Mushrooms are correctly called. Types of edible forest mushrooms with names, descriptions, photos

Anyone who does not understand mushrooms is limited to buying them in the supermarket. After all, champignons and oyster mushrooms grown under the artificial sun inspire more confidence than unknown natural gifts. But true mushroom pickers will not be able to be satisfied with the taste of fruits that have not smelled of pine needles and have not been washed with morning dew. And it’s very difficult to deny yourself forest walks on a clear weekend. Therefore, let's take a closer look at the external signs of popular edible mushrooms our region.

Main characteristics of edible mushrooms

It is simply impossible to cover all the biological and ecological diversity of fungi on a planetary scale. This is one of the largest specific groups of living organisms, which has become an integral part of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Modern scientists know many species of the mushroom kingdom, but today there is no exact figure in any scientific source. In different literature, the species number of mushrooms varies from 100 thousand to 1.5 million. It is characteristic that each species is divided into classes, orders, and also has thousands of generic names and synonyms. Therefore, it is easy to get lost here, just like in the forest.

Did you know? The most unusual mushroom in the world, contemporaries consider plasmodium, which grows in central Russia. This creation of nature can walk. True, it moves at a speed of 1 meter every few days.

Edible mushrooms are considered to be those specimens that are approved for consumption and do not pose any risks to human health. They differ from poisonous forest fruits in the structure of the hymenophore, the color and shape of the fruiting body, as well as the smell and taste. Their peculiarity lies in their high gastronomic properties. It’s not for nothing that among mushroom pickers there are parallel names for mushrooms - “vegetable meat” and “forest protein”. It has been scientifically proven that such gifts of nature are rich:

• proteins;
• amino acids;
• mycosis and glycogen (specific mushroom sugar);
• potassium;
• phosphorus;
• gray;
• magnesium;
• sodium;
• calcium;
• chlorine;
• vitamins (A, C, PP, D, all group B);
• enzymes (represented by amylase, lactase, oxidase, zymase, protease, cytase, which are of particular importance because they improve the absorption of food).

Many types of mushrooms in their nutritional value compete with potatoes, vegetables and fruits traditional for the Ukrainian table. Their significant drawback is the poorly digestible shells of mushroom bodies. That is why dried and ground fruits bring the greatest benefit to the human body.

Did you know? Of the entire mushroom kingdom, the rarest specimen is considered to be the mushroom Chorioactis geaster, which translated means “devil’s cigar.” It is found in isolated cases only in the central zones of Texas and on some islands of Japan. A unique feature of this natural miracle is the specific whistle that is heard when the mushroom releases spores..

Soviet scientists, based on the nutritional characteristics of mushrooms, divided the edible group into 4 varieties:

1. Boletuses, saffron milk caps and milk mushrooms.
2. Birch boletus, aspen boletus, oak boletus, buttercup, trumpet mushroom, white mushroom and champignon.
3. Moss mushrooms, valui, russula, chanterelles, morels and autumn honey mushrooms.
4. Rowers, raincoats and other little-known, rarely collected specimens.

Today this classification is considered a little outdated. Modern botanists agree that dividing mushrooms into food categories is ineffective and the scientific literature provides an individual description of each species. Beginning mushroom pickers should learn the golden rule of “quiet hunting”: one poisonous mushroom can ruin all the forest trophies in the basket. Therefore, if you find any inedible fruit among the harvested crop, do not hesitate to throw all the contents into the trash. After all, the risks of intoxication cannot be compared with the time and effort spent.

Edible mushrooms: photos and names

Of the entire variety of edible mushrooms known to mankind, there are only a few thousand. At the same time, the lion's share of them went to representatives of fleshy micromycetes. Let's look at the most popular types.

Did you know? Real mushroom giants were found by Americans in 1985 in the states of Wisconsin and Oregon. The first find was striking with its 140-kilogram weight, and the second with the area of ​​the mycelium, which occupied about a thousand hectares.

In botanical literature this forest trophy is designated as or ( Boletus edulis). In everyday life it is called pravdivtsev, dubrovnik, shirak and belas.
The variety belongs to the Boletaceae genus and is considered the best of all known edible mushrooms. In Ukraine it is not uncommon and occurs from early summer to mid-autumn in deciduous and coniferous forests. Often, boletus can be found under birch, oak, hornbeam, hazel, spruce and pine trees.

It is characteristic that you can find both squat specimens with a small cap, and broad-legged ones, in which the leg is four times smaller than the upper part. Classic variations of boletus mushrooms are:

• a cap with a diameter of 3 to 20 cm, a hemispherical, convex shape, brown in color with a smoky or reddish tint (the color of the cap largely depends on the place where the fungus grows: under pine trees it is purple-brown, under oak trees - chestnut or olive green, and under birch trees - light brown);
• leg from 4 to 15 cm long with a volume of 2-6 cm, club-shaped, cream-colored with a grayish or brown tint;
• white mesh on the top of the leg;
• the flesh is dense, juicy, white, and does not change when cut;
• fusiform spores of yellowish-olive color, about 15-18 microns in size;
• a tubular layer of light and greenish tones (depending on the age of the mushroom), which is easily separated from the cap;
• The smell at the cutting site is pleasant.

Important! Boletuses are often confused with bitterlings. These are inedible mushrooms that are distinguished by pinkish spores, a black mesh on the stem and bitter pulp.

It is worth noting that the skin of true porcini mushrooms is never removed from the cap. In Ukraine, industrial harvesting of these forest trophies is carried out only in the Carpathian region and Polesie. They are suitable for fresh consumption, drying, canning, salting, and pickling. ethnoscience advises introducing belas into the diet for angina, tuberculosis, frostbite, loss of strength and anemia.

Volnushka

These trophies are considered conditionally edible. They are used for food only by residents of the northern regions of the globe, and Europeans do not recognize them as food. Botanists call these mushrooms Lactárius torminósus, and mushroom pickers call them tormentos, decoctions and rubellas. They represent the Russula family of the genus Mlechnik, and are pink and white.

Pink waves are characterized by:

• cap with a diameter of 4 to 12 cm, with a deep depression in the center and convex, pubescent edges, pale pink or grayish in color, which darkens when touched;
• leg about 3-6 cm high with a diameter of 1 to 2 cm, cylindrical in shape, powerful and elastic structure with specific pubescence on a pale pink surface;
• cream or white spores;
• the plates are frequent and narrow, which are always interspersed with intermediate membranes;
• the pulp is dense and hard, white in color, does not change when cut and is characterized by abundant, sharp-tasting juice secretion.

Important! Mushroom pickers should pay attention to the fact that mushrooms are characterized by variability, which depends on their age. For example, the caps can change their color from yellow-orange to light green, and the plates can change from pinkish to yellow.

White waves are different:

• a cap with a diameter of 4 to 8 cm with white, densely pubescent skin (in older specimens its surface is smoother and yellower);
• stem with a height of 2 to 4 cm with a volume of up to 2 cm, cylindrical in shape with slight hairiness, dense structure and uniform color;
• the pulp is slightly aromatic, white, with a dense but brittle structure;
• white or cream-colored spores;
• the plates are narrow and frequent;
• white milky juice, which does not change when interacting with oxygen and is characterized by causticity.

Most often they grow in groups under birch trees, on forest edges, and rarely in coniferous forests. They are collected from early August to mid-autumn. Any cooking requires careful soaking and blanching. These mushrooms are used for preservation, drying, and pickling.

Important! Edible volnushki can be easily distinguished from other milky mushrooms by the hairiness on the cap.

But in the latter version, the pulp becomes brown, which does not look aesthetically pleasing. Undercooked specimens are toxic and can cause digestive tract disorders and irritation of the mucous membranes. In salted form they are allowed to be consumed no earlier than an hour after salting.

The variety also represents the Russula family of the Mlechnikov genus. In scientific sources, the mushroom is designated Lactárius résimus, but in everyday life it is called real.
Externally, this mushroom is characterized by:

• a funnel-shaped cap with a diameter of 5 to 20 cm with highly fleecy edges turned inward, with a wet, mucous skin of a milky or yellowish color;
• stalk up to 7 cm high with a volume up to 5 cm, cylindrical in shape, yellowish in color, with a smooth surface and hollow interior;
• firm white pulp with a specific fruity smell;
• yellow spores;
• plates frequent and wide, white-yellow;
• milky juice, pungent in taste, white in color, which changes to dirty yellow in the cut areas.

The milk mushroom season occurs from July to September. For them to bear fruit, +8-10 °C on the ground surface is sufficient. The mushroom is common in the northern part of the Eurasian continent and is considered completely unsuitable for food purposes in the West. Most often found in deciduous and mixed forests. In cooking it is used for pickling. Beginning mushroom pickers may confuse the trophy with a violin, a white wave and a loader.

Important! Milk mushrooms are characterized by variability: old mushrooms become hollow inside, their plates turn yellow, and brown spots may appear on the cap.

This bright mushroom with a peculiar shape is found on postage stamps of Romania, Moldova, and Belarus. Real fox(Cantharellus cibarius) represents the genus Cantharelaceae.
Many people recognize her by:

• cap - with a diameter of 2.5 to 5 cm, which is characterized by asymmetrical bulges at the edges and a watering can-shaped depression in the center, a yellow tint and a smooth surface;
• stem - short (up to 4 cm in height), smooth and solid, identical in color to the cap;
• spores - their size does not exceed 9.5 microns;
• plates - narrow, folded, bright yellow in color;
• pulp - is dense and elastic, white or slightly yellowish, with a pleasant aroma and taste.

