Is it possible to eat russula. Russula mushrooms are inedible and poisonous (with photo). Where and when do russula mushrooms grow

Kira Stoletova

Russula mushroom is often found in our forests. It is harvested all summer, but the peak of productivity occurs at the beginning of autumn. There are about 270 types of russula, most of them are edible. Only a few cannot be eaten due to bitterness or poisonousness. By palatability the mushroom belongs to category III, has useful properties.

General description of the fungus

Russula is a tubular or lamellar mushroom, belongs to the order Russulovye, the Russula family, the genus Russula. It grows in the forests deciduous trees or mixed coniferous-deciduous flora. Often it is found at the bottom of ravines, edges, clearings, next to other mushrooms. It is capable of developing only in a forest ecosystem, not amenable to artificial cultivation. But some species are found even in the garden, if it is laid out next to the forest.

The distribution area covers almost the entire northern hemisphere. Mushrooms are found in Central, Western and Eastern Europe, the European part of Russia, the Caucasus, Siberia, Crimea, countries North America.

General description of russula mushroom:

Hat. In young specimens, it is spherical or resembles a bell. Then it opens and turns into a flat one. Over time, a notch appears in the center, the edges rise up or are slightly bent. The cap is covered with a thin skin, which is relatively easy to remove, tightly adhering to the pulp only in the center. Mushrooms are multi-colored, the color depends on the variety.
Records. They are located on the bottom of the cap and grow tightly with it. Mostly white (rarely a shade of ocher), with notches and pointed edges, radially diverge from the center to the edges, long and brittle.
Leg. It has the shape of a cylinder, the lower part is even, slightly narrowed, much less often thickened. Inside, at first filled, plump, hollow in old fungi. There are species in which the leg is always hollow.
Pulp. Breaks easily, brittle, dense solid or spongy. Painted in white or other light colors. When damaged, it turns pink only in some inedible varieties.
Disputes. Small, white or yellow.

Different types differ in shade, shape, but their general characteristics are similar. All of them are famous and often seen.

There are several dozen edible russula. Not all of them grow in Russia, some are rare. In most, the tops are painted in gray-green, yellow or blue tones.

food

Russula food - one of the most delicious varieties. It grows with a semicircular top, which then levels off, an indentation appears in the center. The color is brown with different shades: gray, lilac, beige, green, - there are also white mushrooms. The skin is removed by half. Under the cap, frequent light plates are clearly visible, in which club-shaped or ovoid spores ripen.

The leg is a smooth cylinder, without thickenings. The lower part is yellow-brown or the same as the hat. The middle is dense, crispy, with a slight nutty flavor.

The collection begins in the middle of summer and ends in September. Mushrooms are found in the forest with coniferous or deciduous trees. A related gray variety often grows nearby.

Bureyaya

The brown russula has a large hat up to 10 cm in diameter. From a convex one, it gradually turns into a flat and funnel-shaped one. The skin is brown, purple spots are visible. When the yard is dry, it is matte, in the rain it becomes velvety or glossy, it is easy to clean. The plates are spliced with a leg.

The leg resembles head over heels or a mace, has a hint of red carmine. At the break it becomes brown, hence the name of the fungus. The middle is plump, acquires a yellowish tone after the cut. After drying, a pronounced smell of shrimp is felt. The mushroom picker is in symbiosis with pines and fir-trees.

Bolotnaya

Swamp russula is one of the most delicious varieties. Unlike other edible varieties, it has a red hue of the cap, which becomes orange in older bodies. The top is fleshy and convex. The plates are frequent, branched, adhere to the stem. They are brown or creamy yellow.

The leg is about 10 cm, of medium thickness, resembles a spindle or a mace. Inside it is hollow, on top it is painted in pink color. Young russula mushrooms have a dense center, which becomes loose over time. The time of intensive offering falls on the end of summer and the first weeks of autumn. The species grows in deciduous and mixed forests. Mycelium grows together with the root system of oak, spruce, pine, birch.

Forked

The forked russula has a funnel-shaped hat, 5-12 cm in size. It is colored in different shades of brown, sometimes gray, yellow or greenish, with an olive speck in the middle. The plates grow densely and fall down, they are creamy, green-yellow, with small brown spots. The skin is dry on top, removed only at the edges.

