False mushroom is different from edible mushroom. How to distinguish a false honey agaric from a real one

Among mushroom pickers, honey mushrooms are very popular, which are pickled, fried, salads and various sauces are made from them. But there is a danger of confusing the edible representatives of the mushroom kingdom with false mushrooms.

Inedible twins honey agaric prefer to settle like their counterparts big families on deadwood, stumps and rotten trees

Inedible twins of honey mushrooms prefer to settle, like their counterparts, in large families on deadwood, stumps and rotten trees. All of them are very similar in appearance.

The legs of the mushrooms are very thin and hollow inside. The surface of the hats is painted in bright colors, which depend on the place of growth, the composition of the soil and the season. The skin is smooth to the touch.

Features of false mushrooms (video)

Botanical description of the main types of false mushrooms

The group of false mushrooms includes several types of mushrooms. Since they grow in identical conditions to edible representatives, it is very easy to confuse them. Some species are conditionally edible, others are inedible, and still others are poisonous. In view of the danger of getting serious poisoning, an inexperienced mushroom picker is advised not to pick suspicious mushrooms.

Poppy honey agaric

The second name of the fungus is gray-lamellar honey agaric. Grows on fallen trees and pine stumps. In rare cases, it occurs on a decaying rhizome. Begins to bear fruit last month summer and continues until mid-autumn.

The hemispherical cap reaches a size of 7 cm. In the process of growth of the fruiting body, it changes its appearance to a convex-prostrate one, along the edge of which particles of the bedspread remain. If the fruit grows in a humid environment, the hat acquires a light brown color. In a dry place, its surface is light yellow tones. The middle of the cap is much brighter than the edges. The smell of whitish pulp resembles dampness.

The plates located on the inner surface of the cap adhere to the stem. In young individuals, their color is pale yellow. Over time, the color changes, becoming similar to poppy seeds.. The long leg (up to 10 cm) can be either straight or curved. The membranous ring quickly disappears. At the base it has a red-red color, and yellow near the cap.

Since poppy mushroom belongs to the conditionally edible category, after processing it can be used for culinary purposes. It is not recommended to collect old mushrooms, which lose their taste with age.

Brick red honey agaric

Poisonous mushroom, which at a young age has a rounded convex hat, which turns into a half-spread as it matures. The surface is light reddish-brown tones, or red-brown and brick red. In the central part, the color is much more saturated. There are white hanging fragments along the edges, which are the remains of a bedspread. Bitter flesh of yellowish tones. Plates change color over time. In young specimens they are dirty yellow, and in mature ones they are olive-brown. The shape of the leg is flat or narrowed at the bottom. The color is yellowish, slightly brown in the lower part. The structure is dense.

Prefers to settle on hardwood in large families. The peak of fruiting occurs at the end of summer - the beginning of autumn.

Sulfur yellow honey agaric

The diameter of the cap of the poisonous mushroom is from 2 to 7 cm. In a young mushroom, its shape is similar to a bell. Becomes prostrate with age. The color can be yellow-brown or sulfur-yellow, which is reflected in its name. central part the caps are somewhat darker than along the edge.

The inside of the fruit is whitish or sulfur-yellow. The smell emanating from the pulp is unpleasant. The leg with a diameter of 0.5 cm grows up to 10 cm in length. From above sulfur-yellow with a fibrous structure. Mushrooms grow in groups of about 50 fruits, fused at the base with legs.

The difference between false mushrooms and autumn ones (video)

How to distinguish false mushrooms from edible mushrooms

Despite the fact that the features of edible mushrooms are in many ways similar to their false counterparts, having understood the characteristics and differences of each species, you can learn to distinguish them. The main differences:

1. Hat appearance. In real mushrooms, its surface layer is covered with peculiar scales of a darker color than the cap itself. Mature mushrooms become smooth, losing their scales. But this is not scary, since such mushrooms are no longer of interest.
2. Ring or skirt. Edible young individuals under the cap have a white film, which, as the fungus grows, turns into a ring on the leg. False instances do not have it.
3. Hat skin color. False representatives are much brighter than edible mushrooms. Real mushrooms are usually tender Brown. Not edible species with the addition of red and yellow-gray tones.
4. Smell. Edible mushrooms have a mushroom flavor. Dangerous twins, on the contrary, exude an unpleasant earthy or moldy smell.
5. Records. True mushrooms are characterized by the presence of light plates (yellowish or beige). At inedible species they are brighter and darker (olive, greenish, yellow).

The fruits also taste different from real mushrooms. false views unpleasant and bitter, but it is forbidden to taste them. Having carefully studied the signs that help to distinguish an edible mushroom from a dangerous one, you can protect yourself from the serious consequences of poisoning with toxic substances.

Signs of poisoning with false mushrooms

In case of erroneous use of false mushrooms, intoxication of the body occurs, which manifests itself in the following symptoms:

• The first signs of poisoning appear within the first hour after eating, but there are times when it takes up to 12 hours.
• Toxic compounds that enter the body are very quickly absorbed into the blood. Then, with its current, they penetrate into all organs, having a negative effect.
• There are complaints of discomfort in the stomach, there is a slight dizziness, heartburn, stomach rumbling, nausea.
• After 4-6 hours, the symptoms begin to progress. Lethargy, apathy, trembling in the limbs and general weakness join. As the nausea intensifies, vomiting occurs. Gastric cramps move to the entire abdomen. The stool becomes frequent and watery, accompanied by sharp abdominal pains. Cold sweat is released. Cold sweat appears on the palms and feet. The level of sugar in the blood drops.

