Russula romellii  Maire (1910)                                                                              *All Collections: Bulgaria

While the vivid colors of this species can puzzle one and make comparison to the other members of Section Polychromae difficult, the spores with their uniquely sparse ornamentation stand out and help the id. This mildish Russula is described as primarily associated with hardwoods, but it is very common near Spruce in the montane areas of Southern Europe. The colors are a combination between purplish and greenish hues and if one separates the fruitbodies based on color alone, it may appear that there are two different species. This species does not seem to occur in North America.

Spores -- note the distinctly sparse ornamentation.