The leg tapers downward, strong. After the rains, yellow spots form on it. The middle is dense, crunchy, slightly yellow when broken. It grows next to deciduous trees, ripens closer to autumn, mushrooms gather in small groups.

Brown purple

Russula brown-violet has a fleshy hat with wavy edges, funnel-shaped. The color is purple with a brown tint, sometimes burgundy. The peel is sticky in the center, becomes dry at the edges, with a matte sheen. The plates branch and grow to the stem. At first they are milky white, as the spores mature, they darken.

The stem has a thickening in the center, the base is narrow, with a yellowish tinge. The middle is loose and breaks easily. The mycelium enters into symbiosis with birches and fir-trees. Harvesting is advised at the beginning of autumn: then the mushroom grows in groups.

Blue

Azure, or blue edible, russula has a color reminiscent of amethyst. Sometimes olive, lilac shades are visible. She has a dense and thick cap, the skin is easily removed, on top it is covered with a bluish bloom similar to a cobweb. The plates are thick, branching at the base.

The leg of the russula is thickened, narrowed at the top, white, the structure changes from dense to spongy. In young mushrooms, it is covered with a velvet edge. The middle breaks easily, sweetish, without aroma. This species is found under Christmas trees in August and September.

White

Russula white, or Crimean Russula, has an average top of off-white color. In the middle it is concave, the edges are slightly wavy or straight. The lower plates are small and frequent, have a greenish tint. The leg is short and thickened, the middle is dense. Russula of this variety resemble milk mushrooms, but after cutting milk juice does not appear. It tastes like mushroom with bitterness. The variety grows among mixed trees and is harvested until early October.

Maiden

Russula girl's russula has a thin hat, flat or with a small dent in the center, edges with grooves. From above, the color of the mushroom is brick or brown-purple, fades over time. The plates grow densely, at first they are white, with time they become beige, branch near the stem and are fused with it. The skin is well removed, it becomes dirty in the rain.

The leg has the shape of a spindle or a cylinder, thick, on the cut it will acquire a dirty yellow color. The middle of the leg is spongy or dense. The flesh is fragile, turns yellow when damaged. This russula tastes sweetish, has no aroma. Grows under fir-trees, pines, beeches, oaks, fir.

blackening

The black podgruzdok, or the blackening variety, belongs to the conditionally edible group. The pulp has a slight bitterness, but is not poisonous. The cap turns from convex to flat, with a central indentation. The color is brown, then almost black, more intense in the middle. In aging mushrooms, cracks appear on the surface. The peel is sticky at high humidity, garbage, needles, fallen leaves collect on it.

The hymenophore is pink-brown, sometimes black. The plates are thickened and rare. The leg is elongated and cylindrical, first white, then brown. On the cut, the flesh becomes pink. The species grows in the forests of Western Siberia, Karelia, and is also found in Western Europe.

Greenish or scaly

Greenish or scaly at the beginning of life has a semicircular top, then catching appears in the center, the edges turn inside out. The color is green or gray-green. The skin on the periphery cracks, has small scales on top, and is easily cleaned. The plates are rare, white in young specimens, fawn in old specimens.

The leg is fleshy and dense, in the form of a cylinder. The pulp has an original nutty flavor. It is considered one of the most delicious, suitable for frying, stewing, marinating. The autumn variety appears in September, grows in a deciduous forest, prefers acidic soil.

Smelly or piggy

Smelly, valui, pig or bearberry, is considered a conditionally edible mushroom, has a bitter taste. The hat is first semicircular, then straightens. Hat color comes with purple, purple, brown, olive hues. The skin on top is covered with mucus, rough. The plates are off-white, when damaged, they secrete dark juice.

The leg is thickened, dense, with a reddish tint, which becomes gray in old mushrooms. The middle is fleshy, becomes brown on the cut. The name of the species was due to an interesting smell. Someone compares it with herring, someone the aroma resembles almonds or oatmeal. So that the pigs do not taste bitter, they are pre-soaked, then boiled in several waters. They are suitable for pickling and pickling.

