How to tell Rosy brittlegill from Sickener

Cap 3-10 cm across, when young hemispherical, with age becoming flat and spread out with a slightly depressed center. The skin is smooth and shiny, distinctly slimy in wet weather, dry and matte in dry weather. The skin peels off EASILY, COMPLETELY, all the way to the center — a diagnostic feature. Color: bright red, blood-red, raspberry-red, deeper in the center; mature caps fade to pink with pale blotches. In mature specimens the margin has fine radial grooves.

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, crowded, thin, fleshy. Color: white to creamy white, cream with age. Spore print white — a diagnostic feature.

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 4-8 cm tall, 1-2.5 cm thick, firm, fleshy, cylindrical, hollow inside in old specimens. Color: pure white, often with a faint pinkish tint toward the base. Surface smooth with fine lengthwise wrinkles. No ring.

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, does not change color when cut. Smell faintly fruity-coconut in young specimens, faintly unpleasant in mature ones, taste distinctly burning, acrid and bitter: a tiny piece (1-2 mm) on the tongue causes a strong burning sensation within 5-10 seconds — this is a diagnostic test that saves you from poisoning. Spit it out right away; do not swallow.

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.

Faintly fruity-coconut in young specimens; in mature ones neutral or slightly unpleasant.

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