Experienced mushroom pickers have noticed that true mushrooms, even overripe ones, are not spoiled by the wormhole. Mushrooms grow quickly in a humid environment; in the absence of rain, the development of spores stops. It is not difficult to find such trophies throughout Ukraine; their season starts in July and lasts until November. It is best to go searching in moss-covered, damp, but well-lit areas with weak grass cover.

Important! Real chanterelles are often confused with their counterparts. Therefore, when harvesting it is necessary Special attention pay attention to the color of the trophy's flesh. In pseudo-chanterelles it is yellow-orange or pale pink.

Please note that this species is not found on forest edges. In cooking, chanterelles are usually consumed in fresh, pickled, salted and dried forms. They have a specific aroma and taste. Experts note that this variety exceeds all mushrooms known to mankind in terms of carotene composition, but is not recommended in large quantities because it is difficult to digest in the body.

In the scientific literature, oyster mushrooms are simultaneously called oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatu) and belong to the predatory species. The fact is that their spores are capable of paralyzing and digesting nematodes living in the soil. In this way, the body compensates for its nitrogen needs. In addition, the variety is considered wood-destroying, since it grows in groups on stumps and trunks of weakened living plants, as well as on dead wood.
It can most often be found on oaks, birches, rowan trees, willows, and aspens. As a rule, these are dense bunches of 30 or more pieces, which grow together at the base and form multi-tiered growths. Oyster mushrooms can be easily recognized by the following characteristics:

• the cap reaches about 5-30 cm in diameter, very fleshy, rounded ear-shaped with wavy edges (in young specimens it is convex, and in mature age becomes flat), smooth glossy surface and unstable peculiar tonality, which borders on ashen, violet-brown and faded dirty yellow shades;
• mycelial plaque is present only on the skin of mushrooms that grow in a humid environment;
• leg up to 5 cm long and 0.8-3 cm thick, sometimes almost invisible, dense, cylindrical in structure;
• the plates are sparse, up to 15 mm wide, have bridges near the legs, their color varies from white to yellow-gray;
• spores are smooth, colorless, elongated, up to 13 microns in size;
• The pulp becomes more elastic with age and loses its juiciness, it is fibrous, has no smell, and has an anise flavor.

Did you know? In 2000, a Ukrainian mycelium hunter from Volyn, Nina Danilyuk, managed to find a giant boletus mushroom that did not fit in a bucket and weighed about 3 kg. Its leg reached 40 cm, and the circumference of the cap was 94 cm.

Due to the fact that old oyster mushrooms are characterized by rigidity, only young mushrooms whose caps do not exceed 10 centimeters in diameter are suitable for food. In this case, the legs are removed from all trophies. The oyster mushroom hunting season begins in September and, under favorable weather conditions, lasts until the New Year. This species cannot be confused with anything in our latitudes, but for Australians there is a risk of putting the poisonous omphalotus in the basket.

This is the popular name for a certain group of mushrooms that grow on living or dead wood. They belong to different families and genera, and also differ in their preferences for living conditions.
Autumn honey mushrooms are most often used for food purposes. ( Armillaria mellea), which represent the Physalacriaceae family. According to various estimates by scientists, they are classified as conditionally edible or generally inedible. For example, honey mushrooms are not in demand among Western gourmets and are considered a low-value product. And in Eastern Europe- these are one of the favorite trophies of mushroom pickers.

Important! Undercooked honey mushrooms cause people allergic reaction and severe eating disorders.

Honey mushrooms are easily recognizable by external signs. They have:

• the cap develops up to 10 cm in diameter and is characterized by a convexity at a young age and flat when mature, it has a smooth surface and greenish-olive coloring;
• the leg is solid, yellow-brown, from 8 to 10 cm long with a volume of 2 cm, with small flocculent scales;
• the plates are sparse, white-cream in color, darkening with age to pinkish-brown shades;
• spores are white, up to 6 microns in size, have the shape of a wide ellipse;
• the pulp is white, juicy, with a pleasant aroma and taste, on the caps it is dense and fleshy, and on the stem it is fibrous and rough.

The honey mushroom season begins at the end of summer and lasts until December. September is particularly productive, when forest fruits appear in several layers. It is best to look for trophies in damp forest areas under the bark of weakened trees, on stumps, and dead plants.
They love the wood left after cutting: birch, elm, oak, pine, alder and aspen. In particularly fruitful years, there is a night glow of stumps, which is emitted by group growths of honey mushrooms. For food purposes, the fruits are salted, pickled, fried, boiled and dried.

Important! When collecting honey mushrooms, be careful. The color of their cap depends on the soil in which they grow. For example, those specimens that appear on poplar, mulberry and white acacia are distinguished by honey-yellow tones, those that grow from elderberry are dark gray, those from conifers are purple-brown, and those from oak are brown. Edible honey mushrooms are often confused with false mushrooms. Therefore, only those fruits that have a ring on the stem should be placed in the basket.

Most mushroom pickers prefer green moss mushrooms (Xerócomus subtomentosus), which are the most common of their kind. Some botanists classify them as boletus mushrooms.
These fruits are characterized by:

• a cap with a maximum diameter of up to 16 cm, a cushion-shaped convexity, a velvety surface and a smoky olive color;
• the leg is cylindrical, up to 10 cm high and up to 2 cm thick, with a fibrous dark brown mesh;
• brown spores, up to 12 microns in size;
• The pulp is snow-white; upon contact with oxygen it may acquire a slight blue tint.

To hunt for this species, you should go to deciduous and mixed forests. They also grow along the edges of roads, but such specimens are not recommended for consumption. The fruiting period lasts from late spring to late autumn. The harvested fruit is best eaten freshly prepared. When dried it turns black.

Did you know? Although fly agarics are considered very poisonous, they contain much less toxic substances than the toadstool. For example, to obtain a lethal concentration of mushroom poison, you need to eat 4 kg of fly agarics. And one toadstool is enough to poison 4 people.

Among the edible varieties of boletus, white, swamp, yellow, Bollini, and larch species are popular. In our latitudes, the latter variation is especially popular.
She is characterized by:

• cap up to 15 cm in diameter, convex in shape, with a bare sticky surface of lemon yellow or rich yellow-orange color;
• the stem is up to 12 cm high and 3 cm wide, club-shaped, with granular-mesh fragments at the top, as well as a ring, its color exactly matches the tone of the cap;
• spores are smooth, pale yellow, ellipsoidal, up to 10 microns in size;
• the flesh is yellow with a lemon tint, brownish under the skin, soft, juicy with hard fibers; in old mushrooms, the cuts turn a little pink.

The season lasts from July to September. The species is very common in the countries of the Northern Hemisphere. Most often found in groups in deciduous forests where the soil is acidic and enriched. In cooking, these forest trophies are used for making soups, frying, salting, and pickling.

Did you know? Truffles are considered the most expensive mushrooms in the world. In France, the price per kilogram of this delicacy never falls below 2 thousand euros..

This mushroom is also popularly called blackhead and. In botanical literature it is designated as Léccinum scábrum and represents the genus Obabok.
He is recognized by:

• a cap with a specific color that varies from white to gray-black;
• club-shaped leg, with oblong dark and light scales;
• white pulp that does not change when in contact with oxygen.

Young specimens are tastier. You can find them in summer and autumn in birch thickets. They are suitable for frying, boiling, pickling and drying.

Represents a family and includes about fifty species. Most of them are considered edible. Some varieties have a bitter aftertaste, which is lost with careful pre-soaking and cooking of forest products.
Of the entire mushroom kingdom, russula stands out:

• the cap is spherical or prostrate (in some specimens it may be in the form of a funnel), with rolled, ribbed edges, dry skin of different colors;
• a cylindrical leg, with a hollow or dense structure, white or colored;
• the plates are frequent, brittle, yellowish in color;
• spores of white and dark yellow tones;
• the pulp is spongy and very fragile, white in young mushrooms and dark, as well as reddish in old ones.

Important! Russulas with caustic, burning pulp are poisonous. A small piece of raw fruit can cause severe irritation of the mucous membranes, vomiting and dizziness..

Fruiting for these representatives of the Obabok genus begins in early summer and lasts until mid-September. They are most often found in damp areas under shady trees. Rarely can such a trophy be found in coniferous forests. Boletuses are popular in Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Belarus, Western Europe and North America.
The signs of this forest fruit are:

• a hemispherical cap, up to 25 cm in circumference, with a bare or fleecy surface of a white-pink color (sometimes there are specimens with brown, bluish and greenish shades of the peel);
• the leg is club-shaped, tall, white with brown-gray scales that appear over time;
• brown spores;
• the tubular layer is white-yellow or gray-brown;
• the pulp is juicy and fleshy, white or yellow, sometimes blue-green, upon contact with oxygen it very soon acquires a bluish tint, after which it turns black (it turns purple in the stem).

Most often collected for marinades, drying, as well as for frying and boiling.

Did you know? It has been scientifically proven that mushrooms existed about 400 million years ago. This means that they appeared before dinosaurs. Like ferns, these gifts of nature were one of the most ancient inhabitants of the globe. Moreover, their spores were able to adapt to new conditions for thousands of years, preserving all ancient species to this day.

