Green-cracking brittlegill

Russula virescens is known as an edible species. But its green cap means it can be mistaken for the deadly death cap, so never eat it without an expert's identification.

The green-cracking brittlegill has a matt, patchily cracked cap, no ring, no volva and a stem that snaps like chalk. The death cap has a smooth, shiny cap, a ring and a sack-like volva at the base.

In oak and beech woods. Most GBIF records come from İstanbul's northern forests, with others in Kırklareli and Sinop.

From June to October, after summer rain.

Russulas have a stem and flesh that snap cleanly like chalk, no milk, no ring and no volva. Some species are hot-tasting and poisonous, so knowing the genus alone is never enough to decide to eat one.

It belongs to the Russulaceae, the same family as the saffron milk cap and other milk caps (Lactarius).

Yes, green-cracking brittlegill is an edible species. Eat a wild one only after an expert has identified it with certainty: it can be confused with death cap (Amanita phalloides). When picking any green-capped mushroom, dig out the stem base to check for a volva and look for a ring; never eat it until the death cap has been ruled out.

In our calendar, green-cracking brittlegill season runs Jun–Nov. The green-cracking brittlegill fruits from early summer into autumn; Turkish GBIF records fall between June and October.

The green-cracking brittlegill grows in broadleaf woods, especially under oak and beech, forming a mycorrhizal partnership with the trees.

In Turkey, records of the green-cracking brittlegill come mostly from İstanbul's northern forests, with others from Kırklareli and Sinop.

Green-cracking brittlegill can be confused with death cap (Amanita phalloides, deadly), grass-green brittlegill (Russula aeruginea, edible species) and charcoal burner (Russula cyanoxantha, edible species). Look-alikes are compared on this page.

In Turkish, green-cracking brittlegill (Russula virescens) is called Yeşil mantar; other local names include yeşil russula and yeşil kırılgan mantar.