False boletus: what does it look like and how to distinguish it from an edible mushroom? Boletus and boletus: false boletus, how to distinguish different types of mushrooms

Boletus, also known as aspen or redhead - the combined name of various types of mushrooms of the genus Leccinum (lat. Leccinum) or Obabok.

The mushroom got its name due to the close connection of its mycelium with, because it is in aspen forests that mushrooms are most often found. And also because of the clear similarity of the color of the hats with the autumn color of aspen foliage.

Boletus - photo and description. What does a boletus look like?

All types of boletus are characterized by a bright color of the cap, a stocky leg and a dense structure of the fruiting body.

The diameter of the cap, in accordance with the species, can be from 5 to 20 (sometimes 30) cm. young age almost all types of redheads are distinguished by a hemispherical shape of the cap, which tightly compresses the top of the leg. The cap of a young red mushroom looks like a thimble, dressed on a finger. As the boletus grows, the hat acquires a convex pillow-like shape, in completely overgrown mushrooms it is noticeably flattened. The skin covering the cap is usually dry, sometimes velvety or felty, in some species hangs from the edge of the cap and is not removed in most mushrooms.

The high (up to 22 cm) leg of the boletus has a distinctive, club-shaped shape with a pronounced thickening at the very bottom. The surface of the leg is covered with small scales, often brown or black.

The porous layer under the cap, characteristic of all members of the Boletaceae family, has a thickness of 1 to 3 cm and can be pure white, grayish, yellow or brown.

The photo shows that the boletus turns blue on the cut

Redhead mushrooms have mostly smooth spindle-shaped spores, and the color of the powder obtained from mushroom spores can be ocher-brown or olive-brown. The pulp of the cap of the red mushroom is fleshy, elastic, with a dense structure, in the stem it is distinguished by a longitudinal arrangement of fibers. Initially, the pulp of the boletus is white, but on the cut it immediately turns blue, and then turns black.

The boletus mushroom is one of the most common mushrooms, a favorite of mushroom pickers throughout the temperate forest zone of Eurasia and North America. Each species of boletus has one or more mycorrhizal partner trees of a certain species, with the roots of which it is in close symbiosis. Thus, aspen mushrooms grow not only under aspens, but also under other trees: firs, birches, oaks, beeches, poplars, willows.

Redhead mushrooms often grow in small groups, but are often found singly. They prefer moist, low-lying deciduous and mixed forests, shady thickets, they are found on sprouts overgrown with grass, blueberries and ferns, in moss and along roadsides. forest roads.

When do boletus grow?

Boletus bears fruit at different times:

spikelets grow from the end of June and the first week of July, but do not differ in abundance. TO given period fruiting include yellow-brown boletus, white boletus. These are the first aspen mushrooms that appear in the forest.
stubblers begin to appear from mid-July, bear fruit until August-September and are distinguished by a rich harvest. These types of mushrooms include black-scaled boletus, red boletus, and oak boletus.
deciduous appear from mid-September and are characterized by a long period of fruiting, up to October frosts. Until mid-autumn, the pine redhead and spruce redhead grow well, because the coniferous litter in the place of their growth is quite for a long time protects mycelium and already grown mushrooms from the cold.

Types of boletus - photos and names.

Most types of boletus are edible and taste equally good. But for a more interesting mushroom hunt, it does not hurt to know the differences and individual characteristics of the varieties of these mushrooms:

Boletus red(lat. Leccinum aurantiacum)- an edible mushroom, unlike other types of redheads, does not gravitate towards a specific mycorrhizal partner, but is in symbiosis with the most different types deciduous trees: aspen, poplar, willow, birch, beech, oak. The cap diameter is from 4 to 15 cm (sometimes up to 30 cm). The leg grows up to 5-15 cm and has a thickness of 1.5 to 5 cm. The color of the boletus cap can be red, red-brown or bright red. The skin is smooth or slightly velvety, tightly adjacent to the pulp. The surface of the stem consists of gray-white scales that turn brown as the fungus grows. On the cut, the red boletus turns blue, and then blackens. Mushrooms grow in groups or singly in deciduous and mixed forests, especially abundant in young aspen growth, as well as along ditches and forest paths. The red boletus is distributed throughout the Eurasian territory; in the tundra it grows under dwarf birch trees. It is found throughout the European part of Russia, as well as in the Caucasus, Siberia and Far East. The picking season for boletus is from June to October.