These edible representatives of the Russula family have captivated all mushroom pickers with their specific taste. In everyday life they are called ridz or, and in scientific literature - Lactarius deliciosus.
The harvest should be done between August and October. Often such trophies are found in damp forest areas. In Ukraine, these are Polesie and the Carpathian region. Signs of saffron milk caps are:

• cap with a diameter of 3 to 12 cm, watering can-shaped, sticky to the touch, gray-orange in color, with clear concentric stripes;
• the plates are deep orange and begin to turn green when touched;
• spores are warty, up to 7 microns in size;
• the stem is very dense, exactly matches the cap in color, reaches up to 7 cm in length, and up to 2.5 cm in volume, becomes hollow with age;
• the flesh is yellow in the cap and white in the stem; when exposed to oxygen, the cut areas turn green;
• The milky juice is purple-orange (it turns dirty green after a few hours) and has a pleasant smell and taste.

In cooking, saffron milk caps are boiled, fried, and salted.

Did you know? A natural antibiotic, lactarioviolin, was found in saffron milk caps..

In France they call absolutely all mushrooms. Therefore, linguists are inclined to think that the Slavic name of a whole genus of organisms from the Agarikov family is of French origin.
Champignons have:

• the cap is massive and dense, hemispherical in shape, which becomes flat with age, white or dark brown, up to 20 cm in diameter;
• the plates are initially white, which turn gray with age;
• leg up to 5 cm high, dense, club-shaped, always having a one- or two-layer ring;
• the pulp, which comes in all sorts of shades of white, when exposed to oxygen becomes yellow-red, juicy, with a pronounced mushroom smell.

In nature, there are about 200 types of champignons. But they all develop only on a substrate enriched with organic substances. They can also be found on anthills and dead bark. It is characteristic that some mushrooms can grow only in the forest, others - exclusively among grasses, and still others - in desert areas.

Important! When collecting champignons, pay attention to their plates. This is the only important sign by which they can be distinguished from poisonous representatives of the Amanitov genus. In the latter, this part remains invariably white or lemon throughout their lives..

In the nature of the Eurasian continent, there is a small species diversity of such trophies. Mushroom pickers should only beware of yellow-skinned (Agaricus xanthodermus) and variegated (Agaricus meleagris) champignons. All other types are non-toxic. They are even mass-cultivated on an industrial scale.

Outwardly, these fruits are very unattractive, but in terms of their taste they are considered a valuable delicacy. In everyday life they are called “earth heart”, since they can be located underground at a depth of half a meter. They are also the “black diamonds of cooking.” Botanists classify truffles as a separate genus of marsupial fungi with an underground fleshy and juicy fruiting body. In cooking, the Italian, Perigord and winter varieties are most valued.
They mainly grow in oak and beech forests in Southern France and Northern Italy. In Europe, specially trained dogs and pigs are used for “silent hunting”. Experienced mushroom pickers advise paying attention to flies - in places where they swarm, there will probably be an earthen heart under the foliage.

You can recognize the most valuable fruit by the following signs:

• the fruiting body is potato-shaped, with a diameter of 2.5 to 8 cm, with a weak pleasant odor and large pyramidal protrusions with a diameter of up to 10 mm, olive-black in color;
• the flesh is white or yellow-brown with clear light veins, tastes like fried sunflower seeds or nuts;
• ellipsoidal spores develop only in humus substrate.

Truffles form mycorrhizae with the rhizomes of oak, hornbeam, hazel, and beech. Since 1808, they have been cultivated for industrial purposes.

Did you know? According to statistics, the world's truffle harvest is decreasing every year. On average, it does not exceed 50 tons.

This is a species of edible mushroom from the genus Lentinula. They are very widespread in East Asia. They got their name from growing on chestnut trees. Translated from Japanese, the word means “chestnut mushroom.” In cooking, it is used in Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and Thai cuisines as a gourmet spice. In oriental medicine there are also many recipes for treatment with these fruits.
In everyday life, the mushroom is also called oak, winter, black. It is characteristic that in the world market shiitake is considered the second important mushroom that is cultivated industrially. It is quite possible to grow a delicacy in climatic conditions Ukraine. To do this, it is important to acquire an artificial mushroom substrate.

When collecting shiitake, you need to focus on the following characteristics of the mushroom:

• a hemispherical cap, up to 29 cm in diameter, with a dry, velvety skin of coffee or brownish-brown color;
• the plates are white, thin and thick, in young specimens they are protected by a membrane covering, and when squeezed they become dark brown;
• the leg is fibrous, cylindrical, up to 20 cm high and up to 1.5 cm thick, with a smooth light brown surface;
• white ellipsoidal spores;
• the pulp is dense, fleshy, juicy, cream or snow-white in color, with a pleasant aroma and a pronounced specific taste.

Did you know? The increased interest in shiitake on the world market is due to its antitumor effect. The main consumer of this delicacy is Japan, which annually imports about 2 thousand tons of the product.

The mushroom belongs to the Boletaceae family. In everyday life it is called bruise, poddubnik, dirty brown. The fruiting period begins in July and lasts until late autumn. August is considered the most productive. To search, you should go to forest areas where there are oaks, hornbeams, beeches, and birches. They also prefer calcareous soil and well-lit areas. These forest fruits are known in the Caucasus, Europe and the Far East.
The signs of the mushroom are:

• cap with a diameter of 5 to 20 cm, semicircular in shape, with olive-brown velvety skin that darkens when touched;
• the pulp is dense, odorless, with a mild taste, yellow in color (purple at the base of the stem);
• the plates are yellow, about 2.5-3 cm long, green or olive in color;
• the leg is club-shaped, up to 15 cm high with a volume up to 6 cm, yellow-orange in color;
• spores are olive-brown, smooth, fusiform.

Experienced mushroom pickers advise paying attention to the color of the oak mushroom cap. It is highly variable and can vary between red, yellow, brown, brown and olive tones. These fruits are considered conditionally edible. They are prepared for marinades and drying.

Important! If you eat undercooked or raw oak, severe poisoning can occur. It is strictly contraindicated to combine this product of any degree of culinary processing with alcoholic beverages.

Edible varieties of these fruits must undergo thorough boiling. They differ from poisonous specimens in their bright color and not too tart odor. Most often used for filling pies, and also consumed freshly prepared.
Experienced mushroom pickers advise going “to quiet hunt» from the beginning of July to the second half of October. To improve the taste of talkers, only the caps of young fruits are used for food. You can recognize them by:

• a bell-shaped cap with a circumference of up to 22 cm, with folded edges and a tubercle in the middle, a smooth surface of a matte or red color;
• stem up to 15 cm high, with a dense structure, cylindrical shape and color scheme corresponding to the cap (there are darker shades at the base);
• medium thick brown plates;
• The pulp is fleshy, dry, with a weak almond aroma, white in color, which does not change when cut.

Important! Pay attention to the skin of the talker's cap. Poisonous fruits always have a characteristic powdery coating on it.

Many novice mushroom pickers are always impressed by the appearance of bigheads. These trophies stand out very favorably against the background of their counterparts due to their impressive size and shape.
They have:

• the fruiting body is large, can develop up to 20 cm in diameter, has a non-standard club-shaped shape, which hardly fits into generally accepted ideas about mushrooms;
• the leg can also reach 20 cm in height, it can be larger or smaller than the cap, its color is in harmony with the top;
• The pulp is loose, white in color.

Only young fruits, which are distinguished by light shades of the fruiting body, are suitable for culinary purposes. With age, the cap darkens and cracks appear on it. You can harvest bigheads in any forest area. Some young mushrooms are very similar to puffballs. But such confusion is not dangerous to health, since both varieties are edible. The mushroom season begins in the second decade of July and lasts until the coldest weather. It is better to dry the collected trophies.

Did you know? Mushrooms can survive at an altitude of 30 thousand meters above sea level, withstand radioactive radiation and pressure of 8 atmospheres. They also take root easily even on the surface of sulfuric acid.

He is a representative of the Borovikov family. In everyday life it is referred to as the yellow gill or yellow boletus. Very common in Polesie, Carpathian region and Western Europe. It is considered a heat-loving variety of Boletaceae. It can be found in oak, hornbeam, and beech plantings with high air humidity and clay substrate.
Externally the mushroom is characterized by:

• a cap with a diameter of 5 to 20 cm, a convex shape, which becomes flat with age, with a smooth matte clay-colored surface;
• heavy pulp, with a dense structure, white or light yellow color, which does not change when cut, with a pleasant, slightly sweet taste and a specific smell, reminiscent of iodoform;
• leg with a rough surface, up to 16 cm high, up to 6 cm in volume, club-shaped, without mesh;
• a tubular layer up to 3 cm in size, yellow at an early age and olive-lemon at maturity;
• spores of yellow-olive color, up to 6 microns in size, fusiform and smooth.

Semi-white mushrooms are often prepared for preparing marinades and drying. It is important to thoroughly boil the harvested crop before use - then the unpleasant smell disappears.

Did you know? The history of mushrooms records a fact when Swiss mushroom pickers accidentally stumbled upon a huge trophy that had been growing for a thousand years. This giant honey fungus measured 800 m in length and 500 m in width, and its mycelium occupied 35 hectares of the local national park in the city of Ofenpass.

