Short Stemmed Russula

Description:

Fully grown, the cap can range from 7 to 30 cm (3–12 in) in diameter, whitish to dull-yellow in color, and is funnel-shaped with a central depression. The gills are narrow and thin, decurrent in attachment, nearly white when young but becoming pale yellow to buff in age, and sometimes forked near the stipe. The stipe is 3–8 cm long, 2.5–4 cm thick, white in color but with yellowish-brownish discolorations in age. The spore print is white to light cream in color.[2] The variant R. brevipes var acrior Shaffer has a subtle green shading at the stipe apex and on the gills.

Habitat:

It is a common ectomycorrhizal fungus associated with several hosts across temperate forest ecosystems. Recently, it has been reported in Pakistan's Himalayan moist temperate forests associated with Pinus wallichiana.[

Notes:

A non-descript edible species, Russula brevipes is commonly parasitized by the parasitic ascomycete Hypomyces lactifluorum, transforming it into an edible known as a lobster mushroom.