Mushrooms. Types of mushrooms. How to distinguish false mushrooms. Dangerous twins of summer and winter mushrooms that can be harmful to health

False mushrooms include several types of mushrooms, very similar to edible mushrooms. In addition, they are easy to confuse, because false mushrooms like to grow in the same places as edible ones - they grow in families on stumps, fallen trees, on trunks and protruding parts of tree roots. Some types of false mushrooms are inedible, others are conditionally edible, and others are poisonous. However, a mushroom picker, especially a beginner, should not experiment and one should never forget the main rule: "If you're not sure - don't take it!" Collect only real mushrooms when you are absolutely sure that they are! At the slightest doubt, it is better to abandon the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bputting the mushroom in the basket.

Most main feature, by which it is possible to distinguish a real honey agaric from a false one, is a membranous ring (skirt) on a leg. This ring is the remnant of the veil that protects the fruiting body of the fungus at a young age. False mushrooms do not have such a ring.

In edible mushrooms (on the left), the ring on the leg is clearly visible.
In false mushrooms (on the right), there are no rings on the legs.

For children, they even came up with a poem in order to better remember this main difference between edible mushrooms:

Edible mushrooms (autumn):
A, B - young, C - old

There are other differences as well.

1. The smell of edible mushrooms is a pleasant mushroom, false mushrooms emit an unpleasant earthy smell.

2. Hats of inedible mushrooms are more brightly, loudly colored than those of edible ones. The tone can vary from sulfur yellow to brick red (depending on the species). Edible mushrooms have a modest soft light brown color.

A - sulfur yellow, B - gray lamellar, C - brick red

3. In edible mushrooms, the hat is covered with small scales; in false mushrooms, there are no scales on the hat - it is usually smooth. But you need to remember that edible mushrooms at the age of flakes on the hat also no longer exist (see photo of old mushrooms above).

4. There are differences in the color of the plates (on reverse side mushroom caps). The plates of false mushrooms are yellow, those of old ones are greenish or olive-black, while those of edible mushrooms are cream or yellowish-white.

Plates again:
A - edible (autumn), B - gray lamellar, C - sulfur yellow

5. They note the bitter taste of false mushrooms, which edible ones do not have, but you should not get to the taste assessment - and without it there are enough signs by which you can distinguish edible mushrooms from false ones.

For an experienced mushroom picker, these signs immediately catch the eye, but beginners need to apply this knowledge with caution, since the signs listed above are largely subjective, that is, each person evaluates characteristics such as smell or color in different ways. Only experience can fix this. In the meantime, focus on the first, most important, sign - look for a skirt with legs again.

To be honest, it is very difficult to judge whether mushrooms belong to real or false ones (false mushrooms) due to the species diversity of the group. Theoretically, many edible species are considered to be real, and most conditionally edible and inedible species are considered false. In practice, it turns out that in addition to relatively non-dangerous conditionally edible "relatives", many mushrooms also have more dangerous (including poisonous) counterparts outside the group. And if eating the former is quite acceptable after preliminary soaking and boiling, then the latter pose the same danger as death cap. Poisoning, by the way, can be caused by both pre-treated false mushrooms, and poorly washed or old specimens. edible species- real mushrooms. In mild cases, the symptoms of poisoning are expressed in the defeat of the central nervous system - the appearance of headaches, dizziness, nausea and vomiting. In more serious cases, an increase in blood pressure, increased heart rate and nosebleeds are possible, which, if not provided in a timely manner, medical care can lead to brain stem hemorrhage, coma, and even death. As for the poisonous analogues of the pale toadstool, their toxic effect first manifests itself differently: blood pressure drops, the pulse weakens, loss of consciousness is possible. More expressive symptoms - constant vomiting, diarrhea and intestinal colic - appear in humans at least 6 hours after eating mushrooms, and, unfortunately, are extremely rarely treatable. In most cases, within 10 days from the moment of poisoning, alas, death occurs.

The most unpleasant thing in the Agaric group can be called the fact that the mushrooms included in it do not have common, identical for all species, external signs, by which it would be possible to clearly determine their edibility. Moreover, some mushrooms tend to partially "change appearance" depending on the weather or the type of wood on which they grow. Experienced mushroom pickers, of course, are already ready for such “surprises”, therefore they pay attention to additional signs, but, unfortunately, beginners often ignore them. Considering what to define the list common features edible or inedible mushrooms is problematic, even before the start of the “hunt” for these mushrooms, it is strongly recommended for a beginner to get a “visual consultation” about them and about the distinctive features of twin mushrooms from an experienced mushroom picker. By the way, it is absolutely not necessary to study the entire group and the twins of each of the species: it is enough to limit yourself to in-depth knowledge of at least one or two that are most common in your area. In relation to species that have not been studied, you will simply have to adhere to the rule “not sure - don’t take it.”