Golden

A rare golden variety is found in deciduous forests. The hat from semicircular gradually turns into a flat one with a slight indentation in the center. Color in red-yellow, orange and brick tones, reminiscent of gold. The plates are rare, with branching, ocher color.

The leg is dense, voids appear in old mushrooms. The surface is rough, scaly. The shade is white, gradually turning brown. The middle is strong at first, but softens with age. There is no smell, the taste is soft, sweetish.

Almond or laurel cherry

Almond or cherry laurel has a convex hat, which in youth is concave. The color first resembles yellow ocher, then becomes brown. The plates are frequent, with sharp edges, in old age they acquire a rusty color.

The leg is cylindrical, brown below, fleshy. This russula tastes a bit burning, has a pronounced almond flavor, which is why it is called almond. The species grows in deciduous or mixed forests, the mycelium forms a symbiosis with oaks and beeches.

Inedible Russula

There are practically no truly poisonous mushrooms in the Russula genus. Some species accumulate small amounts of toxins that can cause indigestion, mucosal irritation, or acute gastritis. But fatal poisoning by these mushrooms has not been recorded.

Inedible varieties have a bitter, sometimes burning taste, and therefore are not suitable for collection and cooking. Most of the caps are bright red, when cut, the flesh acquires a pink tint. But there are exceptions.

brittle

The russula is fragile, small in size, its cap is about 6 cm in diameter, has a flat shape with a slight indentation. The color is lilac-violet with impurities of red, brown, green and gray. The skin is slimy and easy to peel. The plates are sparse, free, with notches along the edges.

The leg is in the form of a club or a cylinder, at first white in color, then turns yellow. The middle is dense, with age it becomes loose. The pulp is fragile, its color is white or yellowish. The aroma is sweet, the taste is bitter, then the mushroom and is considered inedible.

Pink

Russula pink is considered conditionally edible. By appearance resembles a distant relative - an edible russula-like hygrophor. It has a bitter taste, but it disappears after soaking and long cooking. The hat is semi-circular, without dents. Color from dark red to pale pink. The skin is dry, mucus appears only in wet weather. The plates fit snugly together, have a pink tint.

The leg is solid, has the shape of a cylinder. The middle is dense, but crumbles easily. These mushrooms are found in coniferous plantings. To get rid of the unpleasant taste, the russula is soaked in water for about 5 hours. Then it must be boiled for 1.5-2 hours, draining the water 1-2 times.

Red

Russula red, or blood red, is so named because of the bright color of the cap. It is thickened, with a hard-to-remove skin. Sometimes it will acquire lilac, purple hues, fade in old age. The plates are frequent, branch, pass to the stem, whitish at first, then acquire a creamy hue.

The leg is in the form of a cylinder, with a pink or reddish color, turning yellow in the lower part. Hollow inside. The middle is dense, pink under the very skin. The taste is bitter and acrid, has a fruity aroma. If such russula is eaten raw, it is easy to get a serious stomach upset.

Mayra

Russula Mayra, or honey, grows in many European countries, found in beech forests. The hat is not first blood red, then turns pink. The shape is spherical, then becomes convex, with a slight depression in the center. The plates are frequent, whitish in young mushrooms and creamy in old ones.

The leg is cylindrical with a slight pink tint, brown-yellow at the base. The middle is dense, reddish on breaking, has a honey-fruity smell. The taste of russula of this species is caustic, bitter and burning. It is considered poisonous, causing indigestion when raw.

Kele

Russula Kele has a purple-violet, lilac or purple hat, sometimes greenish at the edges. At first it grows in a semicircle, then it becomes flat, and after the release of spores, the edges are bent upwards. The plates are white, become dirty gray or cream with age, grow widely and adhere to the stem. The skin is removed badly, only along the edge.

Cylinder-shaped stem painted in intense pink-violet color. Above smooth, with a slight edging, the inner part is dense. The flesh is dry and brittle, purple under the skin, turning yellow when broken. The aroma is weak, with light fruity notes. The taste is bitter and acrid. The mushroom is not poisonous, but, once in the dishes, it spoils all the mushrooms.

stinging

Russula stinging is found in forests of all types. The hat is not red, semicircular in youth, then becomes flat. The plates are white, turn yellow in old age. The skin will do well. The leg has a faint pink tint, a cylindrical shape. The taste is bitter and pungent.

