Lepiota comb (Umbrella comb) (Lepiota cristata) photo and description

Umbrella mushrooms - edible: varieties, description, photo

As you already understood, not all umbrella mushrooms are edible. Among this species there are also poisonous representatives that can harm the human body. That is why now we will introduce you to the edible types of umbrellas. They can be easily harvested throughout the mushroom season and consumed after heat treatment.

Types of edible umbrella mushrooms:

White.
This species has another name - field. They call it that because of the color and place of growth. As you probably already understood, its pulp is light in color. It can be white, cream or light gray. Initially, this species has an egg-shaped cap, which eventually opens and becomes like an umbrella. Most often it can be found in meadows, fields and open forest edges.

Motley.
This type of umbrella is usually quite large. The cap of the mushroom is completely dry and covered with characteristic brown scales. Also on the cap, small growths of dark brown color are clearly visible. That is why this type of umbrella has a darker shade than other relatives. The pulp of the variegated umbrella is cotton-like, with a pronounced nutty smell. Likes to grow in open, well-lit areas.

Blushing
... The cap of this type of umbrella has a gray or brownish tint and a thin, almost white stem, which, as the fungus grows, darkens and thickens at the base of the soil. The mushroom got its name because of the ability of the pulp to oxidize. If you break the hat of the umbrella, then droplets of juice will appear on it almost immediately, which will very quickly turn from transparent to reddish-brown. In addition, the red umbrella has more developed scales. Since visually they resemble a kind of fringe, sometimes a blushing umbrella is called shaggy. For growth, it chooses soil that is useful for nutrients.

Maiden.
This type of umbrella is listed in the Red Book, so it is almost impossible to find it in our forests. The mushroom differs from its relatives in that it does not grow to large sizes. As a rule, the hat, even in adult representatives, has a diameter of no more than 10 cm. A girl's umbrella has a light shade of pulp and a not very pronounced mushroom aroma.

Mastoid.
Has a matte light brown cap, the edges of which are lowered down. In the dry season, the skin on the cap begins to crack and a peculiar pattern forms on it. The main difference between the mastoid umbrella and other relatives is the presence of a pronounced tubercle in the very center of the cap. Visually, it resembles a brownish nipple.

How to cook

Cooking umbrella mushrooms is quick and easy, because they can even be eaten raw in salads or on sandwiches. They are fried, stewed, soups are boiled with them, salted, pickled and dried.

Umbrella mushrooms in batter

Ingredients of the dish:

Mushrooms - 500 grams;
Flour - 2 tablespoons;
Egg - 3 pieces;
Onion (medium) - 2 pieces;
Cheese (hard varieties) - 200 grams;
Vegetable oil - 5 tablespoons;
Table vinegar - 1 tablespoon;
Salt, black pepper.

Cooking method:

Peel the onion, cut into thin half rings, add vinegar, sprinkle with salt and leave to marinate for half an hour.
Clean, wash and dry the mushroom caps.
Beat eggs with flour, salt and pepper.
Cut large mushrooms into several pieces.
Heat oil in a large frying pan, dip each piece of mushroom in batter and fry on both sides for a few minutes.
Put the onion on the mushrooms.
Grate the cheese on a coarse grater, pour it into a pan on the onions with fried mushrooms, turn off the heat and hold them on the stove for about five minutes so that the cheese melts.

The umbrella mushroom is one of the most delicious representatives of the mushroom kingdom. It is considered one of the varieties of champignons, although it differs from them both in appearance and in taste. It belongs to the group of saprophytes, that is, those that grow on decaying organic debris. This mushroom is distributed all over the world, and in our country there are five of its varieties.

Despite such features, many mushroom pickers do not take it. Maybe because an edible umbrella mushroom looks like a fly agaric? But knowledgeable mushroom pickers are happy to collect young umbrellas, which grow in one place every year. Those who want to taste the pleasant nutty taste of this mushroom need to know how to distinguish it from poisonous ones, where it grows and how to cook it properly.

Inedible and poisonous mushrooms umbrellas: types and photos

Among the umbrellas, there are not only edible, but also inedible, as well as poisonous mushrooms from the genus Lepiota, the description of which is presented below:

Crested lepiota (silverfish, comb umbrella) (Lepiota cristata, Agaricus cristatus)

inedible mushroom, sometimes defined as poisonous.

