Distribution and description of russula brittle

Inedible mushrooms

It should be noted right away that there are quite a few inedible russules. Also, many carry out several thermal treatments so that their fruiting bodies can still be consumed. Inedible russules do not contain any toxins. Instead, their fruiting bodies are very bitter.

Inedible species include:

1. Stinging.
2. Blood red.
3. Mayr's russula.
4. Spicy.
5. Birch.

Stinging

The mushroom is very tasteless. No wonder he has a second name - russula emetic. The fruit body has a rather pungent taste. Moreover, the bitterness is so strong that it is enough just to touch the raw fruiting body (especially the hat) with your lips. A strong tingling sensation will appear immediately, which will go away after a few minutes. The size of the cap of the stinging russula can reach 11 cm in diameter.

Blood red

It is an inedible species due to its strong bitterness. It should be understood that with a large use of the fruit bodies of a blood-red russula, a slight upset of the gastrointestinal tract can be observed. Its cap usually grows up to 10 cm in diameter.

Mayr's russula

It is inedible, as it contains a large amount of burning, irritating substances. When fruiting bodies with such substances are consumed, mild signs of poisoning may be observed. Prolonged soaking and boiling does not remove the bitterness from the fruit chalk. On average, her cap grows up to 9 cm in diameter.

Spicy

In general, it belongs to the 4th group of edibility. However, those who are familiar with its fruiting bodies note that it should not be eaten. The reason for this is the high content of burning substances in its composition. If not cooked correctly, there may be a mild gastrointestinal upset that causes stomach pain. Her hat is medium in size, can reach 10 cm in diameter.

Birch

In general, it belongs to the category of conditionally edible. However, due to its poor taste, many consider it inedible. It is categorically impossible to eat raw mushrooms, as this will most likely lead to an upset gastrointestinal tract. The size of the birch cap can vary within 5 cm. That is, these are rather small mushrooms.

Good day. These mushrooms are known to everyone, even those who do not belong to the lovers of "quiet hunting". The name speaks for itself a lot, but is it fair? Russula mushrooms, photos and descriptions of which are given in the article, are the subject of today's proceedings.

How to distinguish russula from doubles

The russula are very diverse and are a very difficult genus in terms of identifying and limiting species. The differences between species are sometimes very small, making it difficult to identify these fungi. Accurate determination can be made using microscopic features as well as chemical reactions. When determining, it is necessary to have specimens of the same species at different stages of development.

Most russula are edible mushrooms, mainly of the 3rd and 4th categories. The economic value of russula is reduced due to the fragility of the fruit chalk. Few of them are poisonous, inedible, or of no practical value.

Both in appearance and in their structure, all types of russules are in general very similar: the caps of young mushrooms are completely spherical, becoming a little funnel-shaped by old age. Almost all russula have white, even legs, white dense flesh in young mushrooms, becomes fragile, brittle, crumbly with age. Even if you carefully put the russula in the basket, you still risk bringing home only mushroom crumbs, and only the young, with the hat still unopened, remain intact. For this brittle pulp, russula, in general, cannot be confused with any other mushrooms.

Russula in foliage.

The russula is burning.

Valuiform russules.

From the name of these mushrooms, it might seem like they can be eaten raw. In fact, everything is quite the opposite, raw these mushrooms are a terrible pungent bitterness, and the name "russula" can be translated as "raw pungency", so as not to try and try them. But in salting and during heat treatment, the acridity of russula completely disappears.

Most mushroom pickers do not distinguish russula by name at all. For them russula is russula: red, yellow, lilac, pink, green. So do not worry if you suddenly failed to determine the type of this or that russula: they are all edible. There are no poisonous russules among the russules, there are only inedible ones because of their bitter or unpleasant taste. The main thing is to be able to distinguish between such inedible species - but most of them are marked with a red leg or an unpleasant odor.

A stinging inedible russula.

There are also mushrooms in the russula family, which some mistakenly classify as mushrooms, calling them dry mushrooms. These are loads. Indeed, they have a weight-like appearance, not a russula: large, dense, with a short stem, with curled edges of funnel-shaped caps, with plates descending to the stem. But one cannot fail to notice their main difference from milk mushrooms - this is the complete absence of milky juice. Therefore, these mushrooms are popularly called dry mushrooms, that is, not weeping.