Boletus yellow-brown (red-brown) (different-skinned boletus)(lat. Leccinum versipelle)- edible mushroom, forms mycorrhiza with. Aspen mushrooms grow in lowland forest belts with a predominance of birch and aspen, in spruce-birch forests, as well as in pine forests in all areas with a temperate climate. The diameter of the cap is usually 5-15 cm, but can reach up to 25 cm. The leg of the yellow-brown boletus is high, up to 8-22 cm, about 2-4 cm thick. The cap is painted sandy-orange or yellowish-brown. The dry skin of young mushrooms often hangs from the edge of the cap. The leg is white or grayish, covered with granular brown scales, which turn black with age. Most often grows singly. The cut pulp of the boletus becomes pink, then blue, with a clear purple tint, sometimes turns green in the stem. The collection time of boletus is from June to September. Sometimes red-brown boletus grows until the end of autumn.

Boletus white(lat. Leccinum percandidum)- edible mushroom, grows in wet, coniferous forests with an admixture of birch, in dry seasons - in aspen thickets. The cap of a young mushroom is white, becomes grayish-brown with age, often reaches 20-25 cm in diameter. The pulp of the boletus is strong, on the cut the boletus turns blue and then blackens. The leg is high, creamy white, covered with light scales. White boletus - enough rare view, found in the vicinity of Moscow, St. Petersburg, Murmansk and Penza, as well as in Chuvashia, Komi, Siberia, the Baltic countries, in western Europe and in North America. White boletus grows from June to September.

Red-headed oak (oak oak)(lat. Leccinum quercinum)- edible mushroom, outwardly very reminiscent of common boletus and is in close mycorrhizal contact with the roots. The diameter of the hat is from 8 to 15 cm. The stem grows up to 15 cm with a thickness of up to 1.5-3 cm. The color of the hat is coffee-brown with an orange tint. The leg is covered with small red-brown scales. Oak aspen mushrooms grow both in the summer months and in autumn in any forest area temperate climate northern hemisphere.

Boletus painted-legged(lat. Harrya chromapes, Tylopilus chromapes, Leccinum chromapes)- an edible mushroom, belongs to the genus Harrya and is very different from the rest of the redheads. The hat is flat or convex with a characteristic pinkish color. The leg is covered with red or pink scales. The white-pink color of the upper part of the stem smoothly turns into ocher-yellow at the base. This type of boletus can be found in eastern North America, in Costa Rica, in countries East Asia. Forms mycorrhiza with deciduous and coniferous trees. Insects are very fond of this edible mushroom, so it is often wormy. The collection time of boletus is from late spring to late summer.

Pine redhead(lat. Leccinum vulpinum)- an edible mushroom, differs from its counterparts in a red-brown hat with a bright dark crimson hue. As a mycorrhizal partner, he also prefers bearberry. A dry velvety hat has a diameter of up to 15 cm or more. The length of the leg reaches 15 cm, the thickness is up to 5 cm. The leg of the redhead is covered with small, brownish scales. The cut pulp of the boletus first turns blue, then blackens. A fairly common species, but less common than red boletus, with which it is often confused. Pine redheads grow in damp coniferous forests throughout temperate zone in European countries.

Boletus blackscale (lat. Leccinum atrostipiatum)- edible mushroom. The cap of the mushroom is red-orange, dark reddish or brick red. The young mushroom has a dry and slightly velvety, semicircular shape. Later it becomes smooth, cushion-shaped, 4-12 cm in diameter. The 13-18 cm high leg is covered with reddish scales. The pulp of the boletus is firm, white, at a break it immediately changes color to purple or gray-black.

