Iodine brittlegill: edible, look-alikes

Identification in 5 steps

The iodine brittlegill has a dark purple to wine-red cap of about 5 to 8 cm, with a fading centre. Its identifying feature is the smell of iodoform at the stem base. It grows with pines from August until late autumn. It is considered edible, but not very tasty.

SeasonAugust to November

Spore printpale yellow to ochre

FamilyRussulaceae

Cap. The cap measures about 5 to 8 cm, is dark purple to wine-red, fading in the centre.
Underside. The gills are pale yellow when young and later ochre-yellow.
Stem, ring and volva. The stem is whitish, tinged pink, and firm, with no ring and no volva.
Smell and taste. The taste is mild. The smell of iodoform at the stem base is typical; check it on several specimens.
Flesh and colour change. The flesh is white and brittle.

Lookalikes

The iodine brittlegill is an edible but not very tasty brittlegill with a purple-violet cap and a smell of iodoform at the stem base. The similar Russula amethystina is also edible, whereas the gooseberry brittlegill tastes hot and is inedible. A taste test is a must.

Gooseberry brittlegill Russula queletii

inedible

It tastes hot, has a violet cap and grows with spruce. The iodine brittlegill tastes mild and has the smell of iodoform. Inedible.

Russula amethystina

edible

It is very similar to the iodine brittlegill, but does not smell of iodoform and grows with spruce and beech. It can be told apart safely only by the spore ornamentation. Also edible.

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Russula azurea

edible

It has a violet, finely bloomed cap and grows with spruce. Also mild and edible.

Side by side

	Iodine brittlegill	Gooseberry brittlegill	Russula amethystina	Russula azurea
Cap	5 to 8 cm, dark purple to wine-red, faded centre	violet to purple, turning olive-tinged	violet to purple, dull	violet, bloomed
Underside	pale yellow, later ochre-yellow gills	cream to pale yellow gills	cream to pale yellow gills	cream-coloured gills
Stem	white to pink, smell of iodoform at the base	white to pink, no smell of iodoform	white, no smell of iodoform	white, firm
Flesh	brittle	brittle, hot-tasting	brittle, mild	brittle
Edibility	Edible	inedible	edible	edible

Habitat & Season

Pine woods and pine plantations. No reliable information.

Host trees

Pine, mycorrhizal fungus.

Season

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

possible good main season

Rough estimate; the fruiting period depends on the weather.

Mushroom regions with a daily forecast

There are no records per region for this species yet. The country pages lead to all regions with a daily forecast.

All mushroom regions →

Chance near you

How good are the chances of finding this species where you are right now? We calculate it from weather, soil moisture, altitude and forest at your location.

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Safety

Never eat a mushroom you have not identified with certainty. Only eat mushrooms you have identified beyond doubt, and always cook them thoroughly.

Advice for your country

United Kingdom

Poison centre:

NHS 111 (England)111

Emergency: 999 · 112

Ireland

Poison centre:

National Poisons Information Centre (public line)(01) 809 2166

Emergency: 112 · 999

Germany

Poison centre:

Giftnotruf Berlin030 19240Giftinformationszentrum München089 19240GIZ-Nord Göttingen0551 19240

Emergency: 112

Mushroom advice: DGfM: find a mushroom expert. Certified mushroom experts of the German Mycological Society (DGfM).

Collecting rules: Mushrooms that are not specially protected may be collected in small quantities for personal use unless a protected area or ban applies. Certain specially protected edible species (e.g. cep, chanterelle, birch bolete) may be collected in small quantities for personal use.

Austria

Poison centre:

Vergiftungsinformationszentrale (VIZ)01 406 43 43

Emergency: 112 · 144

Mushroom advice: Austrian Mycological Society (ÖMG): mushroom advice. Mushroom advice by the Austrian Mycological Society or regional services such as municipal market offices.

Collecting rules: At most 2 kg of mushrooms per person per day unless the forest owner has prohibited collecting; organised collecting events are prohibited. Additional state rules apply (collecting hours, closed seasons), e.g. Carinthia, Tyrol, Vorarlberg, Salzburg.

Conservation and collecting rules

Not specially protected.

In the kitchen

As a mixed mushroom in pan dishes; use young mushrooms. The flavour is not very pronounced. Cook for at least 15 minutes.

No reliable information on drying. Do not use brittlegills with a hot taste. Indigestible raw, always cook it well.

Never eat wild mushrooms raw, and always cook them for at least 15 minutes.
Use only young, fresh, maggot-free mushrooms that you have identified with certainty.
Carry mushrooms in an airy basket, not in plastic bags, and process them on the same day.

Frequently asked questions

Is the iodine brittlegill edible?

Yes, it is considered edible, but not very tasty. It must be cooked thoroughly.

How do I recognise the iodine brittlegill?

By the smell of iodoform at the stem base and the purple cap with a faded centre. It grows with pines.

How do I tell it from Russula amethystina?

By the smell of iodoform and the pine as its tree partner. The two can be separated safely only by the spore ornamentation under the microscope.

Related species

Charcoal burner Russula cyanoxantha
Bare-toothed Russula Russula vesca
Green-cracking russula Russula virescens
Russet brittlegill Russula mustelina
Russula amethystina Russula amethystina
Nutty brittlegill Russula integra

Mushroom trainer: test yourself

Sources

Photo credits

Photo: Maja Dumat · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Russula amethystina: Photo: Gerhard Koller (Gerhard) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

No substitute for having your finds checked in person. No guarantee of accuracy. Updated: 17.10.2026.