded to close, and can sometimes show a hint of yellow. The stem is usually white to cream colored, often bulbous around the base (hard to tell from these shots), and can feature vertical striations running along the stem. There is usually no clear odor or is sometimes "mushroomy" (wood-like). A hot and peppery taste is present. You'll know if it's the Sickener if you begin to suffer from diarrhoea, vomit, and have abdominal cramps after consumption. In some practices, it is safe to eat after thorough cooking (toxins are destroyed), but there are people who would rather not risk it. Other names for it include Emetic Russula and Vomiting Russula.