Spruce redhead(lat. Leccinum piceinum)- an edible mushroom with a hat of a rich brownish-chestnut color. The skin of the cap slightly hangs over its edge, the stem in the form of a cylinder is covered with light brown scales and slightly expands towards its base. The diameter of the cap is 3-10 cm. The flesh is dense, white, forming dark spots at the break. The length of the leg is 8-14 cm, the thickness of the leg is 1.5-3 cm. Spruce aspen mushrooms grow in groups, are found in coniferous forests (usually under), oak forests, mixed plantings. Aspen mushrooms can be collected from July to October.

Mushroom boletus is widely eaten and grows in different climatic conditions. It has excellent taste in different options conservation.

This is the closest relative of the white fungus, which differs from it in grayish or black small scales on the stem.

Experienced mushroom pickers, after picking and drying, carefully look at the state of the cut on the mushroom. If over time it darkens, this means that this mushroom is edible.

Where and when do birch trees grow

The name of the fungus is associated with the formation of microrhiza with birch, occasionally with aspen or pine. Therefore, wherever birch groves or individual trees mixed with other species grow, this type of mushroom can grow.

To find a boletus in the forest, you must remember that this mushroom does not like direct sunlight. It hides in bushes, tall grass or under a layer of fallen leaves.

Therefore, to find young individuals, you need to look closely. Or rake grass and dry leaves with a stick.

Boletus boletus appears around July and continues to grow until autumn months. rainy summer may contribute to the earlier emergence of fungi.

According to observation, each individual adds 4 cm in height per day. 6 days after emergence, it becomes too old to eat. Therefore, mushroom pickers try to go to the forest the next morning after the rain in search of young boletus.

What does a boletus look like

Poisoning poisonous mushrooms can become fatal due to their high toxicity of the substances they release. Therefore, a novice mushroom picker should remember the main features of the mushroom they need: a hat can reach 15 cm in diameter and its color can range from gray to black, including spotted and gray-brown.

The legs of the boletus necessarily have thickenings and scales. The tubular layer of the fungus depends on age: from white in young animals to dirty brown in mature ones. The pulp of the mushroom is white or pale pink without a pronounced taste and smell.

The one who went to the forest for the first time needs to take a photo of boletus mushrooms in order to visually compare the found individual with the sample in case of doubt.

Depending on the area, the boletus may have a slightly different appearance. For example, in moist deciduous forests, mushrooms on a thin stem of olive or brown color are considered boletus.

In dry forests they have thick, scaly legs. In these cases, edibility is determined by dense and aromatic pulp. Separately, a swamp boletus with greenish hats, on thin legs with watery pulp, is isolated.

Types of mushrooms of the boletaceae family

Where does such an external variety of boletus come from? There are several varieties of this mushroom:

The cap of the common boletus has a semi-convex shape. The leg is whitish, cylindrical, with pronounced scales, 4 cm in diameter and 17 in length, at the cut point it begins to turn pink.

The gray boletus has an alternative name for the hornbeam. Its cap is brown in color, and the yellowish flesh, when broken, begins to turn blue (to a purple hue) and then blacken. Longitudinal fibers are clearly visible on the stem.

The marsh boletus, which loves wet places, is distinguished by a brown hat and a light leg. To check the mushroom for edibility, break the leg: it should not turn blue.

Despite their bright color (from pink to bright orange and brown), multi-colored boletus is not very popular among mushroom pickers. The reasons for this are not very pleasant taste and difficulties in cooking.

Black boletus stands out among its relatives due to the corresponding color. Large tubules in the porous layer and black scales on the legs are its distinguishing features.

Properly cooked black boletus will be a worthy decoration of any table.

The pinking boletus is found in North America and Europe. It is named so for the peculiarity of the pulp, which begins to turn pink in the fault zones.

White boletus is distinguished by the corresponding color of the cap and creamy flesh. This species is so unpretentious that it can be grown in the garden.

Harsh boletus grows in mixed forests. It is distinguished by a hat in a palette from gray to pale purple on a high leg. This species is loved by mushroom pickers, since the hard pulp is not very attractive to worms. And the sweetish taste of the mushroom makes it a great addition to the dinner table.

