Row-shaped pseudo-guinea
Alder pig's cap: 8-20 cm in diameter, initially convex. The color is brown or brown with an olive tint.
External features and their properties
The pig cannot be confused with other species because of its distinctive features: a beautiful velvety hat, plates, color. The surface is velvety, as it ripens, it becomes dry, cracks, takes on a disproportionate shape. Plates, descending, frequent, branching in shape. They are yellowish in color, which becomes darker when pressed.
Pig is a poisonous or edible mushroom
Pigs are conditionally edible if they belong to the genus Tapinella. The slender and alder pig, unlike other members of the genus, can be hazardous to health.
Similar species and twins
It is almost impossible to find poisonous mushrooms similar to the fat pig because of the thick velvety brown leg. It is impossible to confuse it with any mushroom. It is somewhat similar to the Green Moss and the Polish Mushroom - but they are not dangerous.
Although, even edible varieties, depending on the place of growth, can accumulate in dangerous quantities the poison of muscarine, similar to the toxin of the fly agaric. An overgrown and old false barn is capable of accumulating toxic substances.
Poisoning symptoms
Symptoms of poisoning may appear several hours after eating the mushroom. First signs:
Real false pigs promote the production of antigens, which gradually accumulate in the body, causing an autoimmune allergic reaction over time. The result of this interaction is anemia, renal and hepatic failure. Severe poisoning can be fatal.
First aid for poisoning
To remove the toxin that has entered the body, gastric lavage is performed. With a rapid course of intoxication, bowel cleansing with a special saline solution is indicated. As a result, the removal of toxins and toxins from the blood is achieved.
Let's talk about secrets
Pigs grow mainly in large groups, therefore, if one fungus is found, it is recommended to carefully examine the surrounding area.
The edibility of a mushroom is easy to determine: you can distinguish it from a poisonous one by slightly pressing on the base of its cap - inedible species darken quickly enough in air.
In Chinese medicine, the mushroom is used to relax muscles.
Edibility arguments
Despite the proven poisonous properties, pigs continue to be used as a conditionally edible mushroom. Therefore, an important criterion is the ability to distinguish from each other different types of mushrooms of the genus pigs.
White pig gentian
Walking in the summer through the forest, you can come across a fabulous sight - a large family of brownish broad-brimmed mushrooms, forming a circle, the so-called witch's ring. It looks very unusual and beautiful, but the edibility of such a crop raises great doubts.
Indeed, the gentian white pig is unlikely to be able to charm eaters with its overly bitter taste. But still there are lovers of these mushrooms among gourmets.
White pig gentian
White pig gentian - lat. Clitocybegentianea
Earlier in mycology, this type of mushroom was called differently - Leucopaxillusamarus, which means Leukopaxillus bitter or Leukopaxillus gentian.
In the people, you can most often find another, simpler name for this mushroom - the bitter white pig. And it is this that fully justifies its name, because this plant really belongs to the genus Belosvinukha, its taste corresponds to the description.
Mushroom cap
Young bitter white pigs have neat strong caps 3-4 cm with an inward curved edge. Their color is rich brown with different shades from grayish-nutty to brown with reddish.
As they get older, the tip of the mushrooms changes. The hat straightens, becomes open, flatter, and bends slightly downward in old age. On average, its size is 12-15 cm, but sometimes individual mushrooms can grow up to 20 cm in diameter. The color of mature individuals also changes. The pigment seems to fade from the edge. Later, whitish stripes may diverge from the center of the cap.
The surface of the cap is dry, smooth, and its flesh is fleshy. Below there is a lamellar hymenophore, white in young plants, and slightly darkening with age, acquiring a cream color. The plates themselves are adherent, slightly descending along the stem and have different lengths.
Stipe
That in young animals, that in adult mushrooms, the leg is white, straight and dense. Only by adulthood does it become thickened at the bottom and resembles the shape of a club.
The diameter of the leg is on average 1-2 cm, and the height reaches 8 cm. In the context, the flesh does not change color and has a mealy odor.
Place of growth
The bitter white pig has chosen conifers as a favorite place. You can also meet it in mixed forests, but only in those parts where spruce and pine trees predominate.
Mushrooms usually grow in large groups in open places on the ground, where there is a solid coniferous litter. Often, a family of white pigs grows in a circle, forming the so-called witch or elf rings. Occasionally you can meet lonely white pigs. They tend to grow under fir trees.
Their habitat stretched across the northern, eastern and middle parts of Europe, the European part of Russia, the Caucasus and North America. These mushrooms are also found in Kazakhstan, mainly in the Almaty region, in the places where the Tien Shan spruce grows.
