Bare-toothed russula or Rosy 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.

Cap 5-12 cm across, when young convex with an inrolled margin, with age becoming flattened with a slightly depressed center. The cap skin is firm, dry, matte, faintly velvety-felty, peels only with difficulty and incompletely — minimally or not at all. Color intensely pink, coral-pink, red-pink, with characteristic cream-colored faded patches, deeper in the center. Old fruiting bodies fade markedly to cream, with pink patches surviving only at the edges.

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.

Gilled hymenophore — gills adnate or free from the stem, moderately crowded, thin, brittle. Color white at first, cream with a pale ochre tinge with age. Spore print creamy white.

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.

Stem 4-7 cm tall, 1.5-3 cm thick, very firm, fleshy, cylindrical, with a small cavity in old specimens. Color white, often with a faint pink tinge toward the base or along the whole stem. Surface dry and matte with fine lengthwise wrinkles. No ring.

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).

Flesh very firm, fleshy, brittle, pure white, does not change color when cut. Smell pleasant but nondescript. Taste mild, often recalling cedarwood pencils; some fruiting bodies have a subtle bitterish note in the gills — this is normal.

Faint, pleasant, fruity-mushroomy, neutral.

Pleasant but nondescript. In this species the cedar note is in the taste, not the smell: it often recalls cedarwood pencils.