Basic rules for picking mushrooms

Mushroom hunting has its risks. In order not to be exposed to them, you need to clearly understand that it is extremely important to be able to collect mushrooms and understand their varieties.
To safely harvest forest trophies, you need to follow these rules:

1. To search, go to environmentally friendly areas, away from noisy highways and production assets.
2. Never put items in your cart that you are not sure about. In this case, it is better to seek help from experienced mushroom pickers.
3. Under no circumstances should samples be taken from raw fruits.
4. During a “silent hunt,” minimize touching your hands to your mouth and face.
5. Do not take mushrooms that have a white tuberous formation at the base.
6. Compare found trophies with their toxic counterparts.
7. Visually evaluate the entire fruit: stem, plates, cap, pulp.
8. Do not delay cooking the harvested crop. It is better to immediately carry out the planned processing, because every hour the mushrooms lose their value.
9. Never drink water in which mushrooms have been boiled. It may contain many toxic substances.
10. Remove copies damaged by the wormhole, as well as those that have any damage.
11. Only young fruits should fall into the mushroom picker’s basket.
12. All trophies should be cut, not pulled out.
13. The best time for “silent hunting” is considered to be early morning.
14. If you go mushroom picking with children, do not lose sight of them and explain to the kids in advance about the potential danger of forest gifts.

Did you know? Soft mushroom caps can break through asphalt, concrete, marble and iron.

Video: rules for picking mushrooms

First aid for poisoning

Mushroom poisoning is indicated by:

• nausea;
• vomit;
• headache;
• abdominal cramps;
• diarrhea (up to 15 times a day);
• weakened heartbeat;
• hallucinations;
• cold extremities.

Similar symptoms can occur within one and a half to two hours after eating mushrooms. When intoxicated, it is important not to waste time. It is necessary to immediately call an ambulance and provide the victim with drinking plenty of fluids. You are allowed to drink cold water or cold strong tea. It is recommended to take activated carbon tablets or Enterosgel.

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Before you go into the forest for a “silent hunt,” you need to find out the varieties, name, description and look at photos of edible mushrooms (eukaryotic organisms). If you study them, you can see that the lower part of their cap is covered with a spongy structure where the spores are located. They are also called lamellar and are highly valued in cooking due to their unique taste and many beneficial properties.

Types of Edible Mushrooms

There are a large number of different mushrooms in nature, some can be eaten, while others are dangerous to eat. Edibles do not pose a threat to human health, differing from poisonous structure hymenophore, color and shape. There are several types of edible representatives of this kingdom of living nature:

• boletus;
• Russula;
• chanterelles;
• milk mushrooms;
• Champignon;
• White mushrooms;
• honey mushrooms;
• rednecks.

Signs of edible mushrooms

Among eukaryotic organisms there are also poisonous ones, which outwardly are almost no different from useful ones, so study the signs of their differences in order to avoid poisoning. For example, porcini mushroom is very easy to confuse with mustard, which has an inedible, bilious taste. So, you can distinguish an edible mushroom from its poisonous counterparts by the following parameters:

1. Place of growth, which can be learned from the description of edible and dangerous poisonous.
2. Acrid, unpleasant odor that poisonous specimens contain.
3. Calm, discreet color, which is characteristic of representatives of the food category of eukaryotic organisms.
4. Food categories do not have a characteristic pattern on the stem.

Popular edibles

All mushrooms edible for humans are rich in glycogen, salts, carbohydrates, vitamins and a large number of minerals. This class of living nature as food has a positive effect on appetite, promotes the production of gastric juice, and improves digestion. The most famous names of edible mushrooms:

• saffron milk cap;
• White mushroom;
• boletus;
• oiler;
• boletus;
• champignon;
• fox;
• honey fungus;
• truffle.

This type of edible lamellar eukaryotic organisms grows on trees and is one of the popular objects of “silent hunting” among mushroom pickers. The size of the cap reaches from 5 to 15 cm in diameter, its shape is round with edges curved inward. Mature mushrooms have a slightly convex top with a tubercle in the middle. Color - from gray-yellow to brown shades, there are small scales. The pulp is dense, white, has a sour taste and a pleasant smell.

Autumn honey mushrooms have cylindrical legs, up to 2 cm in diameter and 6 to 12 cm in length. The top is light, there is a white ring, the bottom of the leg is dense brown. Honey mushrooms grow from late summer (August) to mid-autumn (October) deciduous trees, mainly on birch. They grow in wavy colonies, no more than 2 times a year, growth lasts 15 days.

Another name is yellow chanterelle. It appeared due to the color of the cap - from egg white to deep yellow, sometimes faded, light, almost white. The shape of the apex is irregular, funnel-shaped, 6-10 cm in diameter, in young ones it is almost flat, fleshy. The flesh of the common chanterelle is dense with the same yellowish tint, a slight mushroom smell and an islandy taste. The leg is fused with the cap, narrowed downward, up to 7 cm in length.

These edibles grow Forest mushrooms from June to late autumn whole families in coniferous, mixed, deciduous forests. It can often be found in mosses. Mushroom pickers' baskets are especially full of them in July, which is when growth peaks. Chanterelles are one of the famous agaric mushrooms that appear after rain and are eaten as a delicacy. They are often confused with saffron milk caps, but if you compare the photographs, you can see that the saffron milk cap has a flatter cap, and the stem and flesh are a rich orange color.

They are also called pecheritsa and meadow champignons. These are edible cap mushrooms with a spherical convex cap with a diameter of 6 to 15 cm and with brown scales. Champignons have a cap that is first white and then brownish in color with a dry surface. The plates are whitish, slightly pink, and later brownish-red with a brown tint. The leg is smooth, 3-10 cm long, the flesh is fleshy, with a subtle mushroom taste and smell. Champignons grow in meadows, pastures, gardens and parks; it is especially good to collect them after rain.

These edible mushrooms are very popular in cooking and are prepared by everyone. possible ways. Boletus mushrooms have a cap color from light gray to brown, their shape is cushion-shaped with a diameter of up to 15 cm. The flesh is white with a pleasant mushroom aroma. The leg can grow up to 15 cm in length, has a cylindrical shape, widened towards the bottom. Grow common boletus in mixed birch forests from early summer to late autumn.

Boletus is one of the most famous edible eukaryotic organisms. They often grow in large groups, predominantly on sandy soils. The butterfly's cap can be up to 15 cm in diameter and has a chocolate brown color with a brown tint. The surface is slimy and easily separated from the pulp. The tubular layer is yellow, attached to the leg, which reaches a length of up to 10 cm. The pulp is juicy white, over time it becomes lemon-yellow, thick legs. Butterfly is easily digested, so it is eaten fried, boiled, dried and pickled.

These edible mushrooms grow in heaps, which is why they got their name. The cap of the milk mushroom is dense, cream-colored, up to 12 cm (sometimes up to 20 cm) in diameter. The plates have yellowish edges, the stem is white, cylindrical in shape up to 6 cm in length. The pulp is dense, white with a pronounced pleasant smell and taste. This variety grows in mixed birch and pine forests from July to the end of September. Before you go looking for milk mushrooms, you need to know what they look like and be prepared for the fact that you will have to look for them, because they are hiding under the foliage.

Conditionally edible mushrooms

Eukaryotic organisms from this classification differ from the previous ones in that they are prohibited from being eaten without prior heat treatment. Before starting cooking, most of these specimens must be boiled several times, changing the water, and some must be soaked and fried. Check out the list of mushrooms that belong to this group:

• coppice champignon;
• morel cap;
• globular sarcosome;
• blue cobweb;
• false chanterelle;
• pink wave;
• thyroid disease and others.

It can be found in summer and autumn in coniferous and deciduous forests. The diameter of the cap is from 3 to 6 cm, it is colored bright Orange color with a brown tint, has a funnel shape. The pulp of the false chanterelle is soft, viscous, without a pronounced smell or taste. The plates are orange, frequent, descending along a thin yellow-orange stalk. False chanterelle is not poisonous, but it can upset digestion and sometimes has an unpleasant woody taste. The caps are mainly eaten.

This eukaryotic organism has several names: volnyanka, volzhanka, volnukha, rubella, etc. The cap of the volyanka has the shape of a funnel with a sunken middle, the color is pink-orange, the diameter is up to 10 cm. The leg is cylindrical, tapering towards the bottom, up to 6 cm in length . The pulp of the trumpet is fragile, whitish in color; if it is damaged, a light juice and a pungent odor will appear. Grows in mixed or birch forests (usually in groups) from late July to mid-September.

The color of this eukaryotic organism depends on its age. Young specimens are dark, brown, and become lighter with age. The morel cap resembles a walnut, all dotted with uneven stripes and wrinkles similar to convolutions. Its leg is cylindrical, always curved. The pulp is like cotton wool with a specific damp smell. Morel caps grow in moist soil, next to streams, ditches, and water. The peak of the harvest occurs in April-May.

Little-known edible mushrooms

There are different varieties of edible mushrooms, and when you come to the forest you need to know which of them can be considered inedible. To do this, before the “silent hunt”, be sure to study photographs and descriptions of eukaryotic organisms. There are such rare specimens that it is not immediately clear what they are - poisonous, inedible or quite suitable for food. Here is a list of some little-known edible representatives of this class of wildlife:

• raincoat;
• funnel talker;
• purple row;
• garlic;
• pigeon oyster mushroom;
• fleecy scale;
• Polish mushroom;
• gray row (cockerel);
• white dung beetle and others.