To navigate in such a variety of boletus mushrooms, the mushroom picker needs to take into account some features.

First, it is necessary to take into account the area and what types of mushrooms grow there. Secondly, it does not hurt to take a photo of a birch boletus with you, so as not to confuse an edible mushroom with its double.

The benefits of boletus

In addition to salting, these mushrooms are fried, pickled or dried. They are used as an addition to a side dish, an appetizer on a festive table or a component in a soup.

Due to the presence of vitamins and nutrients, boletus can help regulate blood sugar and eliminate toxins, improve skin and hair, and calm the nervous system.

And due to their low calorie content, these mushrooms are considered a dietary product.

However, too frequent use of mushroom dishes is contraindicated, because due to their slow absorption, a person may develop problems with the gastrointestinal tract. And in order to preserve the useful properties of the product, mushrooms should not be stored in galvanized containers.

How to identify false boletus

In conclusion, we will consider an important question for a novice mushroom picker: how to distinguish a real boletus from its double?

In order not to be mistaken, you should remember a few simple rules. Firstly, boletus do not like light. If you saw similar mushroom growing in open space, this is a cause for doubt.

Secondly, false boletus usually tastes bitter, so the worms do not eat them. Examine the mushroom. If it is perfectly clean, with veins on the legs in the form of blood vessels, then most likely you are holding an inedible mushroom in your hands.

Thirdly, a proven way to determine whether it is a real boletus or not is to break the hat. Here, the false mushroom will immediately give itself away, starting to noticeably turn blue. And if after such an action the pulp has practically not changed, feel free to put the mushroom in a basket.

Photo of boletus mushroom

You can also see what a boletus mushroom looks like: photos and descriptions will allow you to create a complete impression of it.

Exist different kinds boletus mushrooms, they may differ mainly in color and growth sites. There are no taste or organoleptic differences. This article will help you figure out where boletus mushrooms grow - instructions are given for each species.

In the meantime, we offer to see what the boletus mushroom looks like in the photo illustrating the richness of mushroom species:

Mushroom boletus in the photo

White boletus mushroom and its photo

White boletus mushroom is edible, its cap is up to 3-8 cm, at first hemispherical, then cushion-shaped, later convex. Fleshy smooth, white or slightly creamy, sometimes with a bluish tint. The surface of the cap is matte, wet in the rain, but not slimy. The skin is not removed. The tubular layer is white at first, then a soft light gray. Leg 6-12 cm long, 1-3 cm thick, at first dense, later hard or even woody, white or light gray, covered with many whitish-brown scales. The pulp, pleasant to the taste, is white, or slightly greenish, does not change color on the cut, slightly graying.

Look at this boletus mushroom in the photo and continue to study the description:

White boletus mushroom
White boletus mushroom

Grows in swampy areas, in mosses. Forms mycorrhiza with birch.

Similar to the inedible gall fungus (Tyophillusfelleus), but it is bitter, firmer with white, pinkish flesh.

The white boletus, or marsh, is one of the best edible mushrooms, it surpasses in the content of digestible protein White mushroom. Worms faster than other mushrooms.

Elm boletus mushroom in the photo

The mushroom is edible. Description of the boletus mushroom: cap up to 4-10 cm, at first hemispherical, then cushion-shaped, later convex, with a wrinkled-tuberous matte surface. Fleshy smooth grey-brown, brown or dark brown. The skin is not removed. The tubular layer is white or yellow-gray. Leg club-shaped, 5-10 cm long, 3-5 cm thick, at first dense, later hard white or light gray, covered with many gray scales. The flesh is white, turning red or black-gray on the cut. Spore powder is light ocher.

The proposed description of the boletus mushroom with a photo allows you to fully identify this species from similar ones:

Grows in deciduous and mixed forests under elm, hornbeam, oak, hazel and poplar groves.
Occurs singly from July to October.

Elm boletus is tougher and less tasty than common boletus. Worms less than other boletus.

