This mushroom has a bright red cap that is 1 to 10 inches wide. It is convex when young but becoming broadly convex to flat, sometimes with a shallow depression; dry, or sticky when wet. The gills are attached to the stem or running slightly down it; close or nearly distant. The stem is about 1 to 3 inches long, white or sometimes pinkish and fairly smooth. This is probably Russula cystidiosa but microscopic examination of the spores and certain chemical tests are necessary to be certain.
This mushroom is found mainly on oak trees. It grows alone, scattered, or in groups from summer to fall. It is; widely distributed in eastern North America. This one was photographed on Signal Ridge trail in Fontenelle Forest.
Members of the Russula family have brittle flesh. In the genus Russula the species have a cap margin that is often broken and the gills flake apart when handled.
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