Beginning mushroom pickers, as a rule, pay maximum attention to the most recognizable mushrooms - Winter honey agaric(Flammulina velutipes), Summer honey mushroom (Kuehneromyces mutabilis) and Autumn honey mushroom (Armillaria mellea). The first of the listed species differs from the others in that its fruiting begins in late autumn (end of September) and, under favorable conditions, can last all winter. Flammulina grows on the stumps of deciduous trees or on deadwood and has a honey-brown smooth hat - hemispherical in young mushrooms and prostrate in adult specimens, which becomes slimy in wet weather. Due to the very late fruiting, this mushroom is quite difficult to confuse with other species, but you need to remember that its characteristic features are the creamy color of the plates and pulp at the break, as well as the absence of scales and rings on a thin stem typical of some edible mushrooms. Although flammulina (winter honey agaric) appears in the literature as a conditionally edible mushroom, many mushroom pickers consider it not only one of the most delicious mushrooms, but also the best for growing at home. “Homemade” winter mushrooms, as a rule, have even better taste than their forest counterparts, are easy to grow and, which is important for beginner mushroom pickers, remain completely safe.

Found in forests from April to late October. It grows on stumps and rotten wood of deciduous trees (mainly on birch), and on conifers - only in mountainous areas. Outwardly, this honey agaric is easily recognizable in wet weather: its smooth hygrofan (swelling from dampness) sticky hat up to 8 cm in diameter acquires a pronounced two-tone color with a light brown center and a dark (brown or brown) wide strip along the edge. In young specimens, the hat is small, convex and covered with a film-veil in the lower part. Gradually, it grows, becomes flat-convex, and the remains of the coverlet form an expressive membranous ring on the stem, which in very old specimens may disappear over time. In dry weather, the hat of the summer honey agaric becomes dry and acquires a monochromatic honey-yellow color, so the mushroom has to be identified by additional features: a ring and small scales on the stem, creamy brown plates, as well as a brown layer of spore powder, with which old specimens are often “sprinkled » mushroom caps of the lower tier.

From spring to early summer, other honey agaric can be found in deciduous forests - spring(Forest-loving Collybia, Collybia dryophila) and white slimy(Oudemansiella mucous, Oudemansiella mucida), which are very easy to distinguish from summer honey agaric. Spring honey agaric can grow on rotten wood and on the litter, and white slimy honey agaric can grow on deadwood and living deciduous trees (maple, beech), along the trunks of which it sometimes “climbs” to the very crown. The first species also has a two-color hygrofan hat, but with the exact opposite color - darker in the center and lighter at the edges; it lacks the ring and stalk scales, and the spore powder is creamy white. Although the honey agaric of white mucous has a pronounced ring on the stem, outwardly it does not at all resemble summer honey agaric: the mushroom is almost all white (creamy gray), slippery in any weather and has no scales on the stem and hat. In contrast to the summer honey agaric, which is characterized good taste and a pleasant smell, both of these types of special nutritional value do not represent and are usually used in dishes as a "meaty" addition to other mushrooms. In the literature, the spring mushroom appears as a conditionally edible mushroom, and the white slimy mushroom as edible, but most mycologists do not classify any of these species as false mushrooms and do not call them dangerous.

The danger when collecting summer mushrooms can be slightly poisonous or inedible false mushrooms from the genus Gyfoloma (Hypholoma) - (Hypholoma capnoides) and sulfur-yellow false honey mushrooms (Hypholoma fasciculare). The first species is very similar to summer honey agaric with a hygrofan hat, which can also change color saturation (from pale yellow to rusty brown with light edges) and become sticky depending on the weather. But unlike summer mushrooms, the gray-lamellar false honey agaric has neither a ring nor scales on the leg. In addition, the plates of this fungus change color with age from white-yellow to a characteristic poppy-gray, and its fruiting begins only in mid-summer, which already eliminates the possibility of confusing it with summer mushrooms during spring harvest. The most notable difference can be considered that the gray-lamellar false honey agaric prefers to grow mainly on pine deadwood, stumps, rotting roots, and even on the litter, but completely “neglects” deciduous trees. Therefore, the collection of summer mushrooms only in deciduous forests allows you to minimize the likelihood of it accidentally falling into the basket. It is interesting that, despite the name, the gray-lamellar false honeycomb both in the literature and among mushroom pickers is considered to be a completely edible mushroom with white-yellow flesh and a pleasant smell. However, it is indicated that it should be eaten only after preliminary boiling, and try to avoid old specimens that acquire a musty, rotten-raw unpleasant aftertaste.

At False foam sulfur yellow the beginning of fruiting occurs in the spring, as in the case of honey agaric, and this fungus is also found in large groups on deadwood and rotting stumps of mainly deciduous species. Like young summer mushrooms, its young specimens have rounded hats with a private veil, but they are usually painted in more "flashy" yellow-olive shades. As the fungus grows, the coverlet remains on it not in the form of a ring on the stem, but in the form of tatters disappearing over time (cobweb fringe) along the edge of the cap. The main distinguishing features of the sulfur-yellow false foam can be called the absence of a ring and scales on the stem, as well as the color of the plates, which gradually changes from yellow-green (in young mushrooms) to dark purple-brown (in old ones). The yellowish flesh of this mushroom has an unpleasant heavy smell and bitter taste, and the mushroom itself appears in encyclopedias as slightly poisonous or inedible, which should already tell a lot to a conscious mushroom picker.

There is also a noticeable resemblance to the summer honey agaric False foam Candoll(Psathyrella candolleana), which was previously classified as a poisonous mushroom in the literature, but has now moved into the group of conditionally edible. This mushroom grows in large groups from May to autumn on stumps and living wood of deciduous trees, mainly in shady places. It can be distinguished from summer honey agaric by the remnants of the bedspread (transparent flakes, film) at the edges of the “changeable” hat, which can change color from almost white to yellow-brown, and in adult specimens it becomes very prostrate and very brittle. There are no rings on the leg of Kandol's honey agaric either, and the color of its plates changes from a grayish tint to dark brown. In comparison with the previous species, this false mushroom is less known, since it is much less common and is ignored by many mushroom pickers. However, eating it is quite acceptable, although after pre-treatment (soaking and boiling).