We suggest not to stop there. The following describes which boletus mushrooms still exist and how they can be distinguished.

Common boletus (Leccinum scabrum)

Common boletus (Leccinum scabrum) in the photo

The mushroom is edible. Hat up to 5-15 cm, at first - hemispherical, then cushion-shaped, later convex. Fleshy smooth, gray-brown or brown. The surface of the cap is matte, wet in the rain, but not slimy. The skin is not removed. The tubular layer is white at first, then soft grey-ocher. Leg 6-15 cm long, 2-4 cm thick, at first dense, later hard or even woody, white or light gray, covered with many black, gray or brownish scales. Pleasant to the taste, the flesh is white, does not change color on the cut, slightly gray.

Occurs from July to October. Dark and dense autumn boletus are valued, little wormy due to cold weather.

Common boletus is one of the best edible mushrooms; it surpasses the porcini mushroom in the content of digestible protein. Worms faster than other mushrooms.

Brown boletus (Leccinum variicolor)

Boletus multi-colored in the photo

The mushroom is edible. Hat up to 5-15 cm, at the beginning - hemispherical, then cushion-shaped, later convex. Fleshy smooth, gray-brown or brown-black, sometimes with light spots. The surface of the cap is matte, wet in the rain, but not slimy. The skin is not removed. The tubular layer is white at first, then soft grey-ocher. Leg 6-15 cm long, 2-4 cm thick, at first dense, later hard or even woody, white or light gray, covered with many brown, brownish scales. Pleasant to the taste, the flesh is white, does not change color on the cut, slightly gray.

Grows in self-sowing groves in the fields. Forms mycorrhiza with birch.

Occurs from July to October.

Similar to the inedible gall fungus (Tyophillus felleus), but it is bitter, firmer with a white, pinkish flesh.

Boletus multi-colored - one of the best edible mushrooms, surpasses the white mushroom in the content of digestible protein. Worms faster than other mushrooms.

Hard boletus (Leccinum duriusculum)

The mushroom is edible. Hat up to 6-18 cm, at first hemispherical, then cushion-shaped, later convex. Fleshy, firm, smooth, light brown or brown. The surface of the cap is matte, glued scales in the form of darker polygons with lighter intervals. The skin is not removed. The tubular layer is first white, then creamy yellowish. Leg 6-15 cm long, 2-4 cm thick, at first dense, later hard or even woody, white or light gray, covered with white mushrooms in young mushrooms, and brownish scales in old mushrooms. The flesh is white, on the cut it becomes honey-red, later gray-black.

It grows singly or in groups in deciduous forests, in poplar groves under white poplar and under aspen.
Occurs from July to October.

inedible and toxic doppelgangers does not have.

Compared to common boletus, the birch boletus is less wormy, but also less tasty.

Black boletus (Leccinum scabrum f. Melanium)

The mushroom is edible. Hat up to 5-9 cm, at first hemispherical, then cushion-shaped, later convex. Fleshy smooth, black, black-brown, at a young age, especially if it grows without light, gray. The surface of the cap is matte, wet in the rain, but not slimy. The skin is not removed. The tubular layer is white at first, then soft grey-ocher. Leg 6-15 cm long, 2-4 cm thick, at first dense, later hard or even woody, white or light gray, covered with many black, gray or brownish scales. Pleasant to the taste, the flesh is white, does not change color on the cut, slightly gray.

Grows in damp birch and mixed forests. Forms mycorrhiza with birch.
Occurs from July to October.

Similar to the inedible gall fungus (Tyophillus felleus), but it is bitter, firmer with a white, pinkish flesh.

Black boletus is one of the best edible mushrooms; it surpasses the white mushroom in the content of digestible protein. Worms faster than other mushrooms.

The article will talk about one of the wonderful plant inhabitants of the forests. Its name speaks directly about where it likes to grow. This is a boletus, whose favorite places of growth are forests with birches.

It should be noted that these mushrooms are included in a group belonging to one single genus- Buttercups. Their main difference from other varieties is the brownish color of the cap (of different shades).