The cap of the mushroom is 2 to 5 cm in diameter, bell-shaped in young mushrooms and convex-prostrate in mature specimens. The color of the cap is red-brown, its surface is covered with pointed, sparsely located scales of a yellow-orange or ocher tone. The stem of the poisonous umbrella mushroom is thin, hollow, up to 8 cm high, up to 0.5 cm in diameter, cylindrical, slightly widened at the base. The color of the stem varies from yellowish to light cream, the ring is whitish or pinkish, very narrow and disappears quickly enough. The pulp of the mushroom is white, fibrous, has a sour taste and a pungent, unpleasant odor.

The poisonous crested umbrella mushroom is a typical representative of the northern zone with a temperate climate.

Photo by: Strobilomyces

Photo Credit: Jean-Pol GRANDMONT

Chestnut Lepiota (chestnut umbrella) (Lepiota castanea, Lepiota ignipes)

a poisonous mushroom with a cap with a diameter of 2-4 centimeters, which has a reddish-brown tint. The shape of the cap is ovoid in young umbrellas and outstretched in adult mushrooms. With age, the smooth skin of the cap cracks into small chestnut flakes. The cylindrical stem of the chestnut umbrella is slightly widened and pubescent at the base, the flesh of the mushroom is white, fragile, with an intense unpleasant odor. The flesh of the leg has a reddish brown tint. The ring is narrow and white, and disappears rather quickly. Thin and frequent plates of the fungus are initially white, which turns yellow over time.

The poisonous umbrella mushroom chestnut grows in temperate zones, is widespread in Europe, often found in Western and Eastern Siberia.

Rough lepiota (umbellate scaly) (Lepiota aspera, Agaricus asper, Lepiota acutesquamosa)

inedible mushroom. The mushroom cap is fleshy, 7 to 15 cm in diameter, yellowish brown or brick-colored. In young specimens, it is fleecy-tomentose, has the shape of an egg, becomes prostrate with age and becomes covered with scales of a rusty hue. The leg, 7-12 cm high and 1 to 1.5 cm in diameter, has the shape of a cylinder, at the base there is a swollen tuber-shaped formation. The color of the leg is light yellow, with slightly noticeable stripes. The film ring is rather wide, white, with hardly distinguishable brown scales. The plates are frequent, white or yellowish. The flesh of the mushroom with a pronounced unpleasant odor, pungent and bitter taste.

Inedible umbel mushrooms grow in Europe, North America and in the northern part of the African continent. Fruiting from August to October.

Photo by: Strobilomyces

Photo Credit: Christine Braaten

How to distinguish brick-red poisonous Lepiota false doubles

There are few counterparts of the poisonous lepiota in the world of edible mushrooms. Brick red has some similarities with a number of other types of toxic lepiot.

Differences between poisonous lepiota and an umbrella

Mushroom Umbrella

The danger of the mushroom is that it is similar in appearance to an edible umbrella, which is very popular among lovers of quiet hunting. Most similar to the lepiota, the umbrella is variegated. Even looking at the photo, a novice mushroom picker will not always be able to understand what kind of species is in front of him.

In order not to disrupt a dangerous double, you need to know the distinctive features of an edible umbrella:

large cap - its diameter reaches 20 cm when the fruiting body matures;
the plates at the beginning of growth are very light, gradually turn red as they mature;
leg up to 3 cm thick and up to 30 cm high.

The smell of umbrellas is nutty, but without almond notes. Other types of edible umbellates are less like a poisonous twin due to their lighter color. A blushing umbrella, which is slightly similar to a poisonous species, can be distinguished by the blushing cut site.

Description of the poisonous lepiota

The shape of the cap of the poisonous lepiota is rounded, while a barely noticeable tubercle is visible in the center. There are very thin radial grooves on the surface of the cap. The color of the cap is gray-red. Its surface is matte with a silky sheen. The hat is covered with a large number of pressed scales. Its diameter does not exceed 2-7 centimeters.

The leg is low, central, cylindrical in shape. There is no thickening in the leg. Inside, it is hollow, fibrous. The color of the leg is pink. Its height is 2-4 centimeters. There is a very fragile whitish ring on the stem, which often falls off.

