Trich-o-ringer and red Russula

[1left]

I gather a few Tricholoma magnivelare and caligatum at this time of the year and usually notice some of these photo'd mushrooms around as well though I never tried to ID them. Usually the caps are 2 inches across with a very short stem and visible ring, these ones are the largest ones I've noticed and I now suspect they are Tricholoma focale? The largest cap is around 4 inches across, stem 3 + inches, found in moss under mainly conifers with a few hardwoods.

I've decided to show you this large reddish Russula as well, its cap is near 5 inches across. I see this one off and on in this mossy conifer woods starting in late July as I also gather chanterelle, hedgehog and sheep polypore as they appear here over the months. Any ideas on this one? thanks

[Dave W]

Red Russulas are notoriously difficult to ID to species. Knowing whether the taste is mild or hot narrows the possibilities down a bit.

Once in Montana I collected Tricholoma focale. These look like what I recall finding then... similar to T. caligatum but the cap surface not always broken into scales, and a lighter shade of brown. But, T. caligatum is considered to be a complex of related species. I am only familiar with one type that occurs uncommonly in my area.