The species is considered slightly poisonous. The mushroom contains small doses of muscarine. No deaths have been reported after consuming this species, but it can cause serious stomach problems.

Sardonyx

The spicy sardonyx russula looks attractive, has a purple-red or red-brown hat, sometimes with a green or yellow-green tint. The shape is flat with a slight indentation, convex in young specimens. The plates are frequent, adhere to the leg and descend a little on it. The shade of the plates is bright yellow or lemon.

The stem is fusiform, sometimes cylindrical, with a spongy structure. The color of the legs is lilac or purple-pink. The middle is hard, with a yellowish tint, has a slight fruity aroma, pungent taste, causes mild poisoning when raw.

Valueform

A variety of fungus, the scalloped, has an ocher-colored hat, sometimes yellow-brown, cream or gray-brown. At first, the shape of the cap is semicircular, then it becomes flat, a bulge appears in the center. Old mushrooms are funnel-shaped. The edge is wavy, with notches. The plates are white, darken with age.

The leg is dense, solid, then becomes hollow, the color changes from white to creamy yellow. The smell is pronounced mushroom, the taste is pungent. Found in mixed and deciduous plantings, ripens in late August and September.

biliary

A variety called bile has a flat cap, painted straw yellow. The edges are slightly ribbed, the skin is sticky on top, it is cleaned only along the edge. The structure of the plates is branching, they are often located, have a light ocher color with yellowish edges.

The stem is in the form of a spindle or a club, hollow, a shade of light ocher, wrinkling in old age. The middle is white, has a smell of geranium. The taste is burning, because the representative of this family is inedible.

How to collect russula correctly

Russula is an edible fragile mushroom, it breaks easily. You need to collect it in a basket, do not put too much on top of each other. It is necessary to look for mushrooms under a tree, young specimens hide in the litter, they carefully rake it so as not to damage the hats. The stem is cut off with a sharp knife. Be sure to look at the base, so as not to be confused with poisonous mushrooms. Before putting the find in the basket, it is checked for the presence of worms. If there are a lot of them, it is better to throw away the mushroom: it will infect the rest.

How to distinguish from pale grebe

The most poisonous mushroom in our forests is death cap. She looks like a curmudgeon.

Description and distinctive features toadstools:

The young mushroom has an ovoid shape, the old hat is flat, without dents.
The color is greenish, pale yellow, yellow, yellow-green.
Leg 3-5 cm, colored like a hat, only lighter, hollow in old specimens.
In the lower part there is a characteristic ovoid pouch.
A dense ring is visible under the cap on the leg.
The flesh is odorless, it is never seen on the cut that it turns blue or yellow.

Here are a few features that you should pay attention to when differentiating the 2 types:

An edible mushroom never has a stem ring.
The stem is always thicker than that of the pale toadstool and in relation to the cap, in most edible species it is white or slightly yellowish, sometimes pink with a red cap.
There is never any thickening at the bottom.
Worms do not eat pale grebe - it is always whole.

Poisonous are not only fruit bodies toadstools, but also disputes. If a russula and a toadstool grow under a tree, it is impossible to collect an edible mushroom. Poisonous spores fall on it, and it becomes dangerous. Also avoid picking up berries that grow next to the pale grebe.

Red, green and brown, they can have quite a pleasant taste and at the same time be burning poisonous - of course, we are talking about russula.

This mushroom is divided into different types, on which its color and edible qualities depend, and during cooking it requires minimal effort, which is why it got its name.

It belongs to the kingdom of mushrooms, the class of agaricomycetes, the lamellar genus and the russula family named after him.

Russula mushroom - photo and description

Despite their diversity and individual properties of species, all russula have a similar structure and similar external characteristics, differing only in the color of the hat, which with age turns from rounded to flatter with raised fields.

Its diameter can reach up to 15 cm, and the color varies from more natural tones (green and brown) in edible mushrooms to bright and eye-catching (red) in poisonous ones.