The most poisonous mushrooms (video)

Toxic elements negatively affect the cardiovascular system and the brain. As a result, the heart rate slows down and blood pressure drops to a critical level. Lack of oxygen leads to blue skin (cyanosis). The patient suffers from headache and dizziness.

Intense vomiting and diarrhea dehydrate the body, so fluid balance needs to be replenished, otherwise vital processes will be disturbed. In the absence of the necessary assistance, the patient begins delirium and hallucinations appear. There is an alternation of excitation and inhibition.

Recovery of health after poisoning depends on the speed of the measures taken. Timely contacting a specialist and carrying out the necessary procedures reduces the recovery time and minimizes the consequences.

Those who go in search of mushrooms should remember that only those mushrooms in which there is no doubt that these are edible species should be collected in a basket. Otherwise, the find must be discarded.

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These mushrooms are easy enough to recognize, they have a long (sometimes more than 15 cm) leg of light or dark colors. It depends on the place where mushrooms grow. In some mushrooms, the leg is dressed up in a "skirt".

The cap of the mushroom is rounded to the bottom and has a lamellar shape. She may have various shades from light to brown.

Where do mushrooms grow?

Forest mushrooms can grow in the most different climates. They are able to capture fairly large areas and grow in large areas. Most often they can be found near stumps and small shrubs.

As a rule, they can hide under foliage or in the grass, although sometimes you can find a mushroom standing alone in the middle of the trail.

Types of mushrooms

summer honey agaric

These mushrooms grow large groups mostly near deciduous trees, especially they like old, weak stumps and damaged trees. In the mountains, they find places on spruces or pines. They are small in size. The length is not more than 7 cm, and the diameter of the hat is not more than 5-6 cm.

Young mushrooms have a convex cap, but with age it flattens, leaving only a small light tubercle. AT temperate zone summer mushrooms are found in areas of deciduous trees.

Under favorable conditions, they can bear fruit all year round.

autumn honey agaric

In the photo, these mushrooms are similar to the previous view. However, they differ in slightly larger legs (up to 10 cm) and a large cap diameter (up to 15 cm). Like summer mushrooms, the hat is convex at first, but flattens with age.

The autumn species appears at the end of August and bears fruit for about 3 weeks. They can grow singly or in large groups on over 200 species of trees or shrubs. It can be stumps, fallen trunks, branches and even cuttings of fallen leaves.

Sometimes the fungus can grow on certain plants, such as potatoes.

winter honey agaric

Like other species, it likes to settle on weak or dead trees. Mostly poplars and maples. In this case, the wood is gradually destroyed. It has approximately the same dimensions as the summer one, only a slightly larger hat.

It grows in large groups, which are often fused. Very often they are collected during the thaw - they are shown in thawed patches.

It is believed that winter mushrooms contain a small proportion of toxins. For this reason, they need to be subjected to more heat treatment before consumption.

Meadow honey agaric

Such mushrooms grow in open areas. Often they can be found in ditches, ravines, clearings and forest edges. Often found in suburban areas. They are small in size - a thin leg and a small hat of light color.

It can be found from late spring to mid-autumn. It tolerates arid climate well and begins to bear fruit immediately after the rains.

Honey agaric thick-legged

Judging by the photo, mushrooms of this species are very different from their relatives. In fact, the difference lies only in the size of the legs, or rather in its thickness. Most often it grows on affected, weak trees, stumps of spruce, beech, ash, etc.

The height of the legs is about the same for summer mushrooms, the hat has large diameter up to 10 cm. The young mushroom has a cone-shaped hat. With age, it flattens and folds to the edges.

mushroom properties

This type of mushroom is very popular with us. It got its name due to the place of growth. Typically, it can be found in in large numbers near the stumps of different trees.

Based on natural conditions, productions for the cultivation of honey mushrooms are organized.

In addition to excellent taste, mushrooms have a low calorie content and such a rich composition as:

• Vitamin groups B, C and E;
• Trace elements - phosphorus, zinc, iron;
• Amino acids;
• Cellulose;
• Squirrels.

In terms of composition, mushrooms can easily compete with various varieties of fish. This means that vegetarians can get essential trace elements from honey agaric. Mushrooms have a positive effect on the function of hematopoiesis. The daily dose of iron can be easily obtained from just 100 g of honey mushrooms.

Some species of these mushrooms can help promote hair, skin and eye health, while others can affect the immune and hormonal systems of the body.

It is noteworthy that mushrooms are often used in traditional medicine for the treatment of the thyroid gland, liver and cardiovascular system.

Photo honey agaric

Mushrooms are popularly called completely different kinds of mushrooms, because the very name "honey mushroom" means "mushroom on a stump." But mushrooms settle not only on stumps, but also on living trees, thereby destroying them. But there is an exception - this is meadow honey agaric (meadow rot, meadow grass), he prefers to grow in meadows, clearings and pastures.

