Russulaceae
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| Russulaceae | ||||||||||
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| Missing image Russula_emetica.jpg Russula emetica | ||||||||||
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Russulaceae is a family of fungi in the order Agaricales. Its species have typically friable, chalk-like stalks, that break with a distinct crack, like a carrot but with porous flesh. Microscopically, the cells are not all long thin hyphae, which would provide strength and more fibrous appearance when broken. Instead the flesh contains also many large spherical cells ('sphaerocysts'), which give rise to the macroscopic consistency.
Genera
There are only two genera:
- The genus Russula comprises around 160 species, the majority of which are quite difficult to identify. They have splitting gills and do not exude a milky substance at cut surfaces, contrarily to the genus Lactarius. There are several edible species (Russula vesca, Russula viresens or Russula aurata).
- The genus Lactarius, characterized by caps and stalks that exude a milky substance ("latex") when pressed or cut and lactiferous, gloeoplerous hyphae, is a large genus of mycorrhizal fungi. When cut, the mushroom exudes a kind of milky liquid. This liquid is mostly white or yellow, but species with red latex are known. According to several researchers, mushrooms of this genus are carcinogenic. Some species are edible (Lactarius pergamenus, Lactarius helvus or Lactarius volemus), though the majority taste horribly acrid or of unknown edibility.
Links
Taxonomy in Transition: The Russulaceae (http://www.mushroomexpert.com/russulaceae.html)