Local Name
Ts’itelk’aba (Ts’itlio) (1), Kveshts’itela (gur.) (2).

Description
Cap: The cap is 5–10 cm, convex when young, later flat, mostly bright cinnabar to carmine red. Gills are whitish or pale cream, brittle, and occasionally with a red edge at the rim of the cap. Stem: The stem is 4–7 cm tall, 1–2 cm thick, cylindric, white or whitish to pale cream, often with pinkish tinge at the base. Flesh: The flesh is white or whitish, rather solid, sometimes becomes darker. Spores: The spores are 7 X 9 µm, globose, with conspicuous warts.
Habitat: On soils, in leafy forests. Season: Summer, autumn.
Distribution: All regions of Georgia (3).

Uses
Edibility: Edible when fresh and marinated (1).

Kakheti — “We gather Ts’itlio together with Ghvina mushrooms” (4), “You can find Ts’itelk’aba mushroom here in a quite large amount, we call them also Ts’itelkuda” (5).

References
1. Nakhutsrishvili, I.G. (2007) Fungi of Georgia. Tbilisi: Buneba Printi.
2. Ghlonti, A. (1974) Dictionary of the Georgian Dialects. Vol. I. Tbilisi: Ganatleba.
3. Nakhutsrishvili, I.G., et al. (1986) Flora of Spore-producing Plants of Georgia (Summary). Tbilisi: Metsniereba (Russian).
4. Chaduneli, Z. (2015) Vlg. Gurgeniani, Lagodekhi.
5. Mzekalashvili, B. (2015) Kvareli.