The genus Obabok combines the most diverse, including boletus, boletus. Despite characteristics plants of each group, their common features often confuse newbies. In this regard, it is the boletus that is often called the boletus.

This article will present more detailed information about white boletus: photo, description, etc.

General characteristics of boletus

It forms boletus mycorrhiza with birch, hence its name.

These mushrooms have characteristic convex caps, the shades of which range from white to almost black. Young mushrooms have dense beautiful hemispherical caps. But as they grow, they become more loose, cushion-like.

The size reaches up to 20 cm in diameter. However, mushroom pickers often ignore such specimens, because young representatives have a richer and more delicate taste. Their legs are gray or white, covered with brownish, black or dark gray scales. The thickness of the legs is 4 cm in diameter. The young mushroom has dense, elastic pulp of white color. But some varieties at the break can change it to a pinkish tint.

Before we introduce the white boletus, we briefly describe the varieties of mushrooms in this group.

Varieties

Boletus boletus can be divided into several varieties depending on appearance and their growing conditions. In total, there are about 40 of them, but not all of them can be found in Russia. The following are the most common types:

Ordinary - the most common and most valuable in terms of addictions culinary masters. The hat has a uniform color, the leg is thickened below.
White - grows in damp places and does not differ in special productivity (white boletus).
Harsh - loves soils with sands and loams near aspens and poplars. The brown cap has pubescence, the flesh turns pink on the cut, and the leg below becomes lilac.
Swamp - fairly common in swampy wet areas. The cap has a lighter shade, the stem is thinner.
Pinking - occurs mainly in autumn in humid northern forests. The color of the cap is heterogeneous, brownish, and the flesh at the break turns pink as a result of oxidation.
Gray (hornbeam) - has the longest collection period: from spring to autumn. The hat is brown-olive and grayish with tubercles and wrinkles, a relatively short stem, the flesh becomes purple and then black when cut.

There are also black and multi-colored varieties in nature.

All these mushrooms feel great among birch trees, but they are also found in other trees. More often they grow in places well warmed by the sun, but with the soil sufficiently moist.

White boletus: photo and description

The mushroom is edible. Its hat is whitish with various shades: light gray, cream, pinkish.

The shape of the cap of a young mushroom, like that of other boletus boletus, is hemispherical in shape, at a more mature age it is cushion-shaped. Then it becomes more open. But unlike the common boletus, it rarely fully opens. The average diameter is 3-8 cm. The white and tender pulp of the mushroom does not have a special taste and smell.

In height, the white boletus reaches sizes up to 7-10 cm (it can be higher in the grass), the diameter of the leg is 0.8-1.5 cm, and it narrows closer to the hat. Its color is white, covered with scales of the same color, but with age and when they dry, they darken. The fibrous pulp of the leg of this variety of mushroom, in comparison with the ordinary boletus, is softer. At the base it acquires a bluish tint.

Beneficial features

One of the most important properties of white boletus, like all mushrooms from this group, is the ability to remove toxins due to the dietary fibers contained in it. Mushrooms are useful as an aid in the treatment of the following diseases:

diseases of the nervous system;
change in the amount of sugar in the blood;
various pathologies of the kidneys;
skin problems;
inflammation of the musculoskeletal system;
inflammation of the mucous membranes.

The pulp of the mushroom contains vitamins B and C, D, E, proteins, nicotinic acid, micro and macro elements. In addition, it is easily absorbed by the body.

Places of growth

White boletus occurs from mid-summer to early October in mixed and deciduous forests, forming mycorrhiza mainly with birch. The mushroom prefers damp places and the outskirts of swamps. It is not very rare in such places, but it does not differ in high productivity.

The youngest first mushrooms can be found in more open and sun-warmed places: glades, groves, edges. You can also find them under single trees.

The fungus of this species feels good in a variety of climatic conditions. It grows even in the tundra (near birches). The main condition is the presence of a birch root system that provides food for these mushrooms.

The white variety differs from its closely related white variety in the almost white color of the cap.