The plates are concave, often located. The pulp is white, slightly pink at the cut. The pulp has a sweetish smell, but it is tasteless. Spores are white.

The variability of the poisonous lepiota

The color of the cap of the poisonous lepiota varies from pink to brick red. The color of the plates is cream or white. The stem can be pink or reddish brown.

Places of growth and season of poisonous lepiota

Poisonous Lepiota can be found from June to August. These mushrooms grow in Western Europe and Ukraine. They settle among the grass - in meadows and in parks.

Similar species

Poisonous lepiota is outwardly similar to other types of small lepiots. All small lepiots should be viewed with great suspicion.

Toxicity of Lepiota Poisonous

This is an extremely poisonous mushroom, to be more precise, a deadly poisonous species. The only good news is that these mushrooms look frail and unsightly, and are small in size, so they do not attract mushroom pickers.

Other mushrooms of this genus

Swollen lepiota or swollen umbrella is a poisonous mushroom. His hat is small, measuring 3-6 centimeters. With age, it changes from hemispherical to prostrate, while maintaining a characteristic tubercle. The color of the cap is beige, white-yellow or reddish. The surface of the cap is dotted with scales. The pulp is yellowish with a pleasant mushroom aroma. The leg is quite thin - its diameter does not exceed 0.5 centimeters, and its length is 5-8 centimeters. There is a ring on the leg, but it quickly disappears.

Lepiota swollen rare mushroom. These mushrooms bear fruit from August to September. They grow in different types of forests. Most often found in small groups.

Lepiota Bradisson is a poisonous mushroom. Immature mushrooms have conical caps with a diameter of 2-4 centimeters, but as they mature, they become open. The cap has a well-visible brownish-red tubercle. The surface of the mushroom is covered with a white skin dotted with sparse brown scales. The shape of the leg is cylindrical. The color of the leg is fawn, and the base is purple-violet. The height of the leg reaches 5 centimeters, and the diameter is up to 0.5 centimeters. But the leg has a fragile ring.

These mushrooms grow not only in forests, but also in steppes, parks, glades, and forest plantations. Lepiota Bradisson begins to actively bear fruit in the fall.

Among the poisonous mushrooms, those species are distinguished that pose a mortal danger, and those that disturb the condition of the victim for a while. Poisonous Lepiota belongs to the first category and can kill the one who ate it

Because of this, it is important for a lover of quiet hunting to know exactly how to distinguish this species from its edible counterparts.

Description of the structure of a dangerous mushroom

The Latin name for the mushroom is Lepiota helveola. It is also called Lepiota brick-red. It is a deadly species that belongs to the Champignon family, genus Lepiota.

The grayish-red cap of the mushroom has a diameter of 2 to 7 cm. At the beginning of the growth of the fruiting body, it is bell-shaped, later it becomes semi-rounded, and by the time of ripening it is flat or, less often, convex-outstretched. The tubercle in the center is grayish brown with a cherry tint.

Dark-colored scales are arranged in circles on the cap. By the middle, they are combined into a complete cover. The plates under the cap are thin, frequent, and free. Initially, their color is white, then it changes to yellowish green as the mushroom matures. Spores are colorless.

The cylindrical leg has a diameter of 5 to 8 mm, and a height of 2 to 4 cm. It is located centrally, at the base it may be slightly curved. The upper part is light, and the lower is brown-cherry.

The flesh is white in the area of the cap and creamy on the stem. Young mushrooms have a pleasant smell and taste. The aroma usually resembles roasted almonds. As the fruiting body matures, its smell changes and is similar to a mixture of gasoline with kerosene.

A bit of history

The mushroom has been known for a long time, but it was officially described and classified only in 1889 by the Swiss mycologist Charles-Edouard Martin and botanist and chemist Robert Hippolyte Stod.

False mushroom umbrella: description and distribution

The umbrella mushroom is practically not popular, although it is very tasty. Many lovers of "quiet hunting" are afraid to confuse it with pale toadstools or fly agarics.

It should be said that the mushroom opens up like an umbrella. The plates of the fruiting body are closely pressed against the stem, then take a horizontal position. It is this similarity with the umbrella that catches the eye of mushroom pickers. However, the umbrella mushroom has false counterparts that can be fatal when eaten.

