Russula integra or Crab brittlegill

Cap 6-15 cm across, when young hemispherical, with age becoming flat and spread out with a slightly depressed center. The skin is smooth, slimy in wet weather, dry and matte in dry weather, peels easily over 2/3 of the cap toward the center. Color: dark purple, chestnut-purple, wine-red, with a darker center and lighter margin. In mature specimens the margin has fine radial grooves resembling coarse ribbing.

Cap 5-15 cm across, when young hemispherical, becoming with age flat and spreading with a slightly depressed center. The cap skin is matte, slightly sticky in wet weather, dry and matte in dry weather, peels easily 2/3 of the way to the center. Color wine-red, purple-violet, burgundy in the center, paler toward the edge, fading to pinkish-gray and ochre. In mature caps the edge has fine radial grooves.

Gilled hymenophore — the gills are attached or free from the stem, moderately spaced, fleshy, brittle. Color when young: whitish, with age turning ochre-cream to yellowish from the ripe yellow-ochre spores. Spore print yellow-ochre — a diagnostic feature (distinguishes it from the rusty brown of webcaps).

Gilled hymenophore — the gills are attached or free from the stem, moderately crowded, fleshy, brittle. Color cream-white when young, becoming ochre-yellow to yellow-brown with age (from the mature spore powder). Spore print yellow-ochre to yellow-brown.

Stem 4-8 cm tall, 1.5-3 cm thick, firm, fleshy, cylindrical, hollow inside in old specimens. Color: white to creamy white, with a faint yellowish tint when old, browning toward the base. Surface smooth with fine lengthwise wrinkles. No ring.

Stem 5-10 cm tall, 1.5-3 cm thick, firm, fleshy, cylindrical, hollow inside in old specimens. Color white when young, with a characteristic pink or wine-colored tint, where pressed or cut it slowly turns yellow, then brown — a diagnostic feature. Surface smooth with fine lengthwise wrinkles. No ring.

Flesh firm, brittle, white; where cut, it slowly turns yellow (a reaction typical of the genus Russula). Smell pleasantly mushroomy, with a fruity note in mature specimens, taste mild, sweetish and nutty, with no bitterness or acridity — a diagnostic feature.

Flesh firm, brittle, white, slowly turns yellow when cut, then brownish over time (especially in the stem) — a characteristic reaction of the species. Smell distinctly fishy and briny (smoked herring, shrimp, fish) — the main diagnostic. Taste mild, nutty, with no bitterness or acridity.

Pleasantly fruity-mushroomy, with no sharp notes.

Distinctly fishy and briny: smoked herring, cooked shrimp, fish. A diagnostic feature of the species, clearly noticeable when cut and in the finished dish.