The sickener Russula emetica
poisonous
It has a glossy cherry-red cap and soft flesh and also tastes hot. Sanguinae brittlegills often look duller and grow mainly under pines.
View on the mapIdentification in 5 steps
The brittlegills of subsection Sanguinae are medium-sized, hot-tasting brittlegills with a red cap. They grow mainly under pines and are inedible.
SeasonJuly to October
Spore printcream to pale ochre
FamilyRussulaceae
- Cap. The cap is 4 to 10 cm wide, bright red to blood-red when young, often fading with age, and the cap skin can hardly be peeled off.
- Underside. The gills are broad, whitish to cream-yellow.
- Stem, ring and volva. The stem is whitish, often with red parts; there is no ring and no volva.
- Smell and taste. They taste hot; do not taste them.
- Flesh and colour change. The flesh is whitish, breaks pale and shows no strong colour change.
Lookalikes
Blood-red, hot-tasting brittlegills of subsection Sanguinae are inedible.
Rosy russula Russula rosea
edible with restrictions
Rosy russula Russula vesca
edible
It has very firm, hard flesh and tastes slightly bitter, like pencil wood. Sanguinae brittlegills are softer and burn hot on the tongue.
View on the mapHintapink Russula paludosa
edible
It is larger, smells fruity and tastes mild. Sanguinae brittlegills are hot-tasting and mostly smaller.
View on the mapSide by side
| Russula subsect. Sanguinae | The sickener | Rosy russula | Hintapink | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cap | 4 to 10 cm wide, bright red to blood-red when young | 4 to 10 cm, cherry- to scarlet-red, glossy | 4 to 10 cm, pink to vermilion, dull | 8 to 15 cm, orange-red to blood-red, smooth |
| Underside | gills broad, whitish to cream-yellow | gills pure white | gills cream-coloured | gills cream to pale yellow |
| Stem | whitish, often with red parts | white, fragile | white, tinged reddish, very firm | stout, white, tinged pink |
| Flesh | whitish, breaks pale, no strong colour change | white, soft, brittle | white, very hard | white, firm |
| Edibility | Inedible | poisonous | edible | edible |
Habitat & Season
Acidic conifer woodland soils. From the hills up to the mountains.
Host trees
Spruce, pine.
Season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
possible good main season
Under spruce and pine.
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.
Safety
Never eat a mushroom you have not identified with certainty. These are not edible mushrooms: do not collect them for the kitchen.
Advice for your country
Ireland
Poison centre:
National Poisons Information Centre (public line)(01) 809 2166
Emergency: 112 · 999
Germany
Poison centre:
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.
Why it is not edible
Hot-tasting, inedible.
A red cap alone does not make them edible; the taste is what matters.
Frequently asked questions
Are Sanguinae brittlegills edible?
No, Sanguinae brittlegills are not edible. They are blood-red and hot-tasting.
When and where do Sanguinae brittlegills grow?
Sanguinae brittlegills grow from July to October on acidic conifer woodland soils under spruce and pine, from the hills up to the mountains.
Which look-alikes can Sanguinae brittlegills be confused with?
You can confuse them with the sickener, the rosy russula and the hintapink. The sickener has a glossy cherry-red cap and soft flesh and also tastes hot, whereas Sanguinae brittlegills often look duller and grow mainly under pines. The rosy russula has very firm, hard flesh and tastes slightly bitter, like pencil wood, whereas Sanguinae brittlegills are softer and burn hot on the tongue. The hintapink is larger, smells fruity and tastes mild, whereas Sanguinae brittlegills are hot-tasting and mostly smaller.
How do you recognise Sanguinae brittlegills?
The spore print is cream to pale ochre. The cap is 4 to 10 cm wide, bright red to blood-red when young, often fading with age, and the cap skin can hardly be peeled off.
Related species
- Variable brittlegill Russula versicolor
- Crowded russula Russula densifolia
- Russula solaris Russula solaris
- Charcoal burner Russula cyanoxantha
- Bare-toothed Russula Russula vesca
- The sickener Russula emetica
Sources
Photo credits
- Photo: Holger Krisp · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- The sickener: Photo: Jason Hollinger · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Rosy russula: Photo: Szabi237 · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Rosy russula: Photo: Irene Andersson (Mushroom Observer) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Hintapink: Photo: Toter Alter Mann · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
No substitute for having your finds checked in person. No guarantee of accuracy. Updated: 17.10.2026.