Russula brunneoviolacea or Purple brittlegill

Cap 4-9 cm across; when young it is convex with an inrolled margin, becoming with age flat and spread out with a slightly sunken center. The cap skin is smooth, slimy in wet weather, peels back over 1/2 of the cap. The color is dark purple, wine-violet, with a distinctive blackish center (atropurpurea), paler pinkish-violet toward the edge. Old ones fade to a dingy purple. The margin of mature ones has fine radial grooves.

Cap 3-8 cm across, when young convex with an inrolled margin, with age becoming flattened with a slightly depressed center. The cap skin is smooth, slightly slimy in wet weather, dry and matte in dry weather, peels back about 2/3 of the way to the center. Color: dark violet to violet-blackish at the center, with a characteristic transition to chestnut-brown and ochre at the margin. In mature specimens the margin has fine radial grooves.

Gilled hymenophore: the gills are attached or free from the stem, moderately crowded, thin, brittle. The color is white at first, cream with a pale ocher tinge with age. The spore print is creamy white to pale ocher.

Gilled hymenophore — the gills are attached or free from the stem, moderately crowded, thin, brittle. Color: whitish at first, creamy ochre-yellowish with age because of the ripe spores. Spore print yellow-ochre — a diagnostic feature (sets it apart from the white print of R. vesca and others).

Stem 3-7 cm tall, 1-2 cm thick, firm, cylindrical, hollow in old ones. The color is white to cream, often with gray or gray-purple patches in the lower part. The surface is smooth with fine lengthwise wrinkles. No ring.

Stem 3-7 cm tall, 0.8-2 cm thick, firm, cylindrical, hollow inside in old specimens. Color: whitish, often with a faint pink or ochre tinge toward the base, with brownish-ochre spots in old specimens. Surface smooth with fine lengthwise wrinkles. No ring.

Flesh firm, brittle, white; when damaged it slowly turns slightly gray. The smell is faint, pleasant, fruity-mushroomy, the taste mild in young ones; in mature ones slightly acrid-bitterish in the gills and stem (tongue test).

Flesh firm, brittle, white, when cut slowly turns yellow. Smell faint, pleasant, fruity-mushroomy, taste mild, sweetish and nutty, with no bitterness or acridity.

Faint, pleasant, fruity-mushroomy, neutral.

Faint, pleasant, fruity-mushroomy, neutral.