Russula xerampelina

Species typical of conifers such as Pinus or Picea, with a convex to applanate pileus 6 to 12 cm across, carmine red or vinaceous red; pale yellow spore print; cylindrical, reddish stipe; cooked shellfish odor and sweet taste.

Cuticle formed by sparsely branched cylindrical hyphae 2.5 to 4 µm wide, interwoven, the uppermost separated by gelification, with cylindrical pileocystidia 3 to 5.5 µm wide containing blackish-grey pigment inside.

Cheilocystidia fusiform, 50 to 80 µm long and 6 to 12 µm wide.

Pleurocystidia cylindrical to fusiform, 70 to 120 µm long and 7 to 12 µm wide; both cheilocystidia and pleurocystidia containing blackish-grey granular matter inside.

Basidia clavate, 40 to 60 µm long, 11 to 14 µm wide, simple-based and four-spored.

Spores ovoid to ellipsoidal, with warts up to 1 µm high, 8 to 10.5 µm long, 6.5 to 8.5 µm wide, ornamented with coarse isolated warts, sparsely interconnected.