Mushroom pickers are best known for autumn, summer, winter and meadow mushrooms. Some of them do not belong to the genus Agaric, but we will also get to know them all.

Genus Honey agaric (Armillaria)

Autumn honey agaric, real (Armillaria mellea)

"Honey mushrooms went" - mushroom pickers pass each other. If a wave of honey agaric has already begun, there will be enough mushrooms for everyone. At this time, stumps, trees are dotted with hundreds of mushrooms, growing close to each other. Autumn honey agaric is the only mushroom that is not looked for, but is harvested like blueberries or raspberries.

Young mushrooms with unfolded caps, covered with a white film from below, go into the basket as a whole, from older ones, in which the cap has unfolded, and the film has formed a ring on the stem, only the caps are cut off. Their legs become hard, tasteless. Old mushrooms, from which white spores spill out onto the hats of neighbors, should not be taken. Their loose flesh acquires an unpleasant odor.

Such a yield is not surprising, if we recall the features of the development of the fungus. Or rather, its mycelium - after all, a mushroom is just a fruiting body, and a mycelium is an organism itself, like, for example, an apple and an apple tree - and so, the largest organism on Earth is precisely the mycelium mushroom! It occupies an area of ​​9 square kilometers (!), having an age of about 2500 years and a weight (according to indirect estimates) of more than 6000 tons!!! So that sea ​​giant - blue whale- less than 30 times!

The color of the cap of the autumn honey agaric varies greatly from light ocher to reddish brown and olive brown. The middle of the cap is usually darker. The entire surface of the cap is densely dotted with dark scales. It is believed that the color of the cap depends on the substrate on which the mushroom lives. Honey mushrooms growing on poplar, white acacia, mulberry have a honey-yellow hue, on oaks - brownish, on elderberry - dark gray and on coniferous trees - reddish-brown.

The plates of young mushrooms are light, yellowish. With age, they darken and become covered with brown spots. The leg in the upper part is light, yellowish, like the plates, in the lower part it is thickened, brownish, in old mushrooms it is very dark, hard. There is a white membranous ring on the stem. The ring is strong, woolly, often double.

The autumn honey agaric is widespread on all continents. It can grow on the wood of many trees, both coniferous and deciduous, not only on trunks, but also on roots.

The autumn mushroom is one of the most versatile mushrooms in terms of how it is used in food. He goes in soups, and in roasts, in marinade, in salt, in drying.

The following types of honey agaric differ in some external (as well as morphological) features from the autumn honey agaric, but in palatability, they are very similar.

Thick-legged honey agaric (Armillaria gallica, Armillaria lutea)

The shape of the cap is bell-shaped, then convex with a characteristic tubercle in the center. The color of the cap varies from brownish, ocher-brown to brown. The entire cap is covered with small hairy scales. The color of the scales is yellowish-green olive-brown or grey.

Leg at the base with club-shaped thickening. Covered with gray-yellow scales. Below the leg is brown, above the ring it is yellow, sometimes whitish. Often the leg is girded with the remnants of a yellowish veil. The ring of the thick-legged honey agaric is thin and cobwebbed, white or yellow.

This species of honey agaric does not settle on live trees, but prefers burnt wood, stumps and deadwood of deciduous trees. Grows in small clumps, often singly.

Tuberous honey agaric (Armillaria cepistipes)

Hat up to 10 cm in diameter, with a smooth surface. The cap is dark, brownish-gray at the beginning of development, then becomes paler, more pinkish-dark yellow, cream or bakery. It is characteristic of this species that dark scales are crowded in the center of the cap, while the edge of the cap is without scales, always smooth. The leg is rather thin, slender, tuberous at the base. At a young age, it turns yellow at the base, and then turns brown. The ring is thin and fragile quickly disappears.

The tuberous honey agaric lives in a wide deciduous forests, found on soil in grass.

Dark honey agaric (Armillaria ostoyae)

The cap is dark brown, with dark blackish scales. The leg is cylindrical, usually thicker, sometimes curved, pale brown, brown in color. There are white scales all over the surface of the leg, which eventually become a dirty brown color. The ring of the dark honey agaric is strong and thick.

This mushroom grows in mixed, as well as in coniferous forests, preferring conifers, found on stumps. tree trunks and on the remains of wood that has rotted. It grows in late summer and autumn.

Northern honey agaric (Armillaria borealis)

This mushroom is distinguished by an olive-honey hue of the cap, its color varies from yellow-brown to orange-brown, often with an olive tint. In the center, the cap is often golden yellow. The cap diameter is from 2 to 8 cm. The scales on the cap are either the same color or slightly darker, yellowish-cream, brown, olive. The color of the stem is ocher to brownish, with yellowish-white pubescence.

These mushrooms grow in large groups, are found on both deciduous and coniferous trees.

Also honey mushrooms

These mushrooms are morphological trait to the genus Honey agaric (Armillaria) do not belong, but according to outward signs they are similar to honey mushrooms, they also grow in groups on stumps and trees, so we will call them honey mushrooms in tradition.