Mushroom pickers unanimously call the poisonous mushroom a very dangerous false double Galerina bordered(Galerina marginata). In size, the galerina is slightly inferior to honey agaric (the hat is no more than 4 cm in diameter, the stem is not higher than 5 cm), but otherwise it has a smooth, prone to “variability” hygrofan cap of brown-ocher color, bedspreads in young mushrooms and rings on the stem in adults - the resemblance to summer mushrooms is simply frightening. This poisonous mushroom is found from early summer to mid-autumn in different forests, but grows in small groups mainly on rotten wood conifers. In addition to this feature, the most noticeable difference between the galerina bordered from the summer honey agaric can be considered only the fibrous (and not scaly!) surface of the stem below the ring. The use of this mushroom in food is fraught with serious consequences, since its pulp contains deadly amatoxins contained in the pale toadstool. Therefore, in order to minimize the likelihood of collecting deadly false doubles during " silent hunting”, summer mushrooms are strongly recommended to be collected only on the remains of deciduous trees, and even better - exclusively on birch stumps.

The autumn mushroom has its own conditionally edible twins, with which it can be confused. The greatest similarity is typical for Tolstony honey agaric(Armillaria gallica) and common flakes (Pholiota squarrosa), the fruiting period of which also falls at the end of summer - autumn. The first type is often perceived by many mushroom pickers simply as a kind of autumn mushroom, as it has similar soft colors, scales and a ring on the leg. Nevertheless, thick-legged honey agaric rarely grows on living wood and stumps, more often lives on forest floor (even spruce) and bears fruit not in waves, like autumn honey agaric, but constantly. In addition, thick-legged mushrooms never grow together into very large bunches, like autumn mushrooms, and have a characteristic tuberous thickening at the bottom of the legs. The thick-legged mushroom is considered an edible mushroom, but due to the too hard pulp of the legs, mushroom pickers prefer to use only hats for cooking and pickling.

(Pholiota squarrosa) outwardly differs from the autumn honey agaric, perhaps only in larger scales. It also grows in large groups on both living and rotten wood of predominantly deciduous trees, and has a “typical” ring for autumn mushrooms on a thin stem and a relatively large (up to 10 cm in diameter) hat. With regard to the edibility of this mushroom, the opinions of biologists differ, since in various literary sources it is called both edible and conditionally edible, and even inedible. In practice, many domestic mushroom pickers use common flakes for pickling, but only after mandatory pre-boiling. Please note: you can distinguish the flake from the autumn honey agaric not only by large scales, but also by the harder pulp of the cap, which is not typical for a real honey agaric.

A similar “scaly” appearance, but with a rich yellow-orange-red tint, has another species from the genus Honey agaric -, or yellow-red rowing (Tricholomopsis rutilans), which in late summer - early autumn is found in small groups (3 - 4 ) on deadwood and stumps, mainly in coniferous (often pine) forests. In addition to the place of growth and the “screaming” color, the rowing differs from the autumn mushroom in smaller sizes (the hat is no more than 7 in diameter) and in that it does not have a ring on the leg, so an attentive mushroom picker is unlikely to be able to put it in a basket instead of autumn mushrooms. This mushroom is considered conditionally edible of the fourth category, but due to the bitter taste, which is removed only after soaking and pre-boiling, many mushroom pickers try not to collect it at all.

During the period of mass autumn collection of mushrooms, Hypholoma sublateritium often gets into the baskets of mushroom pickers by mistake. This fungus is found more often in light, well-ventilated deciduous forests (on deadwood and stumps), much less often on the wood of coniferous trees. Outwardly, this false mushroom, perhaps, is more similar to summer honey agaric, as it has a smooth, slightly velvety brick-red hat without scales, but the absence of a ring and scales on the stem, as well as the presence of remnants of a veil along the edge of the hat, clearly indicate that it belongs to false mushrooms . Since the fruiting of the brick-red false honey agaric occurs in August - October, and the size of its hat in diameter can reach 12 cm, it is often mistaken for autumn honey agaric. In the literature, this mushroom appears either as inedible or as poisonous, so it is better to refuse to collect any “reddening” mushrooms in the fall, away from sin.

It is interesting that the song invented by mushroom pickers, in which “the edible honey agaric has a film ring on its foot”, is completely unsuitable for identifying edible species of “atypical” mushrooms - representatives of the genus Negniuchnik (Marasmius) - which never grow on wood (deadwood, stumps ). The most famous of them are Garlic(ordinary, large, oak) and meadow agaric. Garlic is found at the end of summer - in autumn in the forests different type on dry forest floor and are characterized by small caps (no more than 5 cm), the color of which can vary from completely white to brownish. In adult mushrooms, the caps are often very prostrate, even slightly inverted, and the legs are very thin (up to 0.5 cm), usually hard and they are painted in a dark (from brown to black) color. Despite the fact that there are no scales and rings on the legs that are “typical” for many edible mushrooms, they are considered absolutely edible. agaric, which can be eaten fresh, pickled and dried. During the "quiet hunt" they are easy to identify by the characteristic garlic smell, the absence of a skirt on the leg and relatively rare wavy plates of white or cream color. Theoretically, because of the well-pronounced garlic smell, these mushrooms are difficult to confuse with other mushrooms, but if beginners, according to the well-known "mushroom pickers' song", look for honey agarics with skirts on the litter, then with a high probability real pale grebes can get into their baskets.

