Amethyst Brittlegill
CR

Amethyst Brittlegill

Russula amethystina

Unknown

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russula_amethystina

Overview

A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.

Amethyst Brittlegill is an ectomycorrhizal fungus dependent on mature coniferous and mixed forests, particularly stands associating with spruce and pine, making it acutely vulnerable to commercial forestry practices that remove old-growth trees and disrupt root-fungus networks. Nitrogen deposition from agricultural runoff and atmospheric pollution alters soil chemistry across its European range, degrading conditions required for fruiting body formation. Its highly fragmented, localized distribution across a small number of European sites further limits population resilience to these ongoing pressures.

Threat summary

Habitat

This species occurs in mature coniferous and mixed forests of Europe, forming obligate mycorrhizal associations with the roots of spruce and pine trees in nutrient-poor, undisturbed soils.

TERRESTRIAL· major

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Frequently asked questions

Why is Amethyst Brittlegill classified as Critically Endangered?
Amethyst Brittlegill is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. Amethyst Brittlegill is an ectomycorrhizal fungus dependent on mature coniferous and mixed forests, particularly stands associating with spruce and pine, making it acutely vulnerable to commercial forestry practices that remove old-growth trees and disrupt root-fungus networks. Nitrogen deposition from agricultural runoff and atmospheric pollution alters soil chemistry across its European range, degrading conditions required for fruiting body formation. Its highly fragmented, localized distribution across a small number of European sites further limits population resilience to these ongoing pressures.
Where does Amethyst Brittlegill live?
Amethyst Brittlegill occurs in across multiple regions. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Amethyst Brittlegill?
The main threats to Amethyst Brittlegill are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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