It is also called chestnut moss mushroom or pan mushroom. It has an excellent taste, so it is highly valued in cooking. The flywheel cap is hemispherical, convex, from 5 to 15 cm in diameter, and becomes sticky in the rain. The top color is chocolate brown, chestnut. The tubular layer is yellowish, and with age it turns golden and greenish-yellow. The leg of the flywheel is cylindrical and can narrow or widen towards the bottom. The pulp is dense, fleshy, with a pleasant mushroom smell. Chestnut flywheel grows on sandy soils under coniferous trees, sometimes under oak or chestnut.

Such eukaryotic organisms are presented in several types: gum scale, fiery scale, golden scale and others. They grow in families on dead and living trunks, on stumps, roots, in hollows, and have medicinal properties. Often the scale can be found under spruce, apple, birch or aspen. The cap is convex, fleshy, from 5 to 15 cm in diameter, has a yellow-honey color, the flesh is pale. The leg is up to 2 cm thick and up to 15 cm tall, monochromatic, scaly, with a ring on young specimens. Flea flake contains a substance used to treat gout.

The second name is common rotting plant. The cap is convex in shape, becomes flat with age, up to 3 cm in diameter. The color of the crown is yellow-brown, light at the edges, the surface is dense and rough. The flesh of the garlic plant is pale and has a rich garlic smell, which gives it its name. As the mushroom dries, the smell intensifies even more. The leg is brown-red, light at the base, empty inside. Common rotting beetles grow in large families in different forests, choosing dry sandy soil. Peak growth is from July to October.

Even experienced lovers of “silent hunting” do not always take them, and in vain, because raincoats are not only tasty, but also medicinal. They appear in meadows and pastures after rains. The diameter of the cap is 2-5 cm, the shape is spherical, the color is white, sometimes light brown, there is a hole on top for spores. The pulp of the raincoat is dense, but at the same time tasty, juicy, and becomes soft with age. Young mushrooms have spines on the surface of the cap, which are washed off over time. The leg is small, from 1.5 to 3.5 cm in height, thickened. Puffballs grow in whole groups in parks and on lawns, the peak harvest is from June to October.

Video

When harvesting mushrooms, you need to be extremely careful, because along with edible specimens, inedible and sometimes even poisonous representatives also grow in the vastness of your native land. Eating such mushrooms can lead to severe poisoning, and there are often cases when such an illness ends in death. To know which mushrooms are poisonous, you need to carefully study the catalogs inedible mushrooms, suspicious or obscure specimens should not be collected.

Death cap

Another name for the mushroom is green fly agaric, its cap grows from 6 to 12 centimeters in span, the color of the skin is yellow-brown-olive, pale green, very rarely the outer surface is almost white. The shape of the cap is ovoid at first, then flat-convex and at the end it becomes completely prostrate. White warty flakes can be seen on the skin. The spore-bearing layer consists of wide, free plates that do not change color. The leg is cylinder-shaped with a thickening at the bottom, its height is 8-15 centimeters, painted in a white-yellow or white-green shade. White pulp does not change color when cut.

False valui (horseradish mushroom)

The shape of the cap of young specimens is convex-rounded, the edges are tucked, the diameter is about 8-10 centimeters, more mature ones have a flat shape with a tubercle in the center, the skin is smooth, sticky, the surface color varies from light yellow to brown, and the edges almost always remain white. There is a powdery coating on the stem; it grows up to 9 centimeters in height and 2 centimeters in thickness. The structure of the pulp is dense, the color is cream or white, it has an unpleasant odor, it is a bit like the smell of potatoes or turnips. The lamellar layer is adherent, in young animals it is light gray and then gradually darkens.

Patouillard fiber

The fungus poses a mortal danger to the human body. The span of the cap is 3-9 centimeters, it is colored in red-yellow shades, there are radial fibers on the skin, its shape changes from bell-shaped to completely prostrate. The frequent, loose plates are white with an olive-brown tint and turn red when pressed. The leg has the shape of a cylinder, the length does not exceed 7 centimeters, the diameter is 1-2 centimeters, the color is usually slightly lighter than the tone of the surface of the cap. The whitish pulp does not have a strong odor, but the taste is unpleasant and turns red when cut.

Galerina bordered

The convex or bell-shaped cap has a brown color with a yellow tint; in mature specimens the shape is flat, the edges are translucent and you can see grooves located in parallel. Narrow plates descending onto the stalk, at the beginning of growth are colored in light colors; when the spores mature, they acquire a brownish-rusty tint. The brown leg is thin and not too long, only 4-5 centimeters, there is a yellow ring on top, it disappears with age, above it the leg is covered with a powdery coating. The pulp has a mealy odor, brown in the stem and yellow in the cap. This type of inedible poisonous mushrooms can often be found in the forests of Kuban.

Gymnopilus Juno

This species belongs to hallucinogenic mushrooms. The span of the cap is 3-15 centimeters, hemispherical in young animals, later transformed into convex or prostrate. The finely scaly surface is orange or ocher-yellow. The plates are often located, wide, yellow in very young specimens and become brownish-rusty with age, the pulp has a pronounced almond smell, its color is pale yellow with a brown tint. The leg grows from 3 to 20 centimeters in length, the thickness does not exceed 4 centimeters, thickened at the base, the color is brown, there is a small membranous ring.

The talker is whitish

The diameter of the cap is 2-7 centimeters, the surface is distinctly powdery, the convex shape transforms with age into a prostrate or funnel-shaped one. On the off-white skin you can see dark spots; the wavy edge of the young ones turns up. The plates running down the stem are often located, their color is cream or pale gray, pink-yellow in older specimens. The stem is generally straight, but may be slightly curved, does not grow more than 5 centimeters in height and 0.7 centimeters in thickness, and is colored pale brown or white. The white flesh does not tend to change color when broken.

Chest papillary

The size of the mushroom cap is 3-9 centimeters, centric circles can be seen on the skin, the surface color is dark brown with a clear tint of purple. Basically, the shape of the cap is flat, and the edges are tucked, sometimes there is a small tubercle in the center. The plates are frequent, white, and in older mushrooms they are often yellow-cream. The leg is short but massive, becoming hollow as it matures. When you press on the outer part of the cap, a distinct brown spot appears.

Gall mushroom

It can grow singly or in large groups, in appearance it resembles a porcini mushroom, the leg is strong and massive, the flesh is fibrous, the thickness reaches 7 centimeters, and there is a dense brown mesh on the skin. The cap is a spongy formation; in the upper part it has a thin layer of porous substance; at first, the hemispherical shape becomes more like a saucer with age. The surface is painted in a pale brown or rich ocher shade. Insects do not harm this species - this is another sign by which this poisonous mushroom can be treated.

Greenfinch

The outer surface of the cap has a bright green color, it is convex, and in the center there is a characteristic tubercle; at a more mature age, frequent scales can be observed on the skin, the diameter of the cap is 12-15 centimeters. The maximum height of the leg is 3 centimeters and about 2 centimeters thick, the surface is painted green and less often in yellow. The plates are densely packed, their color varies from yellow to lemon, and the spore-bearing layer has a distinct smell of flour. The flesh is white when cut, but soon changes color to yellow. This is one of the most common inedible types of mushrooms that mushroom pickers come across in the Rostov region.

Umbrella comb (Lepiota)

The size of the cap of even an adult mushroom does not exceed 4 centimeters; in young animals it looks like an inverted bell, later it straightens out more and more, the outer surface is dry and velvety covered with scales, the color is pink or gray, and in mature specimens it is rich brown. The plates are small and break easily, the thin stem grows about 5 centimeters in length, the surface is silky, in the middle you can see the remains of a ring, which is almost invisible in old mushrooms. A distinctive feature is the quickly reddening flesh when cut, which has an unpleasant smell of rotten garlic.

False pig (Thin)

The cap has a smooth surface, its span reaches 6-14 centimeters, the edge is drooping and velvety, its shape is rounded, but the center is slightly depressed, the skin is olive-brown when the mushroom is still young and over time acquires a gray or rusty-brown tint. The surface is usually dry, but becomes sticky when the humidity rises. The plates descending onto the stem are brownish-yellow in color and, when pressed, acquire a rich brown tint. The color of the stem is usually identical to the skin of the cap, does not grow more than 9 centimeters in height and 2.5 centimeters in thickness, thickened at the base. The soft pulp has a dense structure, is yellow-brown or light yellow, but quickly darkens when pressed.

False chanterelles

The small mushroom cap is only 1-6 centimeters in diameter, flat at the beginning of growth, later becomes funnel-shaped, the edge is drooping, the center is depressed, the skin is velvety, painted in a bright orange color with a yellow or red tint, fades with age. The leg is smooth and thin, no more than 6 centimeters long, sometimes bends under the weight of the cap, the color of the skin is identical to the cap only at the base it is darker, sometimes almost black. The branched plates are often located, descending onto the stem, the pulp has a mushroom smell, its color is white with a yellow tint.

Milky gray-pink

The rounded cap can be flat or convex, the edges are usually curved, when ripe, it transforms into a funnel-shaped one, the edges straighten out, but a tubercle remains in the center, the diameter is 13-15 centimeters, the skin is dry and velvety to the touch, its shade is brown or gray-pink, rarely yellow-sand. The smooth leg has a smooth skin, usually slightly lighter than the outer surface of the cap; in young animals there are no cavities inside, the length of the leg is 5-9 centimeters, the diameter is 2-3 centimeters. The thick pulp is quite fragile, does not change color when cut, but secretes a milky juice, the color is almost white, sometimes with a yellow tint, it has a distinct smell of spices and is bitter in taste.

