Crowded russula Russula densifolia
inedible
It also has crowded gills, but its flesh reddens more distinctly and then turns grey-black.
View on the mapIdentification in 5 steps
The winecork brittlegill is a brownish brittlegill that smells strongly of smoke when heated and whose flesh turns black. It is hot-tasting and inedible.
SeasonJuly to October
Spore printwhite
FamilyRussulaceae
- Cap. The cap is 4 to 10 cm wide, red-brown to smoke-brown, smooth and often sticky when damp.
- Underside. The gills are broad and whitish, and turn brownish.
- Stem, ring and volva. The stem is whitish with brownish spots; there is no ring and no volva.
- Smell and taste. It tastes hot, and smells of smoke when dried or cooked.
- Flesh and colour change. The flesh slowly turns grey to black.
Lookalikes
It is hot-tasting and inedible, and blackens when cooked.
Blackening brittlegill Russula nigricans
edible with restrictions
It usually tastes mild, and its spore print is white. The winecork brittlegill, by contrast, has crowded gills and hardly reddens.
View on the mapSide by side
| Winecork brittlegill | Crowded russula | Blackening brittlegill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cap | 4 to 10 cm wide, red-brown to smoke-brown | 5 to 12 cm, grey-white to brownish black | 8 to 20 cm, dirty white when young, later blackish |
| Underside | gills broad, whitish, turning brownish | gills very crowded, cream-white | gills thick, very widely spaced, cream |
| Stem | whitish, brownish spots | short, white, turning grey | short, hard, white to brown |
| Flesh | flesh slowly turns grey to black | whitish, reddens when cut, then grey-black | hard, reddens when cut, then black |
| Edibility | Inedible | inedible | edible with restrictions |
Habitat & Season
Acidic conifer woodland soils. From the hills up to the mountains.
Host trees
Spruce, birch.
Season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
possible good main season
Under conifers on acidic soils.
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. Not an edible mushroom: do not collect it 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 taste, inedible.
Do not confuse it with edible blackening brittlegills.
Frequently asked questions
Is the winecork brittlegill edible?
No, the winecork brittlegill is not edible. It is hot-tasting and blackens when cooked.
When and where does the winecork brittlegill grow?
The winecork brittlegill grows from July to October on acidic conifer woodland soils, mainly under spruce and birch, from the hills up to the mountains.
Which look-alikes can the winecork brittlegill be confused with?
You can confuse it with the blackening brittlegill and the crowded russula. The blackening brittlegill usually tastes mild and has a white spore print, whereas the winecork brittlegill has crowded gills and hardly reddens. The crowded russula also has crowded gills, but its flesh reddens more distinctly and then turns grey-black.
How do you recognise the winecork brittlegill?
The spore print is white. The cap is 4 to 10 cm wide, red-brown to smoke-brown, smooth and often sticky when damp.
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: James K. Lindsey · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Crowded russula: Photo: Th. Kuhnigk · CC BY-SA 3.0 de · Wikimedia Commons
- Blackening brittlegill: Photo: Strobilomyces · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
No substitute for having your finds checked in person. No guarantee of accuracy. Updated: 17.10.2026.