The flesh of the cap is mostly white or very light in color; thick or thin; odorless or with a faint aroma and a different taste. When the fruiting body of the russula breaks, the milky juice is not released. The plates, pulp and legs of russula are very fragile. Fragility and fragility of these mushrooms is given by spherocysts - special groups of vesicular cells that are found in the fruiting body.

Several types of russula are called podgruzki, but most often two: white podgruzdok (Russula delica) and black podgruzdok (Russula adusta). The fruiting body of these mushrooms is formed underground, and when the fungus appears on the surface of the soil, there is always a lot of adhering debris on its cap. Loads, even very young ones, are often wormy. They grow in large groups, they love humus-rich soil.

Spore coloration is an important sign of russula. When determining russula, it is necessary to determine the color of the spore powder macroscopically in the mass. The color of the powder in different species ranges between pure white and intense yellow, with various transitions and shades.

Russula fragile

Rusula fragile - Latin Russula fragilis

External characteristics

Mushroom cap

Russula of this type have caps that grow up to 25-60 mm in diameter and are initially convex. Adult mushroom hats take on an open or concave shape with short ribbed edges. The pulp is white, acrid - bitter.

The mushroom "headdress" is colored violet - pink, sometimes greenish - gray. Over time, the caps turn pale, losing a pronounced color.

The hat bottom is formed by translucent white plates that turn yellow in old mushrooms. Occasionally, their edges become jagged.

The fungus reproduces by colorless elliptical spores with a mesh pattern contained in a white spore powder.

Stipe

The russula fragile has a white, smooth, straight, cylindrical leg, often mottled with thin stripes. The thickness of the legs reaches 0.5-1.5 cm, the height is from 3 to 7 cm. The pulp, like that of hats, has a burning bitter aftertaste.

Rusula fragile - Latin Russula fragilis

Places of growth and fruiting

The fungus inhabits forests with acidic soil - mixed, deciduous and even conifers - any forest with birch, oak, pine, hornbeam and other trees. It is found on the Belarusian, Ukrainian, Baltic, Karelian land, the middle zone of the European part of Russia is rich in it.

Russula fruiting occurs singly or in small groups, begins in July and ends in October.

Similar species

Edible

The russula is blue-yellow.It is distinguished by the absence of a bitter taste (Europeans consider it a delicacy) and large size (hats reach 15 cm in diameter, a leg - 12 cm in height). In her color there are more brown - green and gray - purple tones.

Inedible

• Russula sardonyx (lemon-lamellar). She is distinguished by a hard hat with a brightly colored lamellar bottom (up to a sulfur-yellow color) and a violet-black skin.
• Death cap. Occasionally, brittle russules turn grayish green, making them look like pale toadstools. In order not to get poisoned and put the correct mushroom in the basket, we remember: the toadstool is distinguished by an extended base, which has a volva, and the presence of a ringlet on the leg.

Edibility

Although russula is brittle and very bitter in taste, it is considered a conditionally edible mushroom: it is included in the fourth category of edibility. To get rid of the pungent taste and bitterness, boil the mushrooms in several waters, each time rinsing them with running water and draining the broth.

Boiled russula is recommended to be salted, but not stewed or fried, otherwise you can get a little food poisoning. However, most mushroom lovers do not collect or eat them, especially if there is a large selection of more noble mushrooms: mushrooms, boletus, etc.

Russula: description and photos of mushrooms. What does a russula look like?

Hat

The fruit body of russula consists of a cap and a leg. The shape of the cap changes as it grows and develops. In young russula, it is semicircular, almost spherical, hemispherical; then it becomes convex or convex-outstretched, and in old mushrooms - flat with a concave center or funnel-shaped.

The edges of the cap in different species of russula can be ribbed, wavy-curved, tuberous or smooth, changing with age. In some species, the edges are straight, in others they are lowered or raised. The sizes of the caps vary from 2 to 15 cm.

Whole russula

The skin covering the cap, even in mushrooms of the same species, can have:

• either smooth, damp and sticky;
• or dry, matte, soft velvety.