Summer honey agaric (Kuehneromyces mutabilis)

This is an edible mushroom. Appears at the very beginning of summer, in June, when there are still few edible mushrooms in the forest. It grows on stumps, decks, all kinds of rotten deciduous trees. It can settle near human habitation - on logs that have been sawn down for a long time, but unused, on log cabins of old wells, even on walkways across grooves, streams - in a word, it does not disdain anything wooden.

Summer mushrooms can be found in the forest almost constantly throughout the summer and autumn, until the first frost.

It is not so difficult to distinguish these mushrooms from others growing on stumps. In summer, the cap is almost always two-tone: in the middle it is light leathery-yellow, along the edges it is darker translucent, as if saturated with water.

The leg of the honey agaric is also two-colored: above the ring it is light, yellowish, smooth, under the ring it is very dark, reddish-brown or brown, with short clean protruding scales. The legs are curved, which is typical for many mushrooms growing on stumps in large bunches. The ring on the leg is not wide, brown. With age, it darkens, presses against the stem, sometimes disappears, leaving a clear brownish mark on the stem.

The pulp of the summer honey agaric is thin-fleshy, and it cannot be called as versatile in cooking as the autumn honey agaric. Basically this the mushroom is coming in soups, they turn out tasty, fragrant and transparent.

Honey agaric (Marasmius oreades)

Meadow mushrooms - early mushrooms, pop up already in early June, or even at the end of May, and hold on until late autumn. Having missed mushrooms during the winter, mushroom pickers walk through glades with scissors and collect these small mushrooms.

I don’t know why these mushrooms were called mushrooms, because they do not grow at all on stumps, but in meadows and glades, grassy slopes of ravines. Perhaps because of their friendliness, for the fact that these mushrooms pour out in plentiful groups.

The meadow agaric belongs to the genus of the non-rotten plant. This is a small mushroom, its leg is thin, very tough and fibrous. Due to their mushroom smell, meadows are mainly used for broths and soups. They are also dried.

Spring honey agaric (Collybia dryophila)

Or collibia forest-loving. It looks a little like a meadow agaric in the size and color of the cap, a thin stem. But in the meadow honey agaric, the plates are rare, relatively wide, cream-colored, while in the wood-loving collibium they are very frequent, narrow, light yellow.

Like meadow honey agaric, collibia appears early, in late May - early June, but grows in forests, on fallen leaves, collapsing stumps, because of this, spring honey agaric got its name.

These crumbs have a pleasant mushroom smell. but you will have to collect enough of them to at least have enough for soup. Still, collibia is on the mushroomless.

Winter honey agaric (Flammulina velutipes)

Winter mushroom grows in October-November. It grows in large "bouquets". Winter mushroom can be found both in the forest and in the city on old deciduous trees with damaged bark and wood, on stumps, on fallen trunks.

The hats of mushrooms are even, shiny, pure yellow or golden in color, with a darker brownish middle. The legs of the mushrooms under the hat are yellow-ocher, below everything is darker and darker. The surface of the leg is velvety. The legs of mushrooms are tough, fibrous, inedible. Hats are fried, marinated, soups are made from them, dried. Yes, if no other mushrooms were collected for the winter, then the winter mushroom will at least make up for the loss with its last mushroom smell.

Yellow-red honey agaric (Tricholomopsis rutilans)

Or yellow and red. This large beautiful mushroom grows on the stumps of coniferous trees, or near the stumps, on the roots. The main color of the mushroom is yellow, but the cap and stem are densely covered with numerous velvety-fibrous dark red scales.

The fungus, though harmless, but tasteless. It has the smell of rotting wood and a bitter taste.

false mushrooms

In addition to edible mushrooms, you need to remember that there are twin mushrooms or mushrooms similar to mushrooms, which are not only inedible, but even poisonous.

Poisonous counterparts of edible mushrooms are false honeycomb brick-red and sulphur-yellow honeysuckle. They differ from edible ones primarily in the smell, color of the cap and plates, as well as the structure of the stem.

There is even a poem about this:
Has edible mushroom
On the leg there is a ring of films,
And the false honey agarics
Legs bare to toe.

Brick-red false foam (Hypholoma sublateritium)

These mushrooms grow throughout the summer until late autumn. This large, dense and bright mushroom can only be confused from afar with autumn or dark mushrooms. Upon close examination, it immediately becomes clear that this is not a honey agaric at all. The cap of the mushroom is orange, yellow at the edges with hanging flakes from a private bedspread. It grows in large groups on stumps, rotting wood of deciduous trees.

An attentive mushroom picker will not confuse edible mushrooms from false ones, they have many differences.

First, what you need to pay attention to is the color of the plates. In young false honey agarics, they are yellowish, not white or cream. With age, the plates acquire an olive tint. By old age, the plates turn brown, even blacken, nevertheless they are cast in green.

Secondly, they are distinguished from edible mushrooms by legs that are not extended downwards, as in autumn honey agaric, not dark scaly, like in summer, but even. sometimes narrowed at the base, turning brown in the lower part. There is no ring on the legs of false honey agarics, only a faint trace of a partial coverlet in the form of small brown or black stripes around the circumference.