To make it more deceptive, on the hats of some russula you can see small yellow spots, and to the touch they are completely different depending on the weather - both dry and sticky. The skin on them, as a rule, is matte and shiny, easily separated from the pulp, which is a definite plus in cooking.

However, in addition to different hats, russula also differ in the color of the legs and plates. Their color is light, ranging from white to yellow, as is the color of the spore powder. Sometimes there are pink shades, but only in poisonous individuals.

In its structure, the pulp of the russula is white, dense and slightly elastic, but with age it turns into brittle and brittle, crumbly.

Variety of species

By their nature, russula is so diverse, but at the same time similar to each other, that sometimes even experts cannot confidently attribute any mushroom to one species or another.

In total, there are 750 types of russula, which greatly complicates the matter, however, there are still criteria by which a person can navigate in the family of these mushrooms. Of course, these are external characteristics.

The color of the cap and legs, plates and spores is a rather convenient thing that instantly catches the eye, but even taking it into account, only 20-30 species are easily distinguished, while the rest have to puzzle over and resort to chemical analysis.

On the territory of Russia, you can meet about 60 representatives of the russula family.

Most people who are fond of picking mushrooms or seriously studying them divide russula into three categories:

edible;
inedible;
poisonous.

To distinguish the representatives of the last two points from the first, it is enough just to look closely and sniff.

If the cap is too bright, the color of the pulp gradually changes during cooking, and the mushroom itself exudes bad smell, it is better to bypass the suspicious object.

Where can you meet

Russula grows on most continents - you can easily find it after visiting Europe, Asia and America. More specific places, where you can easily see her colored hat, if you look closely, are just as diverse.

These mushrooms grow both in coniferous and deciduous forests, and in ordinary city parks and birch undergrowth. The greatest chances to meet russula appear in late summer and early autumn.

But in artificial conditions it is impossible to grow it because of the excessive whimsicality of each individual species to individual natural and biological conditions of existence.

Medicinal properties

In addition to pleasant taste sensations, some russula have medicinal properties. For example, extracts have a beneficial effect on blood lipids, and the properties of mycelium make it possible to produce alcohol preparations that are very helpful in certain oncological diseases.

Degree of edibility

As mentioned above, different species can be both edible and poisonous, but there is not a single russula that can cause fatal poisoning in a careless mushroom picker.

However, you should be on the lookout, as sudden vomiting, severe irritation of the mucous membranes of the oral cavity and disruption of the digestive tract are unlikely to seem like something pleasant.

In addition, it is likely that instead of a delicious russula, you will fill the basket with a very poisonous pale toadstool, skillfully disguised as it, and therefore do not take such a risk if you are overcome even by slight doubts at the sight of a suspicious green hat.

Gathering and cooking

To pick mushrooms, you will need a well-sharpened knife, as well as a basket or an enameled bucket. Under no circumstances should galvanized buckets or plastic bags be used.

When you find a mushroom, carefully cut it off, but do not uproot it - in order for the russula to continue to multiply, it is necessary to leave the mycelium in the ground intact.

Before any cooking russula must be soaked. They can be boiled, fried, stewed and salted, but they are completely unsuitable for drying.

These gifts of the forest are very diverse and tasty with the right approach to them. Bon appetit.

Russula photo

Russula in our forests a lot. However, not all of them are edible. Some types of mushroom, the name of which should be credible, can not only spoil the taste of all mushrooms fried in a pan, but also cause indigestion.

Many types of russula

Russula belong to the family Russula, kind Russula. There are many of them in almost every forest. The differences between species are so insignificant that even mycologists sometimes classify russula as a certain species only on the basis of signs known to them and chemical reactions. When determining the type, all the nuances are taken into account: “early open”, twisted or other hat, striped, tuberculate or wavy edge, whole or cracking skin, how it is separated, whether the plates emit “amber-colored drops”, whether they have “venous reticulation” or just spotty. The most important feature is even the color of the spores. Each cell of the russula is analyzed. Most mushroom pickers identify russula only by the color of the caps, which depends on the pigmentation of the skin. This unprofessional approach narrows the idea of russula.

