Bare-toothed russula or Gilded brittlegill

Cap 5-10 cm across, when young convex with an inrolled margin, with age becoming flattened with a slightly depressed center. The cap skin is smooth, slimy-sticky in wet weather, dry and matte in dry weather, peels back 1/3-2/3 of the way to the center, distinctly shorter than the gill edges (the telltale trait — a "toothed fringe" visible from under the skin). Color: flesh-pink, skin-pink, wine-reddish-cream, with an ochre-cream tinge toward the margin, deeper at the center. Old fruiting bodies are creamy ochre-pink and faded.

The cap of the gilded brittlegill is 4 to 9 centimeters across. When young it is hemispherical, opening with age to convex and flat, sometimes with a slightly depressed center. The surface is smooth, slightly sticky in wet weather, matte or shiny. The coloring is warm — red, orange-red or crimson, often with yellow patches and always with a yellow tint that seems to shine through the red. The skin peels slightly at the margin.

Gilled hymenophore — the gills are attached or free from the stem, moderately crowded, thin, brittle. Color: pure white to creamy white, with no pink or yellow tinge. Spore print white.

The hymenophore is gilled. The gills are fairly crowded and brittle, whitish or cream at first, taking on a characteristic golden-yellow tint as they mature, especially at the edge. The spore print is yellow or ochre-yellow. The yellowish gill edge is one of the telltale features of the species, setting it apart from the white-gilled brittlegills.

Stem 3-7 cm tall, 1.5-3 cm thick, firm, fleshy, cylindrical, with a small cavity in old specimens. Color: white to cream, often with a faint pink or rusty tinge where damaged, with fine browning spots toward the base. Surface smooth with fine lengthwise wrinkles. No ring, no volva — the crucial difference from amanitas.

The stem is cylindrical, white or yellowish-tinged, 4 to 8 centimeters tall, rather fragile, like that of all brittlegills. Golden-yellow tones are often visible on it, especially toward the base. The surface is smooth. There is no ring and no volva. The yellowish tones of the stem together with the red-and-yellow cap set this species apart.

Flesh firm, brittle, white, when damaged slowly takes on a pale pink or cream tinge. Smell faint, pleasant, mushroomy-fruity, taste mild, sweetish and nutty (the tongue test confirms it — no burning at all).

The flesh is white, often yellowish under the cap skin, brittle, and does not change color when cut. The taste is mild and pleasant, without any peppery heat or bitterness, which nicely sets this brittlegill apart from its acrid relatives. Thanks to its mild taste, the mushroom needs no lengthy boiling and suits any cooking method.

Faint, pleasant, fruity-mushroomy, neutral.

The smell is faint, pleasant and mushroomy, with no sharp notes. The aroma is not a defining feature, so for identification you rely on the warm red-and-yellow cap color, the golden-yellow gill edge, the yellowish tones of the stem and the mild taste of the flesh.