Milky spiny

The thin, fleshy cap has a flat shape, thin veins can be seen on the skin, in mature specimens it transforms into a flat-spread one, and in the center there is a papillary tubercle with a sharp end. The edges of the cap are drooping, slightly ribbed, sometimes straight, the color of the outer surface is red-pink, carmine or lilac-red, and there are small scales. The plates are forked, narrow, frequent, descending, pink-ocher shade turns brown when pressed. The pink-purple leg tapers closer to the base, reaches 2-6 centimeters in length, and does not exceed 1 centimeter in thickness. The pale white flesh turns green when pressed.

Spring fly agaric (Smelly)

The cap is wide and resembles a curved saucer, the outer part is smooth and shiny, usually its shade is light cream or white. The leg is usually no longer than 13 centimeters and no thicker than 4 centimeters, thickened in the place where it is attached to the cap, sometimes you can see the remains of a ring, the skin is rough, there is a sticky coating. The pulp is white and contains contact poisons; you should not touch this mushroom. If touched, immediately wash your hands thoroughly. In the Belgorod region, this inedible mushroom, along with others, is much more common.

Fly agaric red

As it grows, the cap transforms from spherical to rounded and flat, its span is about 10-19 centimeters, the color of the outer part is bright orange and many shades of red, there are white scales on the skin, but rain can wash them off. The pulp smells pleasant, pale yellow or white, uneven, thick, frequent plates of the spore-bearing layer are white and turn yellow as the mushroom matures. The shape of the leg is cylindrical, tuberous at the base, in addition, it is covered with several rows of scales, on top of the leg you can see a membranous ring, it hangs in mature specimens, the girth does not exceed 4 centimeters, the length is about 8-20 centimeters. This inedible type of mushroom is often encountered by mushroom pickers in the Leningrad region.

Panther fly agaric

Usually the color of the cap is brown, but specimens with brown, gray or dirty olive skin are often found; there are white warts located concentrically on the surface, which are easily separated from the cap. In young mushrooms, a rounded-convex cap is formed, in mature mushrooms it is semi-prostrate, with a diameter of 6-12 centimeters. The plates are loose, the caps expand nearby, the flesh is watery and has an unpleasant odor. The height of the leg varies from 5 to 11 centimeters, the girth is 1-2 centimeters, the surface is fleecy, tuberous-swollen at the base, a ring is noticeable on the skin.

Amanita toadstool

The color of the cap changes with the age of the mushroom from white to green-yellow, diameter is 4-9 centimeters, the hemispherical shape is replaced by a flat-convex shape, on the outer surface you can see small flakes of a gray hue - these are the remains of the blanket. The pulp has a distinct odor and resembles raw potatoes; its color is white and does not change when broken. Narrow, loose plates are colored yellow or white. The stem is cylindrical in shape, 1-2 centimeters thick, 5-11 centimeters high, usually colored to match the outside of the cap, and has a noticeable hanging ring.

Alder moth

The mushroom grows in large groups, the spherical cap, when ripe, transforms into a cone-shaped one, and later looks like a small (5 centimeters) saucer, the outer side is covered with lemon scales, just like the skin of the cap. Small, thin, often planted plates change their yellow-lemon color to darker ones. There is no ring on the tall and thin stem, the surface of the skin is colored to match the cap, and the flesh does not lose color when cut.

False honey fungus brick-red

At the beginning of growth, the rounded cap is bright orange, as it matures, it already looks like a saucer and takes on a red-brick hue; at the edges there are fragments of the covering blanket in the form of large flakes. The leg is long and the thickness does not exceed 2 centimeters. The ring inherent in this honey mushroom is missing.

False honey fungus sulfur-yellow

The span of the convex bell-shaped cap is 2-6 centimeters; when it matures, it takes on a flat shape, the surface is smooth, the color ranges from yellow-brown to sulfur-yellow, and the edges are always lighter, the center can be red-brown. Frequent, wide plates have a yellow-green or brown-olive color. The thickness of the leg does not exceed 1 centimeter, the height reaches 10 centimeters, the cylindrical shape is narrowed at the base. The pulp is fibrous with an unpleasant odor and bitter taste, colored sulfur-yellow.

Pepper mushroom

A convex-rounded cap with a diameter of 2-8 centimeters takes on an almost flat shape as it grows; the outer part is velvety, dry and glitters in the sun, and becomes covered with mucus when humidity rises. The color of the outer surface of the cap can be copper, orange, light brown, brown or red. The pulp is yellow sulfur in color and takes on a redder hue when broken. The length of the slightly curved leg is 4-9 centimeters, the girth is no more than 1.5 centimeters, tapers closer to the base, usually the surface shade is identical to the cap. The tubes are adherent, descending, the pores are large, their color is brown-red.

Grille red

The mushroom has no cap or stem, the fruiting body at the beginning of growth is ovoid, about 6 centimeters in height and 5 centimeters in width, covered with a leathery shell of brown or white color, under which there is a mucous-gelatinous layer; a dome-shaped mesh structure is formed in the depths of the mushroom. As the outer surface of the shell ripens, it bursts and the mushroom takes the form of a bright sphere with irregularly shaped cells. The surface inside the sphere is covered with a mucous dark spore mass; it has a pungent putrefactive odor.

Satanic mushroom

The species is quite large, the span of the hemispherical cap is 10-25 centimeters, the outer part is velvety and dry, the skin is dirty grayish or white, sometimes with a yellow tint and pale green streaks. The tubular layer is yellow in young animals and yellow-green in mature representatives, small pores change color from yellow to red-orange, sometimes turning blue when pressed with a clear green tint. The leg is barrel-shaped and massive, about 7-15 centimeters high and from 3 to 9 centimeters in thickness, pale yellow on top, red-orange in the middle, with a mesh pattern. The flesh is creamy, it slowly turns red at the break, and eventually turns blue.

Fat pig

The cap has a brown or rusty-brown color, the center is depressed, the edges are turned inward, it gradually transforms and takes on a convex appearance, and the color changes to brown-olive, diameter is 15-25 centimeters, the surface is dry and velvety. The creamy plates fall onto the stem and turn brown when pressed; the hard flesh has a dense structure and turns brown when cut. The fleshy leg is widened at the base, the skin is dark brown, velvety, about 3-5 centimeters wide, 5-10 centimeters high.

Russula maiden

The thin, fleshy cap reaches 3-6 centimeters in diameter, at an early stage of growth it is semicircular and then gradually transforms into flat-spread, and in maturity it is concave-spread. The shade of the outer part is purple-pink, brown-lilac or violet-purple. The plates are thin, narrow, attached, forked from the stem, at first white or cream, later turning yellow. The leg is more often cylindrical than club-shaped, height 5-7 centimeters, diameter 1-1.5 centimeters, white or yellow with a distinct powdery odor. The fragile white pulp turns yellow within 8-10 hours and tastes bland.

Russula stinging (Vomitic)

The smooth, shiny surface of the cap is painted in a bright scarlet color, there is a dark spot in the middle, the range is from 3 to 10 centimeters. In young animals it is convex; when it matures, it takes on a flat shape or cracks; the middle is usually depressed; radial grooves can be seen along the edges. The plates are adherent, sparse, their color is rich white and only in the oldest specimens they are cream. The club-shaped leg is also white, sometimes with a pink tint, grows about 2 centimeters thick, 7-9 centimeters high, the skin is covered with a coating. The pulp does not have a strong odor, is white and does not lose color when cut.

Entoloma poisonous

The mushroom cap is quite wide and flat; as it ripens, its spread can be 20-22 centimeters; the outer part is silky, covered with mucus when air humidity increases; the shade of the skin varies from yellow to brown. Powerful plates are located sparsely; at first they are cream-colored, later turning pink. The pulp at the break is dense, white, and has a pronounced smell of fresh flour. The flexible, fibrous leg grows up to 11 centimeters in length, but the thickness does not exceed 2.5 centimeters.

How many lovers are waiting for the start of the season to walk through the forest in search of saffron milk caps or saffron milk caps. Fry chanterelles, pickle milk mushrooms, marinate boletus to taste at the festive table in winter. Unfortunately, not everything ends well if you don’t know what you have collected. Every mushroom eater must be armed with useful knowledge of how to distinguish inedible species.

How to distinguish poisonous mushrooms from edible ones

You should not go into the forest if you do not know how to determine whether a mushroom is poisonous or not. Ask an experienced person to take you on a quiet hunt. In the forest thicket he will tell you about edible varieties and show what they look like. Read books or find information on websites. This is the only way to protect your loved ones and yourself from mortal danger. Even one inedible specimen in a basket can lead to disaster if you do not distinguish it and cook it with others.

Inedible species are dangerous because they can cause food poisoning, cause disruption of the central nervous system, and lead to death. Experienced mushroom pickers recommend following the following rules when collecting:

• don’t taste it – you can get poisoned instantly;
• do not take if in doubt;
• do not cut dry, overripe specimens - it is difficult to determine their identity;
• do not collect everything in the hope of sorting it out at home;
• visit the forest with experienced people;
• do not collect specimens with a thickened stem at the bottom;
• Before departure, refresh your knowledge about the characteristics of the species.

What do edible mushrooms look like?

