How to identify The Fluted Bird's Nest

To correctly identify The Fluted Bird's Nest (Russula vesca), check each of these features in order. Misidentification is the most common cause of mushroom poisoning, so cross-reference multiple sources.

Step-by-step identification

1. 1

   Cap

   Shape, color, surface texture, and diameter.

   5-10 cm, convex to flattened, often with a cuticle that shrinks to reveal the gill edges.

2. 2

   Gills

   Attachment to stem, color, and spacing.

   Adnate to slightly subdecurrent, white, crowded.

3. 3

   Stem

   Length, shape, surface, and any ring.

   3-7 cm tall, cylindrical, white, sometimes flushed with a pinkish tint.

4. 4

   Flesh

   Color, texture, and bruising reaction.

   White, firm, and brittle, becoming slightly browned with age.

5. 5

   Fruiting body

   Overall growth pattern.

   Compact and sturdy with a wine-red to brownish cap.

6. 6

   Habitat

   Where it grows and on what substrate.

   Mycorrhizal with broad-leaved trees, particularly oak and beech.

Key Facts

Cap surfaces

Smooth, slightly viscid when moist

Growth Form

Solitary or scattered

Spore Print

White to pale cream

Body color

Wine-red, purple-brown, or flesh-colored

Odor

Faint, non-distinct

Flesh bruises

Does not typically change color

Height

3-8 cm

Cap Diameter

5-12 cm

Fruit body characteristics

• Gill attachment: Adnate/Subdecurrent
• Stem shape: Cylindrical or slightly tapering
• Stem surface: Smooth to slightly fibrous
• Ring: Absent
• Stem cross-section: Solid and white

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