Thirdly, there are no pronounced scales on the hats of false mushrooms, like edible mushrooms. The surface of the cap is smooth.

False foam brick-red mushroom is bitter, but we do not recommend tasting it, it is poisonous.

Sulphur-yellow false foam (Hypholoma fasciculare)

This mushroom is smaller than the previous one. It can be confused with summer honeydew. The same yellowish, convex, half-spread cap with age, in the center with a reddish tint. The bright sulfur-yellow color of the plates and caps gave the name to this mushroom. The difference is that with age, the plates turn green with age. The summer honey agaric has a leg with pronounced white specks on a brown background, while the false honey agaric has a thin, smooth, curved, yellow leg, turning brown only at the base. There is no ring in the false feather.

It grows from August to October on dead trees, participating in their decomposition, mainly prefers conifers, but can also be found on deciduous trees. Fruits in small groups. The mushroom is deadly poisonous! Contains toxins, like the pale grebe.

Galerina bordered is sometimes mistaken for summer honey agaric, which also grows on deadwood in dense colonies.

Dedicated to our readers - when collecting mushrooms, be careful, look at the structure and composition of the mushroom, because mushrooms are something that even the devil himself does not joke with ...

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Picking mushrooms is not only gambling, but also difficult, because the risk of bringing false mushrooms instead of edible is large enough. Before leaving for mushroom hunting, you need to know that many representatives of this kingdom have doubles dangerous to health, so it is important to be able to recognize poisonous mushroom.

Honey mushrooms are perhaps the most popular mushrooms. They can be found both in a small forest belt, chosen by nature lovers, and in impenetrable forests.

Honey mushroom features

You can collect these mushrooms from mid-summer to the beginning of winter, new mushrooms grow in place of those cut in ten days, and usually grow in large colonies, so you can leave with a full basket. And what a variety of dishes awaits the one who brings honey mushrooms home.

False mushrooms grow in the same places as edible mushrooms, and at first glance they are very similar.

From them you can cook a light summer soup, fry them with potatoes, dry them for future use, pickle, pickle for the winter or make mushroom caviar. In order not to overshadow the joy of the collected basket of mushrooms, you need to know what poisonous mushrooms look like and part with them without regret.

There are more than twenty species of mushrooms, but we only eat three of them.

These are summer, autumn and winter. Each of these species has inedible relatives. They grow in the same places as edible mushrooms and look very similar at first glance.

The easiest way to distinguish false mushrooms from summer and autumn honey agarics. Edible mushrooms, right under the cap, have a small formation around the stem - a ring.

Poisonous counterparts do not have this growth. Distinguishing winter mushrooms and other types of safe representatives of this kingdom from inedible ones is much more difficult.

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These toxic representatives of mushrooms skillfully disguise themselves as edible summer mushrooms and quite often find themselves in the basket of inexperienced lovers. In order not to get caught in the net of brick-red honey agaric, remember its distinctive features. The most likely to meet these villains in late summer and early autumn on stumps and fallen trunks of deciduous trees. Most likely, you will find these poisonous mushrooms on alder, aspen, linden and birch. The mushroom has a thin high leg of a yellowish hue, which tapers at the base, and a rounded convex hat, similar to an inverted saucer up to 8 centimeters in diameter.

False honey mushrooms, brick-red toxic representatives of mushrooms, skillfully disguise themselves as edible summer mushrooms and quite often find themselves in a basket of inexperienced lovers.

The top of the mushroom, as you might guess from the name, is a brick red hue, sometimes orange when the mushroom is young. Special attention should be given to the mushroom cap, its edges are covered with white particles that look like flakes.

This is the remains of a white blanket under which mushrooms were hidden. Naturally, you need to examine the leg of the brick-red honey agaric, it will not have a ring - main feature edible mushroom. It is also worth remembering that false honey mushrooms as permanent place of residence prefer light areas of deciduous forests.

Since this species is confused with the summer one, which they like to preserve, most often the poisonous fellow gets into jars. If you accidentally ate or could not distinguish from edible and added brick-red false mushrooms to your food, unpleasant consequences await you.

This type of fungus disables the central nervous system. As a rule, nausea, vomiting, general malaise, increased heart rate, dizziness, headaches, nosebleeds and increased pressure appear. In case of serious poisoning and lack of medical care, intoxication threatens with the onset of coma, and then cardiac arrest.

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This comrade, pretending to be edible, is the most insidious and most common false honeycomb. It is found in forests and forest plantations from mid-summer to the first snow and grows in almost every region of the country and in almost any locality. You can meet this poisonous mushroom both in coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests, as well as in the fields. For justification, they choose stumps and rotten trunks of all types of trees and prefer to stick together: colonies of sulfur-yellow mushrooms can reach hundreds. This species is successfully disguised and gets to mushroom pickers in a basket under the guise of summer and autumn mushrooms. In order not to fall for the sulfur-yellow bait, carefully study the color of the cap and the inner plates of the mushroom.

False mushrooms sulfur-yellow is found in forests and forest plantations from mid-summer to the first snow.