Umbrella false mushrooms include: comb umbrella and chestnut lepiota. What a false umbrella mushroom looks like can be found in the following description.

Description of the poisonous lepiota

The plates are concave, often located. The pulp is white, slightly pink at the cut. The pulp has a sweetish smell, but it is tasteless. Spores are white.

The variability of the poisonous lepiota

The color of the cap of the poisonous lepiota varies from pink to brick red. The color of the plates is cream or white. The stem can be pink or reddish brown.

Places of growth and season of poisonous lepiota

Poisonous Lepiota can be found from June to August. These mushrooms grow in Western Europe and Ukraine. They settle among the grass - in meadows and in parks.

Similar species

Poisonous lepiota is outwardly similar to other types of small lepiots. All small lepiots should be viewed with great suspicion.

Toxicity of Lepiota Poisonous

Other mushrooms of this genus

Swollen lepiota or swollen umbrella is a poisonous mushroom. His hat is small, measuring 3-6 centimeters. With age, it changes from hemispherical to prostrate, while maintaining a characteristic tubercle.The color of the cap is beige, white-yellow or reddish. The surface of the cap is dotted with scales. The pulp is yellowish with a pleasant mushroom aroma. The leg is quite thin - its diameter does not exceed 0.5 centimeters, and its length is 5-8 centimeters. There is a ring on the leg, but it quickly disappears.

Lepiota swollen rare mushroom. These mushrooms bear fruit from August to September. They grow in different types of forests. Most often found in small groups.

These mushrooms grow not only in forests, but also in steppes, parks, glades, and forest plantations. Lepiota Bradisson begins to actively bear fruit in the fall.

Definitioner

Basidia (Basidia)

Lat. Basidia. A specialized structure of sexual reproduction in fungi, inherent only in Basidiomycetes. Basidia are terminal (end) elements of hyphae of various shapes and sizes, on which spores develop exogenously (outside).

Basidia are diverse in structure and method of attachment to hyphae.

According to the position relative to the axis of the hypha, to which they are attached, three types of basidia are distinguished:

Apical basidia are formed from the terminal cell of the hypha and are located parallel to its axis.

Pleurobasidia are formed from lateral processes and are located perpendicular to the axis of the hypha, which continues to grow and can form new processes with basidia.

Subasidia are formed from a lateral process, turned perpendicular to the axis of the hypha, which, after the formation of one basidium, stops its growth.

Based on morphology:

Holobasidia - unicellular basidia, not divided by septa (see Fig. A, D.).

Phragmobasidia are divided by transverse or vertical septa, usually into four cells (see Fig. B, C).

By type of development:

Heterobasidia consists of two parts - hypobasidia and epibasidia developing from it, with or without partitions (see Fig. C, B) (see Fig. D).

Homobasidia is not divided into hypo- and epibasidia and in all cases is considered holobasidia (Fig. A).

Basidia is the place of karyogamy, meiosis and the formation of basidiospores. Homobasidia, as a rule, is not functionally divided, and meiosis follows karyogamy in it. However, basidia can be divided into probasidia - the site of karyogamy and metabasidia - the site of meiosis. Probasidium is often a dormant spore, for example in rust fungi. In such cases, probazidia grows with metabasidia, in which meiosis occurs and on which basidiospores are formed (see Fig. E).

See Karyogamy, Meiosis, Gifa.

Pileipellis

Lat. Pileipellis, skin - differentiated surface layer of the cap of agaricoid basidiomycetes. The structure of the skin in most cases differs from the inner flesh of the cap and may have a different structure. The structural features of pileipellis are often used as diagnostic features in descriptions of fungi species.

According to their structure, they are divided into four main types: cutis, trichoderma, hymeniderma and epithelium.

See Agaricoid fungi, Basidiomycete, Cutis, Trichoderma, Gimeniderm, Epithelium.

Blanks from mushroom umbrellas for the winter

How nice it is for a family to gather at the table on a frosty winter evening with warm potatoes, crispy cucumbers and a plate with pickled gifts of the forest - mushrooms. Canned mushrooms are also used for pizza toppings, pies and pies. The description of the preparation is quite simple and this preparation is within the power of even a novice hostess.