The adhesive surface can dry out over time, and sometimes it is dry initially.

The peel from the pulp of the cap lags behind in different ways:

• easy (in birch russula (lat.Russula betularum);
• up to half (in the solar russula (lat.Russula solaris);
• only along the edge (at the golden russula (lat.Russula aurea).

The color of the russula cap includes almost all shades of the solar spectrum: red, yellow, green, purple, bluish, brown. The color is not always monochromatic: sometimes it has uneven spots and various color transitions, as if fading in the sun.

Hymenophore

The russula hymenophore, or the lower surface of the cap, consists of widely or narrowly adhered plates of various lengths, thicknesses, frequencies and colors. Russula plates can be white, light yellow, light cream, slightly pinkish, ocher, lemon yellow.

Leg

More often there are russules with cylindrical, regular-shaped legs, less often - with fusiform (olive russula (lat.R. olivacea), clavate (golden russula (lat.R. aurea), cylindrical, but narrowed towards the base (food russula, or edible (lat. R. vesca). The leg is attached to the middle of the cap. Its flesh changes with age, in young mushrooms it can be full, that is, loose, cotton-like or dense. With aging, cavities appear in it, it becomes spongy and The color of the leg can be light: white, yellowish, cream, pinkish, or dark: gray or brown. Rusty spots may be present at its base, such as, for example, in the green russula (Latin R. aeruginea). The surface of the leg is smooth , naked, silky or velvety, may become slightly wrinkled with age.

Light yellow russula

Pulp

The flesh of the cap is mostly white or very light in color; thick or thin; odorless or with a faint aroma and a different taste. When the fruiting body of the russula breaks, the milky juice is not released.

The plates, pulp and legs of russula are very fragile. Fragility and fragility of these mushrooms is given by spherocysts - special groups of vesicular cells that are found in the fruiting body.

Swamp russula

Spore powder

The russula spore powder also has a different color: whitish, cream, light cream, yellow, light ocher.

Edibility

The bitter-acrid taste inherent in the fruit bodies of this species is significantly softened and weakened after several boils with washing. The mushroom is most often classified as conditionally edible in the 4th category. They are used mainly for salting only. Eaten raw causes mild gastrointestinal poisoning.

Brittle russula is often found in mushroom pickers

Unmistakably recognizing it by its species description, one should take into account its low taste and, if possible, make a reasonable choice in favor of certainly edible varieties.

Description of the green russula.

The cap of the green russula is not too fleshy. Its diameter reaches 14 centimeters. The surface of the cap is sticky. In dry weather, the hat shines and looks quite appetizing. The caps of young specimens have a pale greenish or whitish color, and by old age they become brown.

The spore-bearing layer in the green russula is represented by the lamellar type. In young fungi, the plates are white, and in overripe specimens, they are creamy. The plates are fragile, at first they are located quite often, then they diverge. They are almost free from the leg, sometimes branching next to it. The color of the spore powder is cream. The spores are warty, elliptical, with an indistinct mesh.

The leg is straight, cylindrical. She is quite thick - her girth can be up to 5 centimeters. The color of the leg is white, and with age, brownish spots appear on its surface.

The flesh of the green russula is strong. It tastes sweet, and almost no smell. The color of the pulp is at first white, and over time it becomes yellowish.

Places of growth of green russula.

Green russula can grow wherever there are forests. They inhabit deciduous and mixed forests. The Russian climate is the most favorable for this species, therefore the population of green russula is quite numerous.

Green russula bear fruit from July to October. They love cool weather, so they are most abundant in the fall. It is at this time that the harvest of green russula is most abundant. They grow in single specimens or in few groups.

Green russula are widespread in European mixed and deciduous forests. These mushrooms form mutually beneficial alliances (mycorrhiza) with downy birch and drooping birch.

Evaluation of the edibility of green russula.

Green russula belongs to the edible species of russula. It has a pleasant, not bitter taste. According to their taste, they are referred to the 4th category. This type of russula is the safest for consumption.

Green russula can be subjected to various types of culinary processing. They are suitable for frying, stewing, salting, pickling. This kind of russula can even be eaten raw.

The advantages of green russula and the rules for their collection.