As a rule, they do not grow more than ten centimeters in length. A thin pale yellow stem holds a small but strong hat. The top of the mushroom, about seven centimeters in diameter, resembles an umbrella in appearance. The color of the cap always attracts attention: almost white edges, a yellowish center and a reddish-orange center. The "umbrella" of this mushroom is completely smooth, without a single scale - this is a sure sign of a poisoned mushroom. To determine what's in front of you dangerous mushroom, turn it over and examine the honey agaric plates.

Only one appearance the inner surface of the cap should cause disgust: the plates are dark yellow, gray, gray-green or black. Still in doubt? Break open the honey agaric, and you will see a yellow flesh that exudes an unpleasant bitter smell.

This species is also insidious and dangerous because heat treatment has no effect on the toxic substances of the fungus, and canning only helps to increase their concentration. Poisons that enter the body negatively affect the digestive organs.

The first signs of poisoning may appear after 2-4 hours. As a rule, this is increased sweating, malaise, loose stools and vomiting, general weakness. In case of severe poisoning or in the absence of medical assistance to primary signs added headache and incoherent speech.

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Conditionally edible mushrooms

Diagram showing the difference between mushrooms.

There are two more types of mushrooms that are classified as false mushrooms. These mushrooms are called conditionally edible, they are of poor quality, but can be edible after heat treatment.

False mushrooms are watery, they are also water-loving psatirella, they are classified as low-quality mushrooms. Scientists are still arguing about the suitability of this mushroom for food. In most cases, it is considered inedible, so it’s better not to risk it again and be aware of the signs of a false mushroom.

It appears in autumn on stumps and on the soil around them, loves a damp environment, settles both on coniferous and deciduous trees in small colonies. These are small mushrooms no more than 8 centimeters in length with a small cap up to 5 centimeters in diameter.

The light brown leg of watery false mushrooms is thin, curved, with a smooth surface. The hat is almost flat, slightly convex in the center and ragged along the edges, has a dark brown or light brown tint. The inside of the cap consists of frequent brown or brown plates. If you break open the mushroom, you can see the brown watery flesh.

False mushrooms of Candoll are considered suitable for eating only after a long and thorough processing.

But since this species has not yet been assigned to the order of edible mushrooms, it is highly discouraged to collect it. Candolly can be found from May to mid-autumn in deciduous forests. They grow on the ground near stumps, on the bark of inanimate and sometimes living trees.

The caps of young false mushrooms are covered with brown scales, and when they come off, the tops become white, cream or yellowish. The cap of an inedible mushroom is almost flat, with a small tubercle in the center, only 3-7 centimeters in diameter.

It is slightly wavy along the edges, often with a torn fringe. The thin leg can reach 9 centimeters in length, has a thickened base, but is very brittle due to the hollow structure. On the break of the false honey agaric, a white, odorless flesh is visible. The plates from the bottom of the cap are narrow and frequent, have a light purple or brown tint.

In order not to spoil the impression of a "quiet" hunt, it is worth remembering the main signs of the difference between edible mushrooms and false ones. Found honey agaric - look at the leg. In an inedible mushroom, it will be naked, without a rim. True, for some reason, an edible mushroom may lose its distinctive feature.

Then carefully inspect the hat. Its surface is strewn with dark small flakes, and the color of the hat itself does not particularly stand out from the area.

False mushrooms, like most toxic mushrooms, have a flashy color, luring mushroom pickers with it.

Remember the fly agaric: such a color that it is impossible to pass by, but it is impossible to cut it.

Edible mushrooms look quite inconspicuous. The plates under the "umbrella" will also give out false mushrooms: they will be bright or, conversely, very dark. No matter how false mushrooms are disguised and attracted by bright colors, they give themselves away by smell. Real mushrooms have a pleasant mushroom aroma, while false ones have a repulsive smell or its complete absence. Taste edible mushrooms different from toxic, but in practice it is better not to check.

“Well, who doesn’t know what mushrooms look like?” you say. Really! Sometimes even scientists involved in the study of fungi find it difficult to determine their type. And mushrooms, by the way, are very different, unlike each other, and also deadly poisonous.

Such different mushrooms ...

Honey mushrooms are one of the most common mushrooms in the world. With scientific point view, the group of mushrooms Agaric is the most "motley". For non-biologists, these are mushrooms growing on stumps or trees (hence the name), but for scientists, this group is much wider. It includes mushrooms from the forest floor and growing in the grass.

But there is another more exciting ability in these mushrooms - they belong to bioluminescent organisms. This means that mushrooms glow in the dark. But these greenish reflections are so weak that under normal conditions, even on a moonless night in the middle of the forest, it is almost imperceptible.

Different types of honey mushrooms can have different forms and color. Their smooth caps come in shades of red-brown to yellow-brown. In shape, there are small rounded, bell-shaped or flat. And the mushrooms themselves can appear either singly or in families, which sometimes consist of several dozen mushrooms.

There are different opinions about edibility again. Some consider them unfit for human consumption, although mycologists say that among them there are both good and inedible. True, men of science, having analyzed nutritional value, attributed them to products of 3-4 categories. However, for many mushroom pickers, they remain the best for pickling. And it is with honey mushrooms that lovers of "silent hunting" open the season, as these mushrooms appear in early spring, long before boletus, boletus, oil, porcini mushrooms or saffron milk caps.