You can also prepare fried mushrooms for future use. After cooking, they are laid out in sterile jars and hidden in the refrigerator. Such a preparation will ideally complement the taste of boiled potatoes.And if you add fresh herbs and homemade sour cream to the dish, then this dish will allow the hostess to collect a bouquet of compliments to her skill.

Umbrella mushrooms can be dried. Such mushrooms are subsequently used for the preparation of sauces and soups, their shelf life is approaching 1 year.

Useful properties and contraindications

Due to its excellent taste, the umbrella mushroom is a favorite subject of quiet hunting. Gathering umbrella mushrooms is better when young. In addition, they must be thoroughly heat treated. Very young umbrellas are successfully pickled, mature mushrooms are dried, salted and boiled, after which they are used to prepare broths, sauces, main courses, salads and fillings for pies and pancakes.

Umbrella mushrooms contain many substances useful for the human body:

vitamins of group B, as well as C, E, K;
potassium (up to 16%), sodium, magnesium, calcium, iron, phosphorus;
tyrosine;
arginine;
beta glucans;
melanin.

According to traditional healers, extracts and tinctures from umbrella mushrooms, as well as the direct consumption of these mushrooms, helps to fight a number of serious ailments, among them:

vascular and heart diseases;
rheumatism;
disorders of the nervous system;
oncological diseases.

The use of umbrella mushrooms is contraindicated for:

diseases of the digestive tract,
pancreatitis,
pregnant women,
children under 5 years old.

Despite its dubious appearance, the beneficial effect of the umbrella on the human body has been noted for a long time:

Fight against cancerous tumors. Beta glucans and melanincontained in the umbrella mushrooms have a positive effect on the entire body and the immune system in particular. They stabilize the metabolic process and stimulate its work. This effect is a sure barrier against cancer.
Improves the work of the cardiovascular system. Its use improves the functioning of the hematopoietic organs, and also strengthens the blood vessels. It also helps to relieve severity of heart problems.
Fight against depression. With regular use, it has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the brain and helps to avoid anxiety and mental exhaustion.
Normalization of the thyroid gland. The composition includes riboflavin (vitamin B2), which has a positive effect on the function of the thyroid gland, it also protects the skin, hair, nails.
Improving metabolism. The PP microelement helps to accelerate metabolic processes.
Release of "bad" cholesterol. Lecithin, which is part of the mushroom, removes excess cholesterol from the body and balances its level.

Contraindications

This representative of the kingdom of mushrooms is considered safe, but in order to avoid health problems, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the contraindications to its use:

Individual intolerance.
Increased work of the bladder.
Liver disease.
Diseases of the intestines, stomach and pancreas.
Children under 6 years of age and pregnancy.

How to eat umbrella mushrooms?

Umbrella mushrooms are very fried. You need to be prepared for the fact that a huge basket of forest trophies after frying will turn into a small portion. It is better to take young closed heads, which are cut and fried in heated vegetable oil until excess moisture evaporates. Then add onions, salt, pepper and cook for about 45 minutes more.

Umbrellas in batter are considered one of the delicacies. A properly prepared mushroom is delicious. Beat the eggs vigorously, add ground crackers and flour, salt, pepper and roll the prepared caps. Heat a lot of vegetable oil in a cast iron frying pan and place the heads-caps. A beautiful golden brown color and persistent aroma are a sign of the readiness of the dish.

You can easily make a delicious and aromatic soup from forest umbrellas. The water is salted and the forest trophy is soaked in it for a couple of hours. Then washed and cut into pieces. Potatoes, carrots and onions are cut into pieces. Fry onions and carrots in sunflower oil. Boil the mushrooms for 20 minutes.First add potatoes, after 15 minutes - fry and greens. Soup is used with fat sour cream and fresh bun. The aroma of this dish will bring everyone home at the kitchen table.

A white umbrella mushroom is ... What is a white umbrella mushroom?

