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    Tacky green brittlegill

    Russula aeruginea Lindblad ex Fr. · Russulaceae

    ✓ EdibleRisk of confusion: high

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    Identification in 5 steps

    Tacky green brittlegill
    Photo: Hans-Martin Scheibner · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

    The tacky green brittlegill has a pale green to grey-green, sticky cap of about 5 to 12 cm and cream, splintering gills with brownish spots. It lives with birches and grows from July to October. It is edible, but indigestible raw.

    SeasonJuly to October
    Spore printcream to pale ochre
    FamilyRussulaceae
    1. Cap. The cap measures about 5 to 12 cm, is pale green to grey-green, sticky when damp and has a slightly grooved margin.
    2. Underside. The gills are cream, splinter easily and show brownish spots with age.
    3. Stem, ring and volva. The stem is white and firm, later brittle. There is no ring and no volva, which distinguishes it from the death cap.
    4. Smell and taste. The flesh tastes mild to slightly hot. A taste test is a must with brittlegills; spit it out.
    5. Flesh and colour change. The flesh is white and brittle, and changes colour only a little.

    Lookalikes

    The tacky green brittlegill is an edible birch brittlegill with a green cap. Greenish brittlegills can be confused with the deadly poisonous death cap. Brittlegills have no volva and no ring, brittle flesh and white to cream, splintering gills.

    Side by side

    Tacky green brittlegillDeath capGreen-cracking russulaCharcoal burner
    Cap5 to 12 cm, pale to grey-green, stickyolive- to yellow-green, silky, not stickygreen, cracked into patches, dullgreen to violet, often multicoloured
    Undersidecream, splintering gills with brownish spotswhite gills that do not splinterwhite to cream gillswhite, tough, flexible gills
    Stemwhite, no ring or volvawith a ring and a bulb in a volvawhite, firmwhite, firm
    Fleshbrittlefibrous, not brittlefirm, brittlefirmer, gills do not splinter
    EdibilityEdibledeadly poisonousedibleedible

    Habitat & Season

    Birch woods, bogs, heaths, woodland edges. No reliable information.

    Host trees

    Birch (silver and downy birch), mycorrhizal fungus.

    Season

    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.

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    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

    In Baden-Württemberg threat category G3 of the Red List, otherwise not specially protected. Observe regional rules.

    In the kitchen

    As a mixed mushroom in pan dishes or sauces; use young mushrooms. Always cook thoroughly. Cook for at least 15 minutes.

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

    Frequently asked questions

    Is the tacky green brittlegill edible?

    Yes, it is considered edible, but it is indigestible raw and must be cooked thoroughly.

    How do I tell it from the death cap?

    The death cap has a ring and a bulb with a volva; the brittlegill does not. The brittlegill is also brittle, and its gills splinter.

    Which trees does it grow with?

    With birches, especially silver and downy birches, from July to October.

    Related species

    Mushroom trainer: test yourself

    Sources

    Photo credits

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

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