Beginning mushroom pickers, perhaps, had to hear about false mushrooms, which, although they resemble real ones, are poisonous. However, not everything is so simple: even researchers find it difficult to determine which category a particular specimen belongs to. These are such diverse and unique organisms that some do not even resemble mushrooms. But the most interesting thing is that some representatives of the species are able to change their appearance, depending on weather conditions or the characteristics of the wood they feed on. Experienced mushroom pickers and mycologists are ready for such transformations again, but for beginners it is difficult to determine edible and inedible only by typical external characteristics.

Inedible and conditionally edible mushrooms are considered to be "false".

But the danger is that even conditionally edible have toxic doppelgangers. If among harvested mushrooms and “false” ones are lost, then after thorough soaking and proper preparation they will not cause poisoning. Doubles are as dangerous as pale grebes. But the dangers don't end there. You can also get poisoned by real mushrooms, especially the old representatives of the "family". Poorly washed or undercooked foods cause dizziness, nausea, and vomiting. For some, poisoning is accompanied by an increase blood pressure, tachycardia, nosebleeds, in severe cases, hemorrhages in the brain tissue.

Poisoning with poisonous gifts of the forest manifests itself differently. The first signs are a sharp decrease in blood pressure, a subsidence of the pulse, loss of consciousness. Up to 6 hours after eating a poisonous mushroom, vomiting, diarrhea, intestinal colic appear, which are not eliminated by medication. Most cases of poisoning with false mushrooms end lethal outcome. As a rule, up to 10 days after eating.

To " silent hunting”did not end in trouble, first you have to learn as much as possible about mushrooms. But we hasten to reassure: this does not mean that novice mushroom pickers will have to become a mycologist. There is no need to study the characteristics of all mushrooms known to science and their counterparts, it is enough to focus on those that are found in local forests. And what are "found" - this will already be prompted by more experienced "hunters" for mushrooms. But the surest rule and the best advice: if in doubt, don't take it! So, the most common and most recognizable mushrooms are winter, summer and autumn. We will talk about them in detail.

Winter honey agaric, or Flammulina velutipes

Fruiting of this species begins at the end of September, and if weather allow, will produce crops during the winter. You can find this mushroom on the remains of deciduous trees. Recognizable thanks to the smooth honey-brown cap (semi-spherical in young mushrooms and flat in old ones). At high humidity air cap becomes slippery. The plates under it are creamy, like the pulp on the cut. But there should not be any scales or rings on the leg - this is a sign of poisonous twins.

Scientists attribute this mushroom to conditionally edible, and mushroom pickers - to the most delicious representatives of honey mushrooms. Some of them are grown in summer cottages or on the balcony. They say that homemade winter mushrooms are even tastier than forest mushrooms. Plus, it's definitely safe.

Spring honey agaric, or Collybia dryophila

Appears in forests in spring or early summer. These mushrooms love rotten wood and forest floor. Spring mushrooms are recognized by their two-tone hat (dark in the center and light at the edges), there are no rings or scales on the stem. And although in the scientific literature it is called conditionally edible, mushroom pickers are happy with it and love it for its bright aroma and “meatiness”.

White slimy honey fungus, or Oudemansiella mucida

These are also spring-summer mushrooms. White slimy mushrooms “settle” on fallen trees, live beeches and maples, the trunks of which they can “stick around” to the very branches. They are creamy grey, sticky in all weathers, their stipe ringed but not scaled. Mushroom pickers and mycologists agree that it is a safe, tasty and fragrant mushroom.

Summer honey agaric, or Kuehneromyces mutabilis

It grows on birch stumps, and in mountainous regions - on the remains of coniferous trees, in August-October. Easily recognizable in rainy weather when its 8 cm sticky cap draws in moisture and becomes two-tone (light brown in the center, dark brown or brown at the edges). In sunny weather, the mushrooms are monophonic, honey-yellow. The young have a convex hat, the old flat-convex. Distinctive features: leg with small scales and a ring, brown-cream plates under the cap.

Autumn mushroom, or Armillaria mellea

Garlic

This is the so-called atypical representative of mushrooms, feature which has a pronounced odour. It never grows on wood; it does not have the ring on the leg that is characteristic of honey agaric. Garlic grows on dry forest floor from late summer and autumn. This is a small mushroom, its cap is never more than 5 cm in diameter (in older representatives it is prostrate or even slightly inverted), and the stem is not thicker than half a centimeter. Garlic stalks range in color from brownish to white, and the tough stalks are brownish-black. Garlic is consumed fresh, they are good for salting, as well as for making seasonings from dried mushrooms.

Honey agaric meadow

It is also an atypical honey agaric growing among the grass in meadows, glades, pastures, in gardens, near roads. Usually meadow mushrooms appear in the first days of summer and bear fruit until October. But they grow in a very specific way - forming rows or circles in the grass, which the people called witch rings. This type of mushroom is recognized by the absence of a ring on the stem, by a small (up to 5 cm) hat, light at the edges and brown in the center, as well as by a pleasant taste and smell. It is thanks to these gastronomic characteristics that the small meadow mushroom is very popular among mushroom pickers.

