A large, slimy, dull-yellow Russula in the foetid group, with a lined cap margin and a strong odor that starts like maraschino cherries or almonds and turns foul with age. It is apparently widespread in North America. It is close to R. laurocerasi, which can only be reliably separated with a microscope.
Not edible. The taste is often acrid and the odor becomes foul; foetid Russulas are generally treated as gastrointestinal irritants. MushroomExpert gives no edibility data. Do not eat.
Never eat a wild mushroom based on a web page — confirm with an expert.
Habitat
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Ectomycorrhizal with hardwoods or conifers; alone, scattered or in groups, summer and fall.
Distribution
Apparently widely distributed in North America (MushroomExpert).
Characteristics
Cap: 7.5-20 cm, convex or cushion-shaped becoming flat or shallowly depressed; slimy when wet; dull yellow to brownish yellow; margin lined at maturity; skin peels easily. Gills: attached, close or nearly distant, whitish to cream, discoloring yellowish brown. Stem: 7-15 cm long, 1.5-6 cm thick, white, discoloring brownish near the base, often hollow. Flesh: white, unchanging. Odor: strong, of maraschino cherries, almonds or benzaldehyde, with a foul element that dominates in age. Taste: mild to moderately acrid. Spore print: cream. Spores: 6-9 x 6-8 um, with warts and ridges up to 1 um forming a partial to nearly complete network (MushroomExpert).
