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The sickener

Russula emetica · Brittlegills (Russula)

Poisonous
The sickener
📷 Piotr J, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Poisonous. Causes gastrointestinal upset, especially raw.

Recognise it safely – what matters

  1. Bright red cap, pure white gills and white stem
  2. Grows in bogs and sphagnum moss
  3. Only pick red brittlegills with a certain identification

Features

Cap
3–10 cm, bright cherry to scarlet red, cap skin peels off.
Underside
Gills: pure white.
Stem
White, brittle.
Flesh
White, brittle, very hot.
Smell
Fruity
Spore print
White

Season

Habitat

Damp coniferous forests and bogs, often in sphagnum moss.

Furu, Gran, Bjørk

Risk of confusion

Rørsopp Edible species Brittlegills include mild species and hot, poisonous ones – red ones only with a certain identification.

If someone has eaten it

Violent vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach cramps; in children and older people the loss of fluids can become dangerous. First symptoms: usually 30 minutes to 3 hours after eating.

Act immediately – even without symptoms:

  • Emergency number 112 if someone feels unwell.
  • Poison centre: Germany – area code of the nearest city with a poison centre + 19240 (e.g. Berlin 030 19240, Munich 089 19240) · Austria +43 1 406 43 43 · Switzerland 145.
  • Keep leftovers, trimmings or vomit – it helps with identification.

Never identify mushrooms by pictures or an app alone. When in doubt, ask a mushroom expert – and only pick what you know for sure.

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