Green russula, unlike many other russula, almost do not crumble during collection and tolerate transportation well, since they have a fairly dense structure, which is one of the main advantages of this species.

It is worth remembering that any mushrooms should be collected away from city limits and roads, as they absorb toxic substances and fumes from the air and soil.

The similarity of the green russula with other mushrooms.

It is easy to recognize this type of russula by the greenish tint of the cap. But beginners, nevertheless, can confuse the green russula with the pale toadstool. You can distinguish the pale toadstool by the ring on the leg, which the russula does not have.

Chemical composition of green russula.

Green russula is a dietary product - its calorie content is 19 kilocalories per 100 grams.They are composed of fats, proteins and carbohydrates. In addition, they are rich in minerals and vitamins. They contain vitamins PP, C, E, B1 and B2. They also contain minerals: Mg, Ca, K, P, Na and Fe.

Mayra's russula (Russula nobilis)

Other names:

• Russula fageticola;
• Russula fagetorum.

External description

Mayra's russula has a cap-toed fruiting body, with dense white flesh, which may have a slightly reddish tint under the skin. The pulp of this mushroom is characterized by a pungent taste and aroma of honey or fruit. Upon contact with a solution of guaiacum, it intensively changes its color to a brighter one.

The cap of Mayr's russula is 3 to 9 cm in diameter, and has a hemispherical shape in young fruiting bodies. As the mushroom matures, it becomes flat, sometimes slightly convex or slightly depressed. The color of the cap in Mayr's russula is initially deep red, but gradually fades, becoming reddish-pink. The skin adheres tightly to the surface of the cap and can only be removed at the edges.

The leg of Mayr's russula is characterized by a cylindrical shape, very dense, often white in color, but at the base it can be brownish or yellowish. The fungal hymenophore is represented by the lamellar type. The plates in its composition at first have a whitish color, in mature fruiting bodies they become creamy, often grow with the edges to the surface of the leg.

Fungal spores in Mayr's russula are 6.5-8 * 5.5-6.5 microns in size, have a well-developed mesh. Their surface is covered with warts, and the shape is obovate.

Season and habitat of the mushroom

Mayr's russula are widespread throughout southern Europe. You can meet this species only in deciduous beech forests.

Edibility

Mayr's russula is considered a slightly poisonous, inedible mushroom. Many gourmets are repelled by the bitter taste of the pulp. When consumed raw, it can provoke not severe poisoning of the gastrointestinal tract.

Similar types and differences from them

Mayr's russula has several similar species:
1. Russula luteotacta - this type of mushroom can be found mainly in hornbeams. Distinctive features of the species are spores of a non-reticular structure, the pulp, which acquires a rich yellow color when damaged, weakly descending down the pedicle of the plate.
2. Russula emetica. This type of mushroom is found mainly in coniferous forests, has a rich color of the cap, the shape of which becomes funnel-shaped with age.
3. Russula persicina. This species grows mainly under beeches, and its main distinguishing features are cream-colored spore powder, reddish stem and yellowish plates in old mushrooms.
4. Russula rosea. This type of mushroom grows mainly in beech forests, has a pleasant taste and a reddish stem.
5. Russula rhodomelanea. This fungus grows under oak trees and is characterized by sparsely spaced blades. Its pulp turns black when the fruit body dries.
6. Russula grisescens. The fungus grows in coniferous forests, and its pulp turns gray upon contact with water or high humidity.

Description

The russula fragile (Russula fragilis), due to its pronounced bitter taste, belongs to the category of conditionally edible. Some experts even consider it inedible. The species is characterized by the following features:

• the cap is purple-red or purple, sometimes gray-greenish tones, more intensely colored in the center, becomes olive green when pressed. In the early stages of development, it is convex, hemispherical, opens up to flat with age, depressed in the center, often cracks. Radial grooves are visible along the edge. The maximum diameter is 6 cm;
• narrowly adherent plates with serrated edges light, from white to cream, relatively sparse;
• spores are white;
• light cylindrical leg slightly thickened downward (sometimes slightly clavate). Its maximum dimensions are 7 cm long, 2 cm thick;
• the pulp is white, odorless, brittle, has a distinct bitter-acrid taste.