Unlike all of the above, honey agaric (Marasmius oreades) grows on grassy soil in open meadows, pastures, along roadsides, in gardens, in forest glades and edges. The mushroom is very small: the cap is only up to 5 cm in diameter, the height of the stem is on average no more than 6 cm. The meadow mushroom bears fruit from the beginning of summer to the end of October very abundantly, forming whole rows in the grass and the so-called "witch's circles". The hat of the meadow agaric is hygrofan and resembles in color colybia woody with a creamy-brown center and light edges, but unlike it, meadow honey agaric has a very pleasant taste and fragrant mushroom smell, therefore, even despite its small size, it is quite popular with mushroom pickers. Like the representatives of the genus Negniuchnik described above, this honey agaric does not have a ring on the stalk and the white-cream plates are located relatively rarely, which is why they often look wavy.

Amateur mushroom pickers often confuse meadow honey agaric with the forest-loving collibium described above and with Whitish talker(Clitocybe dealbata). But if the first one, as a rule, does not pose a serious danger, then the second one is a deadly false mushroom, since its pulp contains more muscarine poison than any red fly agaric. Worst of all, this poisonous double bears fruit in the same period, and grows in similar conditions, and has similar dimensions to meadow honey agarics. The hat of the talker is usually painted white with a gray or ocher tint and in rainy weather it becomes slimy, but unlike honey agaric does not have a convex center and looks rather flat or depressed. In addition to this sign, the talker can also be identified by the more frequent plates than those of the meadow honey agaric, which in mature specimens usually have a light yellow color.

Considering the above, we can conclude that when collecting mushrooms, “rowing with a common comb” is definitely impossible for all types, therefore, for a beginner, consultation with knowledgeable mushroom pickers will not be superfluous. By the way, in order to avoid poisoning, absolutely all lovers of “silent hunting” are advised to never be greedy with mushrooms - do not collect overripe specimens and give preference only to young mushrooms, the appearance of which matches the description of the species as much as possible, taking into account all additional features.

Picking up mushrooms is not only a gambling activity, but also a difficult one, because the risk of bringing false mushrooms from a hike instead of edible ones is quite high. Before you go on a mushroom hunt, you need to know that many representatives of this kingdom have doubles that are dangerous to health, so it is important to be able to recognize a 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 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 agaric. At edible mushrooms right under the cap there is 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 network of brick-red honey agaric, remember it distinctive features. The most likely to meet these villains in late summer and early autumn on stumps and fallen trunks of deciduous trees. You will most likely 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. Particular attention should be paid 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 - the main sign of an edible mushroom. It is also worth remembering that false honey mushrooms prefer light areas of deciduous forests as a permanent place of residence.

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 of the inner surface of the cap should cause disgust: plates of 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.

Insidious and dangerous this species is also the fact that heat treatment has no effect on toxic substances fungus, and canning only contributes to an increase in 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. With severe poisoning or in the absence of medical care, a headache and incoherent speech are added to the primary symptoms.

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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. Edible mushrooms taste different from toxic ones, but in practice it is better not to check.

Honey mushrooms, regardless of the season of collection, are distinguished by high palatability and are suitable for consumption in fried, pickled and canned form.

From this article, you will learn what types of mushrooms are and where they grow, learn how to identify mushrooms from photos and descriptions, and find out what time of the year they can be picked.

Honey mushrooms got their name from the place of growth. As you know, most of the representatives of this species of fungi settle on stumps (Figure 1). And although there are about 34 types of mushrooms, united under a common name, most often mushroom pickers collect winter, summer and autumn mushrooms that can be safely eaten. Let us consider in more detail the features of the growth of each of them.

Figure 1. Where mushrooms grow and how to collect them

Winter ones grow well on damaged or dead trunks of deciduous trees, especially poplars and willows, on the banks of streams, in gardens, parks, and forest edges.

Autumn can settle on 200 species of plants, among which are not only trees, but also herbaceous ones. Most often they grow in large groups on the stumps of birch, aspen, alder, elm in damp dark forests.

Summer ones are most often found in deciduous forests on rotten stumps or trunks of damaged trees.

When they grow

It is important to know not only where mushrooms grow, but also at what time they can be collected. Winter ones are harvested from spring to autumn, sometimes they can be found even under the snow.

Autumn harvest is carried out from the end of August until the beginning of winter, if the air temperature does not fall below +10. And spring fruits bear fruit from mid-spring to November.

Types of mushrooms

The mushroom group is one of the most complex in its composition, as it combines mushrooms that belong to different genera and families.

Note: Scientists refer to honey mushrooms not only those mushrooms that grow on stumps and dead or damaged wood, but also those that grow simply in the grass and on the forest floor.

As a rule, mushroom pickers collect the most famous species that are not only edible, but also great for salting and freezing. In addition, the collection can be started already in early spring when other types of mushrooms are not yet ripe. Most often, mushroom pickers pay attention to species that grow seasonally (winter, summer, autumn). Consider their characteristic features.

More information about the main types is presented in the video.

