''Russula subnigricans'', known as nisekurohatsu (
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
), is a
basidiomycete
Basidiomycota () is one of two large divisions that, together with the Ascomycota, constitute the subkingdom Dikarya (often referred to as the "higher fungi") within the kingdom Fungi. Members are known as basidiomycetes. More specifically, Basi ...
mushroom
A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground, on soil, or on its food source. ''Toadstool'' generally denotes one poisonous to humans.
The standard for the name "mushroom" is t ...
of the genus ''
Russula
''Russula'' is a very large genus composed of around 750 worldwide species of ectomycorrhizal mushrooms. They are typically common, fairly large, and brightly colored – making them one of the most recognizable genera among mycologists and mushr ...
'' found in
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
,
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
, and
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
.
Description
The flesh turns pale red when cut, but doesn't turn black unlike ''
Russula nigricans''.
The species was named by Japanese mycologist
Tsuguo Hongo
was a Japanese mycologist who specialized in the biogeography and taxonomy of Agaricales. Hongo entered the Department of Biology at what is now Hiroshima University in 1943, where he studied botany until graduating in 1946 with a B.Sc.
Hongo ...
in 1955.
The name was formerly applied to the North American fungus ''Russula eccentrica'' in
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
. It has been reclassified as ''Russula cantharellicola'', where it grows in association with
coast live oak (''Quercus agrifolia'') trees in
California oak woodland
California oak woodland is a plant community found throughout the California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion of California in the United States and northwestern Baja California in Mexico. Oak woodland is widespread at lower elevations in coasta ...
habitats.
Toxicity
''Russula subnigricans'' is a poisonous mushroom, and has been responsible for mushroom poisoning in
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
and Japan. The effect is a serious one,
rhabdomyolysis
Rhabdomyolysis (also called rhabdo) is a condition in which damaged skeletal muscle breaks down rapidly. Symptoms may include muscle pains, weakness, vomiting, and confusion. There may be tea-colored urine or an irregular heartbeat. Some of th ...
.
The toxins responsible are the very unusual
cycloprop-2-ene carboxylic acid
Cycloprop-2-ene carboxylic acid is a mycotoxin found in some mushrooms such as '' Russula subnigricans''.
When ingested, the molecule is known to cause rhabdomyolysis.
In mice, the oral of this molecule is 2.5 mg/kg and poisoning is indica ...
(a toxic molecule consisting of only four carbon atoms) and Russuphelin A (a heavily chlorinated
polyphenolic
Polyphenols () are a large family of naturally occurring organic compounds characterized by multiples of phenol units. They are abundant in plants and structurally diverse. Polyphenols include flavonoids, tannic acid, and ellagitannin, some of ...
).
See also
*
List of deadly fungi
Although many people have a fear of mushroom poisoning by "toadstool
A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground, on soil, or on its food source. ''Toadstool'' generally denote ...
*
List of ''Russula'' species
References
External links
Cornell University Mycology Blog: "A deadly Russula"*
subnigricans
Fungi of China
Fungi of Japan
Fungi of North America
Deadly fungi
Fungi described in 1955
{{Russulales-stub