Another similar species of the same genus (Obabkovye) is the notorious white boletus. But the latter is different in that at the break it actively changes its color.

false representative

Yes, by by and large, just one mushroom is false, with which you can easily confuse not only the species described, but also other boletus, white mushroom and even butterdish. This is a gall fungus. It is dangerous and poisonous, but it is not difficult to identify it.

It is important to pay attention to the cut on the leg. The pulp of a poisonous false representative, oxidized in air, changes color from crimson and pink to cyanotic and poisonous green.

Finally

Boletus boletus with a white cap is popularly called haymakers or spikelets. This is due to the fact that they appear just at the time when haymaking begins and rye is earing in the fields.

Quite valuable in all respects, the mushroom can be harvested throughout the summer and even in autumn. And it pleases many lovers of forest walks.

If you are not sure what you are holding in your hands - false boletus or edible - better not take it in your basket

Harvesting mushrooms is a pleasant and leisurely activity. It would seem that it could be easier - walk through the forest, look for mushrooms, or a specific mushroom. But no! The job is not easy. Difficulties and dangers in the face of poisonous mushrooms are the main problem. Even the most conspicuous, well-known boletus can be easily confused with a false relative, successfully disguised as real mushroom. Inexperienced mushroom pickers, beware!

True boletus

Real boletus- a modest and at the same time solid-looking mushroom of the genus Leccinum (Obabok), therefore it is often referred to as obabok. It comes in various shades from brown to gray, depending on the region and the place of germination. Distinctive features:

White or dark gray soft cap of a muted color of the correct spherical shape, easily removed, smooth, only a little silky surface.
The leg, not very thick, widened towards the bottom, resembles the shape of a cylinder; white or dark gray dense longitudinal scales are drawn on it.
A slightly curved leg is a characteristic characteristic of a true obabka.

The first half of summer (end of May-June) is the time of the appearance of the first boletus. Favorable weather for mushroom growth, moist soil in deciduous forests and plantings, sun-warmed air create optimal conditions for their growth until the end of November.

Usually under a birch, forming mycosis with its roots, hence their name. Although they are sometimes found under other trees, such as aspen or poplar, or in close proximity to them. Often found in damp wetlands, gardens where birch trees grow. Tundra, beech grove, spruce plantations, mixed deciduous forests interspersed with birches in Eurasia, South and North America - wide expanses of growth of these mushrooms. Experienced mushroom pickers climb into the very depths of the forest, where they grow in groups, en masse, without wasting time looking for them at the edges, where they grow singly.

Fried, pickled, frozen, boiled, dried mushrooms - they are tasty in any form, in addition, they are also useful, because they are absorbents, accompany the removal of toxins and ballast substances from the body, and support the functioning of the kidneys. When cooked, they disintegrate, creating a light slime.

To get the true benefit from this mushroom, it is important to learn to recognize it, to distinguish it from false relatives, so that the imaginary benefit does not turn into harm. And such a deceiver is a false boletus.

Difference between real and false boletus

The real boletus is therefore called modest above, since it has a not particularly remarkable appearance, it is not striking. The false mushroom, however, is exactly the same.

A mushroom similar to a boletus is a common find in the forests of various regions of the Russian Federation. It is similar in all outward signs real boletus, which makes it difficult to accurately determine. Grows around the same time. With early frosts, it may stop growing as early as September. It mainly grows on loamy soil and sandstone, covered with a thick layer of fallen needles.

It is difficult at first glance to understand how to distinguish a false boletus from a real one, you need to conduct a whole expert assessment.

Its main distinguishing feature is bitterness.

That is why it is also called gall fungus. But the mushroom picker will not lick every suspicious mushroom. It is not poisonous, but not edible either. Bitterness is a toxin for the body. After eating the mushroom, poisoning of the digestive system occurs with accompanying nausea, diarrhea and vomiting.

Regular use of pulp, saturated with toxins that quickly penetrate into the bloodstream, leads to disruption of the liver, causes serious intoxication of the body, and can cause cirrhosis. Violation of the internal organs and systems with subsequent destruction is ensured. Moreover, the consequences will not appear immediately, but after a few weeks or months.