Description

The most recognizable are winter, spring and summer. Since there are many types of them, we will give a description and photos of the main varieties.

You can recognize the winter variety by its characteristic features.:

• A smooth honey-colored hat, which has a hemispherical shape in young mushrooms and prostrate in mature ones;
• Cream color of plates;
• The pulp has a pleasant taste;
• The absence of scales characteristic of other species and a ring on the leg.

Summers are easy to recognize in wet weather by their sticky hat, which in high humidity conditions takes on a two-tone color (light brown middle and dark edges).

In dry weather, you should pay attention to other characteristic features.:

• Small scales and a ring on a thin stem;
• Creamy slabs Brown;
• A layer of brown spore powder, waking up from old mushrooms on plants of the lower tier.

To distinguish between young and mature specimens, you need to pay attention to the shape of the cap. In a young specimen, it is small in size and convex in shape, covered with a film in its lower part. The older the mushroom becomes, the flatter the cap becomes, and the film turns into a ring on the leg.

Spring, on the contrary, in wet weather have a cap, dark in the center, and light along the edge. Just like the winter ones, they lack scales and a ring on the stem, and the spore powder is creamy white in color.

Autumn cardinally differ from all previous ones and differ in the following characteristic features:

• A mature mushroom has a fairly large cap (10-15 cm in diameter)
• The color of the cap is gray-yellow or yellow-brown.
• A distinct ring on the stem of the mushroom.
• Availability a large number small scales on the surface of the cap and stem in young specimens.
• White spore powder.
• The plates change color from white-yellow in young specimens to creamy brown in mature specimens.
• The pulp of the mushroom has a pleasant smell and taste.

Characteristic

The winter species is interesting in that it begins to bear fruit at the end of September and, during a warm winter, can even grow under the snow (Figure 2). As a rule, it grows on deadwood or on stumps of deciduous trees. And although in scientific literature he is attributed to conditionally edible mushrooms, winter is considered one of the most delicious among other species. In addition, this species is great for growing at home.

From April until the end of October, summer varieties can be found on stumps and rotten wood of deciduous trees. In mountainous areas, these fungi also settle on coniferous plants.

Spring mushrooms do not have a special nutritional value, therefore they are used as an addition to other mushrooms during the preparation of dishes from them. They can grow on both rotten wood and forest floor.

Winter varieties have good taste. It is eaten both freshly cooked and dried. Detailed description winter views with a photo will be given below.

Figure 2. External features of winter species

It differs from other species in the shape of the cap, which in young mushrooms has a convex shape, and in mature ones it is flat. It is colored yellow-brown, which darkens from the edges to the center. To the touch - smooth and slimy, shiny when dried. The mushroom stands on a dense rigid leg, which has a yellow color at the cap, and dark brown at the base. On the leg there are thin yellowish plates. The pulp has a slight mushroom smell and tastes good. The spore sac is creamy white, the spores are colorless.

Winter varieties grow on dead wood, on stumps in hollows of deciduous, less often coniferous trees. Massively found from mid-autumn to early winter, and when warm winters- also in January and February under the snow.

Summer mushrooms: photo and description

The name "summer" speaks for itself, because this species can be found already at the beginning of summer, and they bear fruit until October. If you want to collect them, look for rotten wood and damaged hardwoods, especially birch (Figure 3).

The summer variety is interesting for its variability, because its appearance depends on the weather. For example, in wet weather, the cap is darker along the outer edge, and much lighter in the center. In young mushrooms, it is colored yellowish-brown, and in old ones it is rusty-brown. In dry and hot weather, the hat loses its distinctive two-color features. Another clue in the search will be the brown layer of spore powder that covers the plants of the lower tier.

Figure 3 Appearance summer varieties and their places of growth

It is important to know that, due to its variability summer look often similar to some poisonous mushrooms. Among them are those that grow on coniferous trees. Therefore, remember that it is better to avoid gathering on coniferous stumps or in coniferous forests in order to maintain your health and the health of your loved ones.

Autumn: photo and description

Autumn mushrooms are the most popular among mushroom pickers due to their taste (Figure 4). They can be boiled, fried, salted, dried, marinated. You can harvest from mid-summer until October. They grow not only on dead trees, but also on living ones, preferring deciduous varieties, especially birch.

Note: It is the autumn varieties that cause the night glow of the stumps.

Since this species bears fruits at about the same time as the summer ones, it can be extremely difficult to distinguish between them. Therefore, it is so necessary for a novice mushroom picker to know the main points that help to distinguish different types and know exactly where the autumn mushrooms grow.

Figure 4. Where to collect autumn mushrooms and how they look

First, you should pay attention to the size of the cap: in autumn it is much larger in diameter (5 - 10 cm, sometimes up to 15 cm). In addition, the color of the cap is always calm: from light brown to dark brown, without differences from the center to the edges. The surface of the cap and stem is covered with many scales. Finally, the spores of mature specimens are painted white, so their caps appear moldy, although in reality they are a spore coating.

Spring mushrooms: photo and description

Spring varieties do not represent any nutritional value, so mushroom pickers do not pay too much attention to them. These mushrooms grow both on decaying trees and on the forest floor (Figure 5). You can meet them in deciduous and coniferous forests from mid-May to late autumn. Young specimens have a hemispherical cap, which straightens out with age.