Mushroom umbrella white

Scientific classification

Latin name
Macrolepiota excoriata (Schaeff.) Wasser, 1978
Synonyms:
Agaricus excoriatus Schaeff., 1774 basionym Agaricus vulneratus Batsch, 1783 Agaricus procerus var. excoriatus (Schaeff.) Pers., 1801 Lepiota excoriata (Schaeff.) P. Kumm., 1871 Leucocoprinus excoriatus (Schaeff.) Pat., 1900 Leucoagaricus excoriatus (Schaeff.) Singer, 1948

White umbrella mushroom (lat.Macrolepiota excoriata) Is a mushroom of the mushroom family.
Russian synonyms:

Field mushroom umbrella

Description

The cap is 6-12 cm in diameter, thick-fleshed, initially ovoid, elongated, opens up to flat-spread, with a large brown tubercle in the center. The surface is whitish or creamy, matte, the center is brown and smooth, the rest of the surface is covered with thin scales remaining from the rupture of the skin. Edge with white flaky fibers.

The flesh of the cap is white, with a pleasant smell and a slightly pungent taste, does not change on the cut. In the stem - longitudinal fibrous.

The leg is 6-12 cm high, 0.6-1.2 cm thick, cylindrical, hollow, with a slight tuberous thickening at the base, sometimes curved. The surface of the leg is smooth, white, yellowish or brownish below the ring, slightly brownish from touch.

The plates are frequent, with smooth edges, free, with a thin cartilaginous colarium, easily detached from the cap, there are plates. Their color is white, in old mushrooms from cream to brownish.

The remains of the bedspread: the ring is white, wide, smooth, mobile; Volvo is missing.

Spore powder is white.

Microscopic signs

Spores 12-15 × 8-9 microns, ovoid, sometimes germinating, colorless, pseudoamyloid, metachromatic, with one or more fluorescent drops.

The tram of the plates is correct.

The hyphae of the scales are fusiform or cylindrical, 40-50 × 12-15 µm, often with a cap-shaped thickening at the ends.

Basidia are tetrasporous, clavate, 35–40 × 12–15 µm.

Cheilocystids are fusiform, colorless, thin-walled, 50 × 10 μm.

Color chemical reactions

Reactions of plates with α-naphthol and pulp with aniline and guaiacol are negative; the pulp with lactophenol turns brown, with phenolaniline it gives a violet-pink color.

Varieties

The main form of Macrolepiota excoriata var. excoriata or Macrolepiota excoriata f. excoriata - the center of the cap is glabrous, darker (to brown), the rest of the surface is finely scaly.
Macrolepiota excoriata var. squarrosa (R. Mre) Wasser, 1978 - Cap with lagging scales. Known in North Africa, in oak plantations.
Macrolepiota excoriata f. barlae Babos, 1974 - creamy brown hat with thin or large scales of various shapes, known in parks and gardens in Hungary.

Ecology and distribution

Soil saprotroph. It grows both on the edges of mixed and coniferous forests, along clearings and in clearings, in plantations, and in meadows, pastures, in the steppe. Grows singly or in groups, often occurs.

Distributed in Europe everywhere, in Asia - Turkey, Iran, Transcaucasia, Central Asia (Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan), Siberia (Altai Territory, Buryatia, Krasnoyarsk Territory), China, the Far East (Khabarovsk Territory, Primorsky Territory), Japan, in North America, South America (Chile), Australia and Africa (Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Kenya, Congo, Nigeria, South Africa) and the islands - Sri Lanka, Philippines, Cuba.

Season: June - October.

Similar species

Edible:

Poisonous:

Poisonous Lepiota (Lepiota helveola) is a highly poisonous mushroom, usually much smaller (up to 6 cm). It also features a gray-pink skin of the cap and a pinkish flesh.

Inexperienced mushroom pickers may confuse this umbrella with the deadly poisonous stinking fly agaric, which is found only in forests, has a free volva at the base of the leg (it can be in the soil) and a white smooth cap, often covered with filmy flakes.

Nutritional quality

An edible mushroom of excellent quality, used in the same way as a variegated umbrella mushroom. It can successfully complement meat dishes.

Literature

Wasser S.P. Flora of mushrooms of Ukraine. Agaric mushrooms / holes. ed. I. A. Dudka. - K .: "Naukova Dumka", 1980. - S. 301-303, 53.