In the summer, inexperienced mushroom pickers sometimes confuse edible mushrooms with false ones - seroplastic and sulfur-yellow. The former are reminiscent of summer ones in many respects. They recognize the poisonous mushroom by the absence of a ring and scales, as well as by gray plates under a rusty-brown cap. Appear exclusively in coniferous forests in mid-July. Despite the fact that “false” appears in the name, gray-plastic mushrooms can be consumed after careful heat treatment, although the older ones have a rotten taste.

Sulfur-yellow mushrooms appear in spring on rotting stumps of deciduous trees. Their rounded yellow-olive caps and yellow-green or purple-brown plates are a clear sign of toxicity. The taste and smell of the pulp is bitter.

Candoll's false honey agaric can also be confused with summer mushrooms due to inexperience. Groups of these organisms "inhabit" stumps and living deciduous trees(mostly in the shade, from May to September). They are recognized by their almost white color, the absence of a ring on the stem and by grayish or dark brown plates. After prolonged soaking and several hours of cooking, they are quite acceptable as food.

An extremely dangerous twin of summer mushrooms is the bordered galerina. This mushroom is slightly smaller than the summer mushroom (hat up to 4 cm), the stem is not scaly, but fibrous, but otherwise it very much resembles an edible mushroom. Appears in various forests from June to October, most of all loves rotten coniferous stumps and ignores birch. According to the content of toxic substances, it is equivalent to pale grebe.

The honey agaric thick-legged reminds autumn mushroom, and some mushroom pickers consider both specimens to be a variety of the same species. The main signs of false autumn mushrooms: they "live" on the litter, bear fruit constantly, and not in waves, the lower part of their legs is thicker. But even if such a mushroom ended up in the basket, do not worry - it is edible. But it is advised to use only hats for food, as the legs are very tough.

Yellow-red honey agaric appears at the end of August on coniferous wood. It differs from the autumn edible "brother" in an excessively bright color, smaller sizes (caps up to 7 cm), the absence of a ring and the bitter taste of the pulp.

Brick-red honey agaric, appearing in the midst of autumn mushroom season are called poisonous. Identified by the red velvety hat, the absence of scales and the ring on the leg. It is more common in deciduous forests, where there is a lot of sun and fresh air, less often - in pine forests.

A no less dangerous twin of garlic and meadow agaric is a whitish talker (a deadly mushroom). Her main feature- a grayish-white color of the cap, which, unlike meadow mushrooms, is flat.

The benefits and harms of mushrooms

Honey mushrooms are a low-calorie product: 100 grams contain no more than 22 kcal. But at the same time, mushrooms remain a good source, as well as, and. Like other representatives of the mushroom family, mushrooms are rich and. Interestingly, the concentration of calcium and phosphorus in these small mushrooms is close to that in fish. A lot of mushrooms and iron, which makes them an indispensable product for people with low hemoglobin.

Researchers have proven the antimicrobial and anti-cancer abilities of these mushrooms. They are useful for getting rid of E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus, as well as a healing food for thyroid dysfunctions. Phosphorus-rich mushrooms are beneficial for strong bones, healthy teeth, and adequate central function. nervous system. Copper and zinc make the product important for the peripheral nervous system as well as maintaining spinal health. Some members of the mushroom family contain a lot, which makes them useful for visual acuity, skin elasticity and strong hair. Thanks to vitamins E and C, these mushrooms have a beneficial effect on the immune and hormonal systems.

But for people with diseases of the digestive system, it is better to refuse this product. Another point that is important to know: mushrooms are not the best source. The digestibility of proteins from mushrooms is several times lower than from porcini mushrooms. Even a healthy body does not absorb honey mushrooms well in combination with the test. And when frying, the pulp of mushrooms absorbs fat very quickly and in large portions. Pickled or salted mushrooms loved by many can cause swelling, and large portions of autumn ones can cause diarrhea. Boiled mushrooms are considered the most useful.

How to grow winter mushrooms

This is perhaps the only mushroom that can be grown not only on garden plot but also on the balcony or windowsill.

Squeeze and transfer to 3-liter jars (fill half way). Then sterilize the vessels with the substrate for 2 hours. Repeat the procedure the next day. When the contents of the jars have cooled to 25 degrees, close with nylon lids, in which to make holes (about 2 cm in diameter). Pour mycelium through them (about 7% of the mass of the substrate). Put the "seeded" jar for 30 days in a warm (not lower than 20-24 degrees), but a dark place. With the advent of the first "sprouts" transfer to the northern window sill, and then to the balcony (keep the temperature at least 10 degrees). When the mushrooms grow to the lid, open the jar and wrap a wide strip of cardboard around the neck. On the 10th day after the appearance of "shoots" you can harvest. Cut the mushrooms, remove the legs from the substrate and send again closed jar into the dark and warm place. The next harvest will appear in 2 weeks. One jar can "give birth" to 1-2 kg of tasty, healthy and, most importantly, safe winter mushrooms.

Despite the fact that Europeans do not really like these mushrooms, they remain tasty and healthy. The main thing is to know which ones are edible and which ones you should stay away from. And what to cook from fragrant mushrooms - every housewife knows.