Figure 5. External features of spring varieties

Just like the summer one, the spring one changes the color of the cap depending on the humidity of the air. So, after rain, the center of the cap acquires a brownish color, which, closer to the edge, turns into waxy white. In dry weather, the color becomes uniform. The mushroom has a mild odor and an indistinguishable taste. The stalk is thin, cylindrical, often pubescent at the base.

Meadow mushrooms: photo and description

In our country, meadow species can only be found in the Caucasus and Primorye. They grow in open spaces: fields, meadows, pastures, forest edges. You can harvest from the end of May, when constant heat is established, and until mid-October. Only the caps of this mushroom are suitable for use in food, the legs are too hard (Figure 6).

Figure 6. External features of edible meadow varieties

Among the external signs, an ocher, red-brown or yellowish cap is distinguished, which becomes sticky and sticky in conditions of high humidity. Its edges are uneven, almost transparent. The mushroom rests on a velvety tortuous leg, covered with a small powdery coating. The smell of the mushroom is reminiscent of cloves or bitter almonds. The color of the pulp does not change when exposed to air and remains white or yellowish.

Royal mushrooms: photo and description

This species is so different large sizes which is called royal. Indeed, the cap can reach a diameter of 20 cm, while the height of the mushroom itself is 15-20 cm. Unlike other edible species, these varieties grow one at a time, and not in whole colonies (Figure 7). They prefer deciduous forests, settle both on living trees and on stumps and deadwood. Appear before the autumn cold snap.

Note: Young specimens have a golden hue that fades as the fungus matures to a dirty yellow or rusty color. The surface of the caps is covered with well-marked brown scales.

The royal mushroom looks disproportionate, since its leg is rather thin compared to the cap, it is also covered with scales, but they are not so noticeable. The flesh of a young mushroom is light, but it ages, turning yellow, and in the stem it becomes brown.

Figure 7. Features of royal honey mushrooms

Royal species are rich in trace elements and amino acids, and in terms of phosphorus and calcium content they can compete with fish. They are used to prepare a variety of dishes: soups, pie fillings, vegetable stews, etc. They are great for salting and spice up salads. They are used to prepare tinctures for the treatment diabetes and thrombophlebitis, and also used to prevent the appearance and growth of tumors.

From the video you will learn what mushrooms look like and how to collect them correctly.

How to recognize edible mushrooms and what types of mushrooms exist.

Edible and inedible mushrooms - how not to be mistaken, what places are “preferred for habitation” and how to grow a crop of mushrooms in a summer cottage? Read about it in the article.

Varieties of edible mushrooms: description, photo, when they appear, on which stumps they grow

The name of the mushrooms "honey mushrooms" in Latin means "bracelet". The colonies of forest dwellers really resemble decoration on old wood due to the peculiar form of growth.

• Honey mushrooms often fall into the baskets of mushroom pickers who go on a quiet hunt in the forests of central Russia. Mushroom pickers love them because they can diversify the summer menu with mushrooms: mushrooms are one of the ingredients of soups, they are salted, dried mushrooms are harvested for the winter, and fried.
• You can find a bunch of mushrooms in the summer on stumps, in damp places in the forest. Mushrooms grow on the bark of trees. Mushrooms like deciduous and coniferous trees. The spores of the fungus can also be chosen by dead woods - parts of the forest that are difficult for a person to reach.
• Thickets of honey mushrooms will provide the hunter for a forest delicacy with a plentiful meal, because mushrooms grow in colonies. One overgrown family of honey mushrooms can replenish the stocks of a lover of quiet hunting for 10 kg of product, and in a week a new crop of mushrooms will grow in the same place. You can collect mushrooms before winter.
• Since the legs have no nutritional value, only the caps are cut off when harvesting. So that the dish does not taste bitter, mushrooms are pre-boiled slightly.

You can find a bunch of mushrooms in the summer on stumps, in damp places in the forest

How not to confuse summer mushrooms with poisonous mushrooms and protect your family from health problems? After all, not everyone has extensive experience hunting for mushrooms.

At summer mushrooms, with which you can safely diversify the menu:

• thin-walled yellowish-brown hat (at the initial stage of growth, its outer edges can fold inward)
• caps grow up to 8 cm in diameter
• under the hat you can see the cobweb cover
• the cap of a young honey agaric is not flat on top, but has a bulge in the center (than older mushroom, the less convexity)
• the surface of the cap is covered with water circles
• if you turn the cap of an edible honey agaric, you can see plates of white or rusty brown color
• the older the mushroom, the darker and more contrasting the shade of the plates appears (the intensity of the color depends on the degree of maturation of the spore powder inside the plates, which is red-brown in the mature state)
• the length of the mushroom stem can be 8 cm, but the diameter is invariably thin - up to 0.5 cm
• the leg is brown, the ring on it is also brown
• scales under the ring

What is the difference between good mushrooms and their inedible counterparts?

• In order not to worry and not risk your well-being, you need to know the signs of mushrooms that are not suitable for eating. After all, poisonous brothers have excellent disguise.
  For example, while hunting for mushrooms, a sulfur-yellow false honey agaric can be found. The body of the fungus is bright yellow and without scales.
• The plates inside the cap of the gray-lamellar pseudo-burr turn from whitish at a young age to bluish-gray. This is not typical for edible mushrooms. The mushroom is not included in the group of poisonous species, but it should be boiled beforehand.

