Found during August in oak, beech and hickory woods. This mushroom has a finely velvet-like cap surface, especially when dry. Lower stem flushed with pinkish tones. Note short lines on cap margin. Odor and taste not distinctive. Cap cuticle peels very little beyond the margin. As with all Russula mushrooms, R. pulchra forms a mycorrhizal relationship with trees, helping the roots absorb nutrients and water from the soil. In exchange, the fungus extracts polysaccharides (carbs) from the tree.