Distinct pink flush on stem. If purple could be Charcoal Burner (Russula cyanoxantha)

Mycorrhizal with deciduous and coniferous trees, late summer to autumn, often in mountain forests

Edible

• ▸ Cap wine-red to purple-violet, often with an olive or grey flush, smooth and matt
• ▸ Firm, hard white flesh with a mild taste
• ▸ White stem, often flushed pink towards the base
• ▸ Brittle gills that chip rather than smear when pressed — unlike the pliable gills of the Charcoal Burner (Russula cyanoxantha)

A firm-fleshed relative of the Charcoal Burner (Russula cyanoxantha), from which it is separated by hard flesh and the pink-flushed stem base. Cap colour is extremely variable, so a firm white stem and a mild taste carry more weight than the hue.