The mushroom family includes the following mushrooms:

• gray
• pine mushrooms
• honey mushrooms red
• honey mushrooms dark
• mushrooms with pimples
• meadow
• Assumption
• Chinese
• winter
• autumn
• summer
• spring mushrooms
• thick-legged mushrooms
• mucous mushrooms
• honey agaric garlic

Honey agaric thick-legged

Honey agaric brick red

The common name "honey mushrooms" we call different families and genera of mushrooms, of which there are 34 species. Of these, only 22 species have been classified. Some of the representatives of these mushrooms "settle" in open areas, in the grass, confusing inexperienced mushroom pickers.

Since edible representatives of honey mushrooms are of interest, there is more information about them.

Consider the most common forms:

• A representative of this species takes root on damaged deciduous trees. Colonies of mushrooms grow on dead parts of wood, choosing willow or poplar for settlement. You can find these mushrooms on the banks of the stream, in the garden. Inhabited by forest dwellers and the city park.
• A good harvest can be harvested in autumn. Sometimes winter honey agaric adapts to germinate under the snow. Mushroom cap, 10 cm in diameter, flat yellow or orange-brown. Young mushrooms have a flat hat, it has a lighter shade along the edges, and the middle is darker.

Mushroom mushroom autumn

• Many types of trees are suitable for the germination of the spores of this honey agaric. there are about 200 of them. Sometimes the fungus sprouts even on potatoes. At night, you can watch an interesting sight: due to the fact that a large "mushroom family" is often located on stumps, they are beautifully illuminated.
• Ideal conditions for the growth of the fungus in damp forests are birch, aspen stumps, dead wood of elm and alder.
• Mushrooms can be collected from last month summer to the cold winter months, unless the air temperature drops below 10 degrees. autumn honey agaric has an impressive size compared to its counterparts.
• The diameter of the hat is 17 cm, and the legs are 10 cm. The hat is greenish-olive or dark brown. Wavy edges can be observed in adult representatives of the mushroom family. The surface of an immature mushroom is covered with scales. But there are very few of them. As the fungus grows, these scales disappear.

• Most often, summer honey agaric falls into the basket. They begin to collect it from the end of March. You can bring home the harvest of these mushrooms until the last winter month.
• The summer apricot grows in the forests. A dense family grows on rotten stumps. Trees with obvious damage are suitable for the growth of the fungus.
• The dimensions of the summer honey agaric are more modest: the hat is 6 cm in diameter, the leg is 7 cm.
• Adult mushrooms are distinguished by the presence of a wide tubercle on the surface of the cap. Hats growing in damp areas are brown, translucent. Mushrooms growing in a dry place have honey-yellow, matte caps. There are grooves along the edges of the caps. Mushrooms can produce crops all year round.

Video: Summer honey agaric (Kuehneromyces mutabilis)

The specifics of cooking mushrooms

• Mushrooms should be boiled before cooking. Cooking, the duration of which can vary from 30 minutes to an hour, will relieve the toxicity inherent in mushrooms.
• Boiling time is determined by size fruit bodies mushrooms.
• How larger mushrooms the longer the heat treatment takes.

How to pre-boil mushrooms:

• mushrooms are put on fire and when the water boils, it must be drained
• then you need to cook in a pre-boiled new portion of water

Video: How are mushrooms different from each other? Comparison among themselves

False mushrooms: description, photo

Behind good mushroom You can take his doppelgänger. These are the so-called false mushrooms.

For a good mushroom, you can take his double

Signs of an inedible honey agaric:

• hat bright color(a good mushroom has a hat of a muted shade and there are scales on it in young mushrooms)
• plates of a bad fungus are yellow, greenish, olive-black
• the double of the edible honey agaric has only the remains of a ring on the stem

Video: inedible mushrooms - false gray-yellow honey agaric

• Of particular danger is the brick-red false foam. It can be found on deadwood, on a rotten stump, and can also grow on flat terrain. The mushroom has a spherical cap, by which it is easy to "calculate" it during the harvest of mushrooms. The hat has flakes hanging down the edges of the bedspread. The mushroom has no smell.
• All false mushrooms differ in shades of the inner plates located under the cap. They can range from dark to sulphur-yellow or black-olive. Cream-colored plates of good mushrooms. False mushrooms grow in large groups.

How to determine, distinguish edible mushrooms from false mushrooms?

• A bad mushroom, unlike a good mushroom, does not have a ring - a lamellar skirt that is under the hat. On the leg you can see the remains of the bedspread.
• If the mushroom is in doubt, then it is better to throw it away immediately. Send mushrooms to the basket only if you are sure that they are edible, and if in doubt or if you find one of the signs poisonous mushroom, then give up the idea to replenish your “mushroom catch” with it.

What other differences exist:

• a good mushroom has a pleasant mushroom aroma, and a false one exudes an unpleasant earthy or no smell at all
• the hat of a bad mushroom is brightly and loudly colored, the hat of a good mushroom is an unsightly light brown color
• the caps of good mushrooms have small scales, while poisonous mushrooms have a smooth cap (however, the scales disappear with time and the caps of edible mushrooms also become smooth)
• turning the cap of an inedible mushroom over, you can see that its plates are yellow if the mushroom is young, or greenish, olive-black if the mushroom is old (plates of good mushrooms are cream-colored or yellowish-white)
• false mushrooms with a bitter taste, but you should not start assessing the taste of the fungus that you doubt (other, more obvious signs are enough)

For an experienced mushroom picker, it will not be difficult to distinguish a good mushroom from a bad one. But if you are a beginner mushroom picker, then it is better to look for a skirt on the mushroom leg.

