fungalforager's Favorites

Collection and the first two field pictures by Krista Willmorth; other photos, microscopy, and tree by Joe Matanzas (@joemat).
What attracted our attention to this Russula was the striking orange/yellow gills.
Under mixed conifers, fir and spruce present.
Cap 4.5 cm., incurved, depressed, viscid, pale grey-green with some violet around the margin.
Stem 3.8 × 2 cm., white, inside a little chambered.
Taste mild, no perceptible odor.
Chemicals: KOH pallid yellow/orange, on cap. Feso4 pink on stipe.
Spore print: IV d, on the Romagnesi scale.
Spores: Subglobose, B3 on the Woo scale, isolated or with few connections, warts approximately 1.0 μ.
Spores (8.5 -9.8) x (7.5 – 8.6); on Aver. (9.1 × 8.2), Q = 1.11.
Basidia (50 -60) x (12.2-13.5).
Cystidia (66-72) x (8.4-10.2) fusiform with an apical appendage.
Pileus with clavate to capitate hairs, sometimes branched, and septate, perhaps with encrusted hyphae 3.0-6.0 μ. that is hard to see without the proper chemicals. Pileocystidia, not seen.

Drama. These guys all normally get along pretty well, but here a squirrel decided to start something and nearly got kicked in the head as reward. Moments later they were back to munching sunflower seeds side-by-side again.