Russula nigricans Fr.
(Blackening Brittlegill, Blackening Russula)

Taxonomic hierarchy:
SpeciesRussula nigricans (Blackening Brittlegill, Blackening Russula)
GenusRussula (brittlegill toadstools, russulas)
FamilyRUSSULACEAE (milkcaps and russulas)
OrderRUSSULALES (an order of toadstools)
SubclassAGARICOMYCETIDAE (a subclass of basidiomycetes)
ClassAGARICOMYCETES (a class of fungi)
SubphylumAGARICOMYCOTINA (a subphylum of fungi)
PhylumBASIDIOMYCOTA (spore droppers, basidiomycetes)
KingdomFUNGI (true fungi)
DomainEukaryota (eukaryotes)
LifeBIOTA (living things)
Records of Russula nigricans (Blackening Brittlegill, Blackening Russula) :
1: Russula nigricans (Blackening Brittlegill, Blackening Russula)
18 Jul 2017 OSGR: SU31 50° 50’ N, 1° 30’ W Vice County: South Hants (VC 11) England
Young fruitbody, amongst grass under Beech, Oak
Image 1: Fruitbody - young - LS - natural backgroundImage 2: Fruitbody - young - side view - natural backgroundImage 3: Fruitbody - young - top view
2: Russula nigricans (Blackening Brittlegill, Blackening Russula)
26 Oct 2016 OSGR: SU20 50° 50’ N, 1° 40’ W Vice County: South Hants (VC 11) England
Single fruitbody, under Oak, birch, etc
Image 1: Cap - top viewImage 2: Fruitbody - lain down to show stipe and gillsImage 3: Fruitbody - LS - 1: after 1 min.Image 4: Fruitbody - LS - 2: after 5 minsImage 5: Fruitbody - LS - 3: after 10 minsImage 6: Fruitbody - LS - 4: after 40 minsImage 7: Fruitbody - LS - 5: after 3 hrs - white backgroundImage 8: Fruitbody - LS - 6: after 1 day - white backgroundImage 9: Fruitbody - oblique viewImage 10: Fruitbody - oblique view (2)Image 11: Fruitbody - side viewImage 12: Gills - close-upImage 13: Spore print - enlarged - white backgroundImage 14: Stipe apex and gills - close-up - enlargedImage 15: Stipe rubbed with Ferrous Sulphate - enlargedImage 16: Stipe rubbed with Ferrous Sulphate - enlarged (2)Image 17: Spores - magnifiedImage 18: Spores - magnified (2)Image 19: Spores - magnified (3)Image 20: Spores - highly magnifiedImage 21: Spores - highly magnified (2)Image 22: Spores - highly magnified (3)Image 23: Spores - highly magnified (4)Image 24: Spores - highly magnified (5)Image 25: Spores - highly magnified (6)
3: Russula nigricans (Blackening Brittlegill, Blackening Russula)
5 Sep 2000 OSGR: SU91 50° 60’ N, 0° 40’ W Vice County: West Sussex (VC 13) England
under Birch
Image 1: CapImage 2: Fruitbody - in situ - side viewImage 3: Fruitbody - LS - 10 minutes after cuttingImage 4: Fruitbody - LS - 2 minutes after cuttingImage 5: Fruitbody - LS - after 1 hourImage 6: Fruitbody - LS - after 3 hoursImage 7: Fruitbody - LS - freshly cutImage 8: Fruitbody - side viewImage 9: Gills - close-upImage 10: SporesImage 11: Spores (2)Image 12: Spores - equatorial focusImage 13: Spores - surface focusImage 14: Spores - surface focus (2)Image 15: Spores - surface focus (3)Image 16: Spores - surface focus (4)Image 17: Spores - surface focus (5)
4: Russula nigricans (Blackening Brittlegill, Blackening Russula)
14 Oct 1978 OSGR: SU93 51° 10’ N, 0° 40’ W Vice County: Surrey (VC 17) England
Image 1: Fruitbody - old - upturned to show gills
5: Russula nigricans (Blackening Brittlegill, Blackening Russula)
26 Sep 1975 OSGR: SD67 54° 10’ N, 2° 30’ W Vice County: Mid-west Yorks (VC 64) England
Image 1: Fruitbodies - in rain - top view - in situ
6: Russula nigricans (Blackening Brittlegill, Blackening Russula)
9 Sep 1971 OSGR: TQ21 50° 60’ N, 0° 10’ W Vice County: East Sussex (VC 14) England
Image 1: Collection

Identification Works

AuthorYearTitleSource
() Kibby, G. 2001 Key to blackening species of Russula of section Compactae Field Mycology Vol 2 (3): 95-97, rear cover.

Russula nigricans (Blackening Brittlegill, Blackening Russula) may also be included in identification literature listed under the following higher taxa:

NBNNBN (data.nbn.org.uk) has a distribution map for Russula nigricans (Blackening Brittlegill, Blackening Russula)
BioInfoBioInfo (www.bioinfo.org.uk) has 10 host/parasite/foodplant and/or other relationships for Russula nigricans (Blackening Brittlegill, Blackening Russula)

The cap commences dirty white but soon blackens. The gills are thick, distant and fragile. All parts of the fungus bruise red, then slowly turn black. Very common under broad-leaved and coniferous trees.

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