From the end of June, you can already see the first bitter white pigs. They grow all the rest of summer and the beginning of autumn, until the end of September.
Edibility
The gentian white pig is classified as an inedible mushroom solely due to its taste. It is overly bitter. However, these mushrooms are not poisonous. And in some regions they are even used in preparations for the winter.
To get rid of the bitterness, the mushrooms are soaked for three days, changing the water 3-4 times a day. Then it is boiled and salted with aromatic herbs: dill, horseradish leaves, currant leaves.
Similar species
In appearance, the white pig is often confused with ryadovki. For example, crowded or scaly rows are very similar to gentian leukopaxillus. In addition, they also grow in conifers and can create "witch rings". However, the ryadovki, unlike the white pigs, have a pleasant mushroom taste, do not taste bitter at all and are readily used in cooking.
Description and places of distribution of steppe oyster mushroom (royal)
It turns out that porcini mushrooms can grow not only in the forest. But we are not talking about that fat man, which we consider the most delicious and nutritious species. The fact is that oyster mushroom steppe also called porcini mushroom, but only steppe, and looks completely different. Where does this beauty grow, can it be eaten?
Description
Steppe oyster mushroom (Pleurotus eryngii), also called "steppe white mushroom", is a lamellar representative of the mushroom kingdom, belonging to the Oyster mushroom family, the Oyster mushroom genus. This edible beauty can also be called eringi, royal oyster mushroom, white steppe or simply steppe mushroom.
- the cap is rather thick, of medium size, from 4 to 8 cm in diameter, but sometimes it can grow up to 13-25 cm.In young royal oyster mushrooms, it is slightly convex, with a tubercle in the central part, but over time it becomes flat or funnel-shaped with an irregularly shaped edge ... The surface is smooth to the touch with a small amount of small scales - most of them are in the central part. Skin color from dark brown to cream shades. As the mushroom matures, the dark cap brightens: first red-brown, then brownish, even later pale ocher. In the middle, as a rule, the color is brighter and more saturated, paler towards the edges;
- the leg is low, up to 5 cm, but thick and dense, up to 2.5 cm wide, expanding downward.It has a cylindrical shape, usually located in the center of the cap. The skin color is whitish, darkens with age;
- the flesh is thick and fleshy, dense, however, in old mushrooms, it often becomes wadded in the stem. The color is white, it can be slightly pinkish or have a brown tint. The taste is pronounced mushroom, but the pulp does not have a special smell;
- plates moderately frequent, but wide, slightly descending along the pedicle. Are pinkish white or cream in color;
- the spores are creamy, in the form of narrow ellipses or small cylinders.
Distribution and fruiting period
Eringi mushrooms (eringi) grow in the wild where it is relatively warm - in southern Russia, North America, Central Asia and Europe. They are found in pastures, in deserts on plant debris, stems, roots of umbrella plant species - these are ferula, erythematosus, gladysh and others.
Steppe oyster mushroom or white steppe mushroom bears fruit only in spring, appearing in the southern regions already in March and April. It is prone to parasitism and often acts as a saprophyte.
Edibility
The white steppe mushroom is considered a very valuable and tasty representative of the mushroom kingdom. It tastes like a real milk mushroom or champignon, but slightly tougher.
You can make delicious homemade preparations from it - it is suitable for pickling, salting, fresh (after minimal heat treatment).
Note that the steppe oyster mushroom is very rich in proteins - it contains about 15-25% of them, and during heat treatment, their number even increases to 70%. Moreover, they are perfectly absorbed by the human body. In terms of the content of other nutrients and nutrients, the composition of the pulp is close to meat and dairy products.
The pulp of the steppe oyster mushroom is also useful for health - it contains acids that lower cholesterol levels and prevent the development of atherosclerosis. It is rich in ascorbic acid, B vitamins, has anti-tumor properties and enhances immunity.
Growing
Since the royal oyster mushroom is rightfully considered one of the most delicious types, it has been cultivated for a long time. And it is much easier to grow it than champignons, since it is unpretentious to growing conditions and has a high yield.
Steppe oyster mushroom is grown on a pasteurized substrate according to the technology of block production. In special bags, the mycelium develops quickly - it takes only 3 weeks.
Optimal growing conditions are air temperature about 18-25 degrees, humidity - about 90%. After the first rudiments of fungi appear, it is reduced to 80%.
In order for oyster mushrooms to bear fruit better, they use a casing layer, which is applied with a layer of 3 cm on a block with already appeared rudiments of mushrooms.
If possible, be sure to try the steppe oyster mushroom - it is a delicious and nutritious mushroom. Fortunately, now there is no need to go far beyond it - you can just buy a package of steppe mushrooms in the store and appreciate their taste.