Vavrish P.O., Gorovoy L.F. Mushrooms in the forest and on the table. - K .: "Harvest", 1993. - S. 113-114. - ISBN 5-337-00728-9
All about mushrooms / comp. V. Buldakov. - Donetsk: PFC "BAO", 2000. - P. 138.- ISBN 966-548-124-X
Mushrooms: Handbook / Per. with ital. F. Dvin. - M .: "Astrel", "AST", 2001. - S. 64. - ISBN 5-17-009961-4

Udu J. Mushrooms. Encyclopedia = Le grand livre des Champignons / per. with fr. - M .: "Astrel", "AST", 2003. - S. 113. - ISBN 5-271-05827-1

Description of crested lepiota.

At a young age, the shape of the cap in the crested lepiota is convex, later it becomes flat-convex, and a tubercle is expressed in the center. Its diameter is 2-5 centimeters. The color of the cap is whitish, on the surface there are red-brown scales located concentrically, and the tubercle is reddish-brown in color.

The flesh of crested lepiota is thin, with a pungent radish odor and an unpleasant taste. The color of the pulp is white, but at the break it turns red.

Under the cap of this lamellar mushroom there are free, often located plates. Disputes are triangular in shape. The color of the spore powder is white.

The leg is cylindrical in shape, even, slightly thickened towards the base. Its diameter is 0.3-0.8 centimeters, and its height is 4-8 centimeters. The leg is hollow inside. Its color is yellowish or slightly pinkish. There is a filmy ring on the leg. The color of the ring is white, sometimes with a pink tint. When the mushroom is fully ripe, the ring disappears.

Areas of growth of crested lepiota.

This type of lepiot can be found in deciduous, mixed forests and conifers, in addition, they can settle in vegetable gardens, meadows, pastures. Fruiting in crested lepiota occurs from July to October. In addition to our country, these mushrooms grow in North America.

Evaluation of the edibility of crested lepiota.

Lepiota crested not only is not edible, but also possibly poisonous. Although crested lepiota is similar in appearance to other edible lepiots, it has no nutritional value in any way.

If crested lepiota is accidentally ingested, it can cause severe poisoning, which is accompanied by diarrhea, vomiting, severe abdominal pain, headaches and cramps.

The comb umbrella does not just contain toxic substances, it is capable of accumulating radionuclides that have a negative long-term effect on the body. Increased doses of radionuclides kill cells, stop the process of their division, and damage DNA.

False doubles of the poisonous umbrella

In the Russian region, there are several species of twins of the scaly poisonous umbrella. First of all, this is champignon. How to distinguish a poisonous mushroom from an edible one?

At first glance, they look similar, but the edible champignon has a fleshy, dense leg. In the section, it has no voids, and the leg of its poisonous twin is hollow inside (this can be seen in the section). This is the most striking feature. A champignon's hat is surrounded by a so-called skirt. The poisonous umbrella does not have it.

Champignon

The next double is a field (white) umbrella. This mushroom is edible. The main differences from its poisonous counterpart: flakes like lace hang along the edges of the cap. The color of the cap is white-gray, without reddish blotches (like a lepiota). In a young, sharp-scaled umbrella, the ring around the leg easily slides down, and in the white edible umbrella, the ring sits tightly on the leg.

Field (white) umbrella

A blushing umbrella or shaggy is an edible mushroom. If you press on the cut flesh, it will oxidize and turn brownish with a slight red tint. The hat is beige. The scales are circular, not pyramidal. This mushroom is often confused with a very poisonous rough umbrella. They can be distinguished by their unpleasant smell and peppery, pungent taste of inedible pulp.

Umbrella blushing

Russula also belongs to edible mushrooms. Unlike lepiota, it has a greenish or grayish cap. The leg resembles a potato tuber. There is no ring on it. On the underside of the cap, you can see white plates.

Russula

We offer you a photo showing the main differences between poisonous and edible umbrellas.

Differences between brown-red lepiota and edible umbrella

Useful, edible umbrella mushrooms have a cap that reaches a diameter of 30-35 cm. Its color can be beige, white, brown (almost beetroot). The leg is fleshy, thick. The thickness is about 3 cm, and the height reaches 30 cm. In the upper part there is a ring that does not disappear in adult mushrooms.

In a chestnut lepiota, the diameter of the cap does not exceed 7 cm. The leg is thin, brittle. The length does not exceed 4 cm. The hat is grayish with reddish-brown splashes. The stem ring is present only in young mushrooms. In adults, such a ring is absent. Young specimens have an almond-honey aroma, adults smell unpleasantly with acetone or gasoline.