Experienced lovers of quiet forest hunting know how to distinguish edible mushrooms from inedible ones. You can’t go wrong, you can put the copy you like in the basket, and then cook it if:

• there is a “skirt” on the leg;
• under the cap there is a layer of a tubular appearance;
• it gives off a pleasant smell;
• the caps have a characteristic appearance and color for their variety;
• insects were noticed on the surface - bugs and worms.

There are varieties that are very famous and popular in the middle forest zone. They are known and collected, although among them there are specimens that have dangerous doubles. To obtain a unique taste, different cooking methods are required. Among your favorite types you can distinguish:

• white - boletus;
• milk mushroom;
• saffron milk cap;
• boletus;
• honey fungus;
• boletus;
• oiler;
• wave;
• fox;
• Russula.

What mushrooms are poisonous?

How to distinguish edible mushrooms from inedible ones? Poisonous varieties are often recognized by the following characteristics:

• color – have an unusual or very bright color;
• sticky cap in some varieties;
• change in the color of the leg - when cut, an unnatural color appears;
• absence of worms and insects inside and on the surface - they do not tolerate mushroom poison;
• smell - it can be fetid, medicinal, chlorine;
• absence of a tubular layer under the cap.

Inedible varieties contain toxic substances. It is necessary to carry out the collection very carefully, to know the special signs of dangerous specimens in order to distinguish them:

• pale grebe - fatally poisonous, has a greenish or olive-colored cap, a thickened stem downward;
• satanic - different from white in red colors;
• red fly agaric - has a bright cap with white dots, provokes the destruction of brain cells;
• thin pig – has hallucinogenic properties when interacting with alcohol;
• fly agaric smelly - has the smell of chlorine, is very poisonous.

How to distinguish mushrooms

Among the variety of species, you can find poisonous specimens - doubles, similar to species suitable for consumption. How to distinguish between edible and inedible mushrooms in this case? The similarity can be distant or very close. The edible varieties of twins are:

• white – satanic, bilious;
• moss mushrooms, boletus - pepper;
• chanterelles - false chanterelles;
• milk mushrooms - waxy talkers;
• mushrooms - fly agaric;
• honey mushrooms - false honey mushrooms.

How to distinguish a false white mushroom

Inexperienced mushroom pickers may confuse the robust boletus with false species, although they are not very similar. A true white specimen is strong, dense, and grows in groups, sometimes forming a path. Distinguished by its hat, the bottom is exclusively olive, yellow, and white. Its flesh is firm, dense, and has a pleasant smell. If you make a cut, it will be white.

There are two types of false:

• Gall - has a pinkish tint. There is a dark mesh on the surface of the leg.
• Satanic - with a strong smell of rotten onion, distinguished by a velvety cap and yellow or red flesh. The leg is thickened at the bottom. Has very bright color, which varies in height from rich red to shades of green and yellow.

How to recognize the false chanterelle mushroom

How to determine edible and inedible mushrooms, if both look bright and elegant? How are chanterelles similar and by what characteristics can they be distinguished? Characteristics of an inedible variety are:

• a bright, velvety, orange hat;
• smaller diameter - about 2.5 cm;
• pulp with an unpleasant odor;
• leg tapering downward;
• a hat that looks like a funnel with smooth edges;
• absence of worms - contains chitinmannose - an anthelmintic substance.

Edible chanterelles grow in groups in mixed, coniferous forests. They often have large specimens with a hat up to 10 cm. They are distinguished by:

• a thick, dense leg that is never hollow;
• the hat is lowered down, has lumpy edges, the color is dim - from light yellow to pale orange;
• the plates are dense, descending to the stem;
• The flesh is red when pressed.

How to distinguish between edible and poisonous honey mushrooms

The correct identification of honey mushrooms is particularly difficult, since several edible varieties with different shapes are collected. They grow on stumps, tree trunks, and grass, often in large groups. Good mushrooms can be distinguished by:

• caps from light beige to brown with dark scales;
• ring on the leg;
• cream or white plates under the cap;
• pleasant smell.

Inedible honey mushrooms often grow singly. The difference from edible ones is the absence of a ring on the stem. Other features of inedible varieties:

• brightly colored hat, red, orange, rusty brown, sticky and smooth after rain;
• dark plates – green olive-black, yellow;
• musty odor;
• spots on the cap are black.

Video: how to check mushrooms for edibility

All life on Earth is usually attributed to either the plant or animal world, however, there are special organisms - mushrooms, which for a long time scientists found it difficult to classify them into a specific class. Mushrooms are unique in their structure, mode of life and diversity. They are represented by a huge number of varieties and differ in the mechanism of their existence, even among themselves. Mushrooms were first classified as plants, then as animals, and only recently was it decided to classify them as their own, special kingdom. Mushrooms are neither a plant nor an animal.

What are mushrooms?

Mushrooms, unlike plants, do not contain the pigment chlorophyll, which gives green leaves and extracts nutrients from carbon dioxide. Mushrooms are not able to produce nutrients on their own, but extract them from the object on which they grow: wood, soil, plants. Eating prepared substances brings mushrooms closer to animals. In addition, this group of living organisms vitally needs moisture, so they are not able to exist where there is no liquid.

Mushrooms can be cap, mold and yeast. It is the hat ones that we collect in the forest. Molds- this is the well-known mold, yeast - yeast and similar very small microorganisms. Fungi can grow on living organisms or feed on their waste products. Mushrooms can create mutually beneficial relationship With higher plants and insects, this relationship is called symbiosis. Mushrooms are a must digestive system herbivores. They play a very important role in the life of not only animals, plants, but also humans.

Scheme of the structure of a cap mushroom

Everyone knows that a mushroom consists of a stem and a cap, which is what we cut off when we pick mushrooms. However, this is only a small part of the mushroom, called the “fruiting body”. Based on the structure of the fruiting body, you can determine whether a mushroom is edible or not. The fruiting bodies are made up of intertwined threads called hyphae. If you turn the mushroom over and look at the cap from below, you will notice that some mushrooms have thin plastics there (this lamellar mushrooms), and for others it’s like a sponge (sponge mushrooms). It is there that the spores (very small seeds) necessary for the reproduction of the fungus are formed.

The fruiting body makes up only 10% of the mushroom itself. The main part of the fungus is the mycelium; it is not visible to the eye because it is located in the soil or tree bark and is also an interweaving of hyphae. Another name for mycelium is “mycelium”. Big square mycelium is necessary for the mushroom to collect nutrients and moisture. In addition, it attaches the fungus to the surface and promotes further spread over it.

Edible mushrooms

The most popular edible mushrooms among mushroom pickers include: porcini mushroom, boletus, boletus, butterfly, moss fly, honey fungus, milk mushroom, russula, chanterelle, saffron milk cap, and trumpet mushroom.

One mushroom can have many varieties, which is why mushrooms with the same name can look different.

White mushroom (boletus) Mushroom pickers adore it for its unsurpassed taste and aroma. It is very similar in shape to a barrel. The cap of this mushroom is pillow-shaped and pale to dark brown in color. Its surface is smooth. The pulp is dense, white, odorless and has a pleasant nutty taste. The stem of the porcini mushroom is very voluminous, up to 5 cm thick, white, sometimes beige in color. Most of it is underground. This mushroom can be collected from June to October in coniferous, deciduous or mixed forests and appearance it depends on where it grows. You can eat white mushroom in any form.

Common boletus

Common boletus (boletus) It is also a rather desirable mushroom for mushroom pickers. His hat is also pillow-shaped and colored either light brown or dark brown. Its diameter is up to 15 cm. The flesh of the cap is white, but may turn slightly pink when cut. The length of the leg is up to 15 cm. It widens slightly downward and has a light gray color with brown scales. The boletus grows in deciduous and mixed forests from June to late autumn. He loves light very much, so most often he can be found on the edges. Boletus can be consumed boiled, fried and stewed.

Boletus

Boletus(redhead) is easy to recognize by interesting color his hat, reminiscent of autumn foliage. The color of the cap depends on the place of growth. It varies from almost white to yellow-red or brown. At the point where the flesh breaks, it begins to change color, darkening to black. The leg of the boletus is very dense and large, reaching 15 cm in length. In appearance, the boletus differs from the boletus in that it has black spots drawn on its legs, as if horizontally, while the boletus has more vertical spots. This mushroom can be collected from the beginning of summer until October. It is most often found in deciduous and mixed forests, aspen forests and small forests.

Oil can

Oil can has a fairly wide cap, up to 10 cm in diameter. It can be colored from yellow to chocolate, and has a convex shape. The skin can be easily separated from the flesh of the cap and it can be very slimy and slippery to the touch. The pulp in the cap is soft, yellowish and juicy. In young butterflies, the sponge under the cap is covered with a white film; in adults, it leaves a skirt on the leg. The leg has the shape of a cylinder. It is yellow at the top and may be slightly darker at the bottom. Butterwort grows in coniferous forests on sandy soil from May to November. It can be consumed pickled, dried and salted.

Kozlyak

Kozlyak very similar to an old oil can, but the sponge under the cap is darker, with large pores and there is no skirt on the leg.

Mosswort

Mokhoviki have a cushion-shaped cap with velvety skin from brown to dark green. The leg is dense, yellow-brown. The flesh may turn blue or green when cut and has a brown color. The most common are green and yellow-brown moss mushrooms. They have excellent taste and can be consumed fried or dried. Before eating it, be sure to clean the cap. Moss mushrooms grow in deciduous and coniferous forests of temperate latitudes from mid-summer to mid-autumn.

