Coal Brittlegill
Russula anthracina
Photo: iNaturalist: no rights reserved, uploaded by Sigrid Jakob
Overview
The Coal Brittlegill is a distinctive dark-capped mushroom species with a blackish to dark brown cap and white to cream-colored gills and stem. This mycorrhizal fungus forms essential symbiotic relationships with tree roots, particularly conifers, facilitating nutrient exchange that supports forest ecosystem health and tree growth.
Coal Brittlegill faces significant threats from habitat loss due to deforestation and forest fragmentation, which reduces the availability of suitable host trees essential for this mycorrhizal fungus. Climate change poses additional risks by altering forest composition and moisture regimes that this species depends on for reproduction and survival.
Habitat
Coal Brittlegill occurs in mature deciduous and mixed forests, particularly those dominated by beech, oak, and other broadleaf trees with which it forms mycorrhizal associations. This species typically inhabits well-established woodland ecosystems with rich, organic soils and stable moisture conditions.
Other threatened species in Russulaceae
Frequently asked questions
Why is Coal Brittlegill classified as Vulnerable?
Where does Coal Brittlegill live?
What are the main threats to Coal Brittlegill?
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