How to determine the difference between edible mushrooms and grebes?

• The white and greenish hue of the body of the fungus is the main sign of the toadstool. The appearance of a forest dweller may well correspond to the description of an edible mushroom. An experienced mushroom picker will immediately recognize such a disguise.
• In the container in which the mushrooms are boiled, you should throw the onion. If she quickly acquired blue color, then all forest production is not suitable for food.
• A mushroom with an olive or mother-of-pearl tint can be poisonous. It is better not to take risks and immediately abandon the intention to replenish your catch in a basket.

Can there be mushroom poisoning with mushrooms, and what are the symptoms?

• Poisoning occurs mainly due to ignorance of the types of forest guests or due to improper preparation of edible mushrooms. The degree of intoxication also depends on which mushrooms were eaten.
• Those who independently collect mushrooms and prepare them need to know how to determine poisoning and what kind of medical assistance should be provided to the victim.

Mushrooms are divided into several groups:

• Edible: these mushrooms can be eaten without prior boiling (mushrooms)
  partially safe mushrooms require special treatment before cooking to remove toxic substances: soaking, boiling, drying, additional boiling (if this step is ignored, then poisoning cannot be avoided) (false mushrooms)
• Inedible mushrooms may be poisonous or have an unpleasant taste, smell (gall mushroom)

In false mushrooms, the pulp contains a white liquid. It is called burning juice. In addition, a bad mushroom differs from an edible mushroom with a brighter hat orange color and thinner hemp.

Video: How to recognize mushroom poisoning?

Signs of poisoning:

• intoxication manifests itself after 1 hour or within 6 hours
• malaise resembles food poisoning: a person begins to feel unwell, he develops nausea, vomiting, diarrhea may begin
• possible discomfort or pain in the abdomen
• if the poisoning is mild, then after a few days recovery occurs

From poisoning with false mushrooms, death does not occur, but it is possible serious problems due to dehydration, gastroenteritis.

Intoxication appears after 1 hour or within 6 hours

• If signs of poisoning are found, one should not hesitate to call an ambulance. After all, it is necessary to avoid the penetration of harmful toxic substances into the blood.
• After the milk juice of mushrooms enters the liver, the patient's condition worsens.

Video: Mushroom poisoning! Symptoms and First Aid!

First aid is as follows:

• it is necessary to avoid dehydration and help get rid of the symptoms of poisoning
  should induce vomiting after drinking large amounts of warm boiled water and pressure on the root of the tongue
• it is also necessary to wash the stomach for those who have eaten the same mushrooms, but there are no signs of poisoning until the symptoms become noticeable
• dehydration can be detected by a change in the color of the urine: it becomes dark, as well as by a decrease in trips to the toilet or the absence of such
• the patient should be provided with plenty of fluids, it is better if it is water
• if diarrhea or vomiting has already begun, then sports drinks (not energy drinks) will help here
• the patient can eat vegetables, chicken broths, which will provide the necessary replenishment of water and useful substances
• do not drink diarrhea remedies (diarrhea removes toxins from the body)
• the patient is better to reduce physical activity sleep more so that the body recovers faster

Remember that first aid is not a substitute for treatment. For dehydration that you can't manage on your own, you need to see a doctor.

Video: ALL ABOUT MUSHROOMS POISONING

When do mushrooms appear and how much do autumn, winter, spring and summer mushrooms grow in the forest?

See below in the picture the calendar for collecting different mushrooms by month.

How to grow honey mushrooms in the country?

• Contrary to popular belief that mushrooms germinate better in the forest, growing them in the country is not a fantastic undertaking.
• From fertile soil, brought to the site, humus, extracted somewhere in the forest, mushroom spores fall into the ground. However, the annual digging of the site breaks the mycelium and it eventually dies without having time to germinate.

How to get a crop of mushrooms in the country?

• allocate a site for mushrooms (wet, with a shadow)
• prepare mushroom mycelium (in our case, mushrooms) and “settle” mushrooms on a future mushroom plantation.

First stage: site preparation:

• for the germination of mushrooms, a stump is needed, therefore we stock up on old, rotten birch wood (suitable trees: beech, hornbeam, alder, aspen, oak)
• choose wood (stump length - 20-30 cm) with chips and crevices to facilitate the process of rooting spores on the stump
• if there are no chips, then we make longitudinal notches with an ax
• the selected hemp is immersed in water for 1-2 hours
• we dig in hemp on the future mushroom plantation (completely or only part of the hemp, we bury the wood vertically or lying on our side)

Cooking mycelium:

• we find overgrown mushrooms in the forest, which have large and wet hats
• immerse mushrooms in soft ground water
• leave for a couple of hours
• stir the mixture well
• stumps and logs dug in the area are treated with a liquid with fungal mycelium
• do not throw away the hats, but lay them on top of the treated areas of wood
• we cover the hats with hemp trimming (you can use moss from the forest or rotted sawdust for this)
• when it's hot outside, we moisten the area so that it always remains damp
• waiting for the first harvest. it is usually possible to collect mushrooms from a prepared site only 2-3 years after planting.

Video: Garden head - How to grow mushrooms in a summer cottage