What does a false boletus look like? A similarly shaped gray leg with a mountain ash, the same color and shape of the cap is a successful imitation of a true boletus. One piece of mushroom is enough to completely spoil the taste of a whole pan of real boiled boletus. It will be impossible to eat such a dish, the already incredibly bitter nasty taste becomes even more pronounced after cooking.

And yet there is a secret to calculating the deceiver. Simple, a little annoying, but effective. Doubting the plucked mushroom, mushroom pickers touch the tubular surface with the tip of their tongue. Lethal outcome this does not threaten, but the feeling of obvious bitterness, followed by unpleasant sensations, will serve as a reason to throw the mushroom away.

Foreign scientists do not recommend testing this method of verification. After some time, the mushroom picker may experience slight dizziness, and through contact with the skin, toxins will enter the internal organs. You need to learn how to identify the anti-boletus visually.

Methods for determining false boletus

An inexperienced mushroom picker, having come to the forest, must try all the ways to determine deception:

At inedible mushroom you can feel the pronounced velvety surface of the cap. Real obabok, on the contrary, has a smooth hat. However, the place where the boletus grows can change its appearance both in color and in surface texture - they can be smooth and dry, a little velvety or wet even in dry weather. Old wet caps of mature mushrooms lose their shape when touched.
Bile mushrooms quite often grow in places “unusual” for boletus: oak groves and deciduous forests, rotten stumps and ditches.
The birch coloring inherent in the obabka may be absent, on the contrary, it may have streaks that look like blood vessels. Most likely it is an inedible mushroom. But even if the pattern characteristic of a real mushroom is present, a false mushroom will give out a pink under the hat or a slight greenish tint on it.
You can break the edge of the mushroom. Assess the color of the fracture. Smooth white color, darkening during drying indicates real prey, a little Pink colour at a break - a sign of falsity. Some mushroom pickers noted the fact that the color of the bottom of the hat changes when pressed on it from white-yellow to rich pink.
Worms also want to feast on real boletus. They will not eat false ones, therefore, the plucked mushroom will be perfectly even and clean, without bites. Most often, the conclusion is that the mushroom is inedible.
This boletus usually has a thin stem, because it grows very quickly or a slight thickening towards the bottom. Its domed (when young) or cushion-shaped (when mature) hat reaches no more than 15 - 18 cm in diameter. Young mushrooms are distinguished by a white tubular layer at the base, in old mushrooms this layer is gray and sticks out a little. false mushroom often large, massive, without veins in the form of tubules at a young age, in maturity it acquires a tuberous leg, and its hat straightens out, becoming like a saucer.
If the mushroom grows near a stump, ditch or other uncharacteristic place, it should not be plucked. It is better to look for another one that definitely resembles a real mushroom.

Learn to look closely at each mushroom you pick up. It is better to throw out the doubtful one than to spoil the whole basket of mouth-watering mushrooms later.

The most important differences between a false boletus and an ordinary one:

A real mushroom has a normal taste, a false one has a bitter taste.
A true boletus has a pattern similar to a birch trunk, a grid similar to blood vessels can be seen on a false one.
The lower part of the hat of a real obabka is light - white or slightly grayish, in a false one it is pinkish.
smooth gray, Brown color hats are a sign of a real mushroom, greenish is inherent in a false one.
A cut or kink in a real mushroom has a white color, a false one gives out a pinkish tint.
False - surprisingly clean, not eaten by worms mushroom, even in dry weather in the middle of summer.

A photo and description will help to identify a false boletus. A mesh or speckled leg pattern, a greenish velvet cap not characteristic of a real boletus, a pink or even bluish color at the break, large sizes, a flat, not worm-shaped surface are clear signs of an inedible mushroom. If the mushroom does not lend itself to analysis by any characteristics, it is better not to pick it at all and not touch it with your hands, and even more so, do not test your stomach and health in general. And even more so, you don’t need to pick mushrooms in contaminated areas, no matter how beautiful and safe they may seem.

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