Russulaceae

Russulaceae
Russula emetica
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Fungi
Division:	Basidiomycota
Class:	Agaricomycetes
Order:	Russulales
Family:	Russulaceae Lotsy (1907)[1]
Type genus
Russula Pers. (1796)
Genera
Boidinia Gloeopeniophorella Lactarius1 Lactifluus Multifurca Pseudoxenasma Russula2 1including Arcangeliella, Gastrolactarius, and Zelleromyces 2including Cystangium, Gymnomyces, Elasmomyces, Martellia, and Macowanites
Synonyms[2][3]
Asterosporaceae Moreau (1954) (nom. illeg.) Elasmomycetaceae Locq. ex Pegler & T.W.K.Young (1979) Lactariaceae Gäumann (1926)

The Russulaceae are a diverse family of fungi in the order Russulales, with roughly 1,900 known species and a worldwide distribution. They comprise the brittlegills and the milk-caps, well-known mushroom-forming fungi that include some edible species. These gilled mushrooms are characterised by the brittle flesh of their fruitbodies.

In addition to these typical agaricoid forms, the family contains species with fruitbodies that are laterally striped (pleurotoid), closed (secotioid or gasteroid), or crust-like (corticioid). Molecular phylogenetics has demonstrated close affinities between species with very different fruitbody types and has discovered new, distinct lineages.

An important group of root-symbiotic ectomycorrhizal fungi in forests and shrublands around the world includes Lactifluus, Multifurca, Russula, and Lactarius. The crust-forming genera Boidinia, Gloeopeniophorella, and Pseudoxenasma, all wood-decay fungi, have basal positions in the family.