Dubovik

Dubovik grows mainly in oak forests. In appearance, the shape resembles a porcini mushroom, and the color resembles a moss mushroom. The surface of the cap of young mushrooms is velvety; in damp weather it can be mucous. When touched, the cap becomes covered with dark spots. The flesh of the mushroom is yellowish, dense, red or reddish at the base of the stem, turns blue when cut, then turns brown, odorless, mild taste. The mushroom is edible, but it is easily confused with inedible ones: satanic and gall mushrooms. If part of the leg is covered with a dark net, it is not oak, but its inedible double. In olive-brown oak, the flesh immediately turns blue when cut, while in its poisonous counterpart it slowly changes color, first to red, and then turns blue.

All the mushrooms described above are spongy. Among sponge mushrooms, only gall mushroom And satanic mushroom, they look like white, but immediately change color when cut, and the pepper is not edible, because it is bitter, more about them below. But among the agaric mushrooms there are many inedible and poisonous ones, so the child should remember the names and descriptions of edible mushrooms before going on a “quiet hunt”.

Honey fungus

Honey fungus grows at the base of trees, and meadow honey fungus grows in meadows. Its convex cap, up to 10 cm in diameter, is yellowish-brown in color and looks like an umbrella. The length of the leg is up to 12 cm. In the upper part it is light and has a ring (skirt), and at the bottom it acquires a brownish tint. The pulp of the mushroom is dense, dry, with a pleasant smell.

Autumn honey fungus grows from August to October. It can be found at the base of both dead and living trees. The cap is brownish, dense, the plates are yellowish, and there is a white ring on the stem. Most often it is found in birch groves. This mushroom can be eaten dried, fried, pickled and boiled.

Autumn honey fungus

Summer honey fungus, like autumn honey fungus, grows on stumps all summer and even in autumn. Its cap along the edge is darker than in the middle and thinner than that of the autumn honey fungus. There is a brown ring on the stem.

Summer honey fungus

Honey fungus has been growing in meadows and pastures since the end of May. Sometimes mushrooms form a circle, which mushroom pickers call a “witch’s ring.”

Honey fungus

Russula

Russula They have a round cap with easily peelable skin at the edges. The cap reaches 15 cm in diameter. The cap can be convex, flat, concave or funnel-shaped. Its color varies from red-brown and blue-gray to yellowish and light gray. The leg is white, fragile. The flesh is also white. Russula can be found in both deciduous and coniferous forests. They also grow in the birch park and on the river bank. The first mushrooms appear at the end of spring, and greatest number occurs in early autumn.

Chanterelle

Chanterelle- an edible mushroom that is pleasant in appearance and taste. Its velvety hat is red in color and resembles a funnel shape with folds along the edges. Its flesh is dense and has the same color as the cap. The cap smoothly transitions into the leg. The leg is also red, smooth, and tapers downwards. Its length is up to 7 cm. The chanterelle is found in deciduous, mixed and coniferous forests. It can often be found in moss and among coniferous trees. It grows from June to November. You can use it in any form.

Gruzd

Gruzd has a concave cap with a funnel in the center and wavy edges. It is dense to the touch and fleshy. The surface of the cap is white and can be covered with fluff; it can be dry or, on the contrary, slimy and wet, depending on the type of milk mushroom. The pulp is brittle and when broken, white juice with a bitter taste is released. Depending on the type of milk mushroom, the juice may turn yellow or pink when scraped. The leg of the milk mushroom is dense and white. This mushroom grows in deciduous and mixed forests, often covered with dry foliage so that it is not visible, but only a mound is visible. You can collect it from the first summer month to September. Milk mushrooms are well suited for pickling. Much less often they are fried or consumed boiled. The breast can also be black, but the black tastes much worse.

White milk mushroom (real)

Dry milk mushroom (podgruzdok)

Aspen mushroom

Black milk mushroom

Volnushka

Volnushki They are distinguished by a small cap with a depression in the center and a beautiful fringe along the slightly turned up edges. Its color varies from yellowish to pink. The pulp is white and dense. This is a conditionally edible mushroom. The juice has a very bitter taste, so before cooking this mushroom, it needs to be soaked for a long time. The leg is dense, up to 6 cm in length. Volnushki love damp areas and grow in deciduous and mixed forests, preferring birch trees. They are best harvested from August to September. Volnushki can be eaten salted and pickled.

Ryzhik

Saffron milk caps they are similar to volnushki, but larger in size, they do not have a fringe along the edges, they are light orange in color, and the flesh when cut is also orange, turning green along the edges. The mushroom does not have bitter juice, so it can be cooked immediately without soaking. The mushroom is edible. Ryzhiki are fried, boiled and pickled.

Champignon

Champignon They grow in the forest, in the city, and even in landfills and basements from summer to autumn. While the mushroom is young, its cap has the shape of a half ball of white or grayish color, the reverse side of the cap is covered with a white veil. When the cap opens, the veil turns into a skirt on a leg, exposing gray plates with spores. Champignons are edible, they are fried, boiled, pickled without any special pre-treatment.

Violin

A mushroom that squeaks slightly when you run a fingernail over it or when the caps are rubbed, many call it a squeaky mushroom. It grows in coniferous and deciduous forests, usually in groups. The violin is similar to a milk mushroom, but unlike the milk mushroom, its plates are cast in a yellowish or greenish color, and the cap may also not be pure white, moreover, it is velvety. The flesh of the mushroom is white, very dense, hard, but brittle, with a faint pleasant odor and a very pungent taste. When broken, it secretes a very caustic white milky juice. The white pulp turns greenish-yellow when exposed to air. The milky sap dries and becomes reddish. Skripitsa is a conditionally edible mushroom; it is edible when salted after soaking.

Valuy (bull) has a light brown cap with whitish plates and a white stem. While the mushroom is young, the cap is curved down and slightly slippery. Young mushrooms are collected and eaten, but only after removing the skin, long-term soaking or boiling of the mushroom.

You can find such fancy mushrooms in the forest and meadow: morel, string, dung beetle, blue-green stropharia. They are conditionally edible, but recently they are less and less consumed by people. Young umbrella and puffball mushrooms are edible.

Poisonous mushrooms

Inedible mushrooms or food products containing their poisons can cause severe poisoning and even death. The most life-threatening inedible, poisonous mushrooms include: fly agaric, toadstool, false mushrooms.

A very noticeable mushroom in the forest. Its red hat with white specks is visible to the forester from afar. However, depending on the species, the caps can also be of other colors: green, brown, white, orange. The hat is shaped like an umbrella. This mushroom is quite large in size. The leg usually widens downward. There is a “skirt” on it. It represents the remains of the shell in which young mushrooms were located. This poisonous mushroom can be confused with golden-red russula. Russula has a cap that is slightly depressed in the center and does not have a “skirt” (Volva).

Pale grebe (green fly agaric) even in small quantities can cause great harm to human health. Its cap can be white, green, gray or yellowish. But the shape depends on the age of the mushroom. The cap of a young pale grebe resembles a small egg, and over time it becomes almost flat. The stem of the mushroom is white, tapering downward. The pulp does not change at the site of the cut and has no odor. Pale grebe grows in all forests with aluminous soil. This mushroom is very similar to champignons and russula. However, the plates of champignons are usually darker in color, while those of the toadstool are white. Russulas do not have this skirt on the leg, and they are more fragile.

False honey mushrooms can be easily confused with edible honey mushrooms. They usually grow on tree stumps. The cap of these mushrooms is brightly colored, and the edges are covered with white flaky particles. Unlike edible mushrooms, the smell and taste of these mushrooms are unpleasant.

Gall mushroom- double of white. It differs from boletus in that the upper part of its stem is covered with a dark mesh, and the flesh turns pink when cut.

Satanic mushroom also similar to white, but its sponge under the cap is reddish, there is a red mesh on the leg, and the cut becomes purple.

Pepper mushroom looks like a flywheel or oil can, but the sponge under the cap is purple.

False fox- an inedible counterpart to the chanterelle. The color of the false chanterelle is darker, reddish-orange, and white juice is released at the break of the cap.

Both the moss fly and the chanterelles also have inedible counterparts.

As you understand, mushrooms are not only those that have a cap and a stem and that grow in the forest.

• Yeasts are used to create some drinks, using them during the fermentation process (for example, kvass). Molds are a source of antibiotics and save millions of lives every day. Special types of mushrooms are used to give products, such as cheeses, a special taste. They are also used to create chemicals.
• Fungal spores, through which they reproduce, can germinate in 10 years or more.
• There are also predatory species of mushrooms that feed on worms. Their mycelium forms dense rings, once caught, it is no longer possible to escape.
• The oldest mushroom found in amber is 100 million years old.
• An interesting fact is that leaf-cutter ants are able to independently grow the mushrooms they need for nutrition. They acquired this ability 20 million years ago.
• There are about 68 species of luminous mushrooms in nature. They are most often found in Japan. Such mushrooms are distinguished by the fact that they glow green in the dark; this looks especially impressive if the mushroom grows in the middle of rotten tree trunks.
• Some mushrooms lead to serious illnesses and infect agricultural plants.

Mushrooms are mysterious and very interesting organisms, full of unsolved secrets and unusual discoveries. Edible species are very tasty and useful product, and inedible ones can cause great harm to health. Therefore, it is important to be able to distinguish them and you should not put a mushroom in the basket that you are not completely sure about. But this risk does not prevent one from admiring their diversity and beauty against the backdrop of blooming nature.