We list just a few of the most popular species. This russula is greyish, greenish (scaly), gray, blue-yellow, green, food, marsh, yellow, red, burning-caustic, purple-red, beautiful, nondescript, kid, whole, blue (azure), brittle, related, golden yellow, golden red, brownish, bilious, forked, pale yellow, girlish, olive, lilac, black-purple, pink (Kele), fading and many others. Most of these russulas are edible. They belong to the 3rd and 4th categories. In the third category, it is customary to include mushrooms of medium taste and quality. They are harvested when there are no mushrooms of the first and second categories. The fourth category is “dumped” by those mushrooms that are edible, but do not represent any value. They are only for amateurs. It turns out that my favorite mushroom, from which you can cook a myriad of various dishes, has a very low mushroom rating. Even mushrooms have their own hierarchy.

These russulas do not need to be harvested

Russula appear in mid-summer, peaking in August and September. There are always many of these mushrooms. “Russula makes up about 45% of the mass of all mushrooms found in our forests. The best mushrooms are considered those that have less red color, but more green, blue and yellow. ("Life of plants", volume 2). Let's try to concretize this very correct remark. Let us pay special attention to the types of russula with red and red-violet hats.

Russula is burning-caustic (caustic, vomit) has a hat bright red from which the skin is easily removed. The flesh under the skin is reddish. Both the stem and the flesh of the cap are very brittle. The leg can also have a pink tint. This species can be found from July to October (and later) in deciduous and coniferous forests, in swamps. Some mycologists consider the mushroom poisonous, since its pulp can cause stomach irritation. Others classify it as inedible due to the incredibly bitter pulp. A number of reference books define russula as a conditionally edible third category (Yudin A.V.) with the proviso that it is used salted or pickled after preliminary boiling.

Blood red russula. This inedible species has a red or rose-red cap and a reddish stalk. At first the plates are white, then they become cream. The flesh of the mushroom is white, under the skin it is reddish, bitter.
Russula pink (Kele) is also inedible.

Among the inedible due to the burning bitterness of the pulp are russula reddening false, Russula Krombholtz(sweet and bitter at the same time, with prolonged cooking, the pungency disappears), ocher yellow(acrid taste) and russula dark purple(Sardinian). These are not poisonous, but very bitter mushrooms.

Russula bile considered bad because of the stinging burning taste. In autumn it is abundant in coniferous forests. This medium-sized inedible russula has an ocher-brown cap. Sometimes dirty yellow. Mucous in wet weather.

Russula marsh got into this company undeservedly. She also has a reddish skin, which is removed from the cap by 2/3 or less. This russula chooses pine forests overgrown with blueberries, peat bogs and swamps. It is also found in other forests where there is sphagnum moss. Delicious russula is often not taken, being afraid to confuse it with its counterpart, pungent russula.

Russula eaten raw

Russula blue-yellow (bruise) has peeling greenish or brownish in the middle and bluish, lilac or olive skin along the edge. I would like to call this coloring uneven. Her records are so white that they always seem clean. The pulp is very dense, under the skin it can have a purple-red hue. The leg is strong or loose inside. This species is more common in mixed, pine and birch forests. Russula blue-yellow should be attributed to universal mushrooms, which can not only be fried, boiled, salted, but also eaten raw. Previously, the mushroom is cut into pieces, sprinkled with salt and left for one day. There are lovers of raw russula who eat these russula whole, after salting the pulp with salt.

Russula that changes color when cooked

When I first brewed russula graying, then was very puzzled by the change in color of the pulp. This is a very tasty russula that grows among moss and lichen. Strong round caps of young mushrooms are reddish or orange. The taste of raw pulp can be slightly pungent. With age, the color of the skin fades and becomes an indefinite grayish hue with many spots. The attractiveness of the old mushroom disappears. Other russulas also change their color during cooking: blue-yellow, yellow and pale yellow.

Do not confuse russula with pale toadstool!

(scaly) and russula green often grow in deciduous forests. These are very tasty russula, which many mushroom pickers are afraid to confuse with pale grebe. Compare these mushrooms with pale grebe. The pale grebe has a tuber-shaped stalk at the base. The russula leg at the bottom is either straight or narrowed. Pale grebe (young) has a white film under the cap or a ring on the leg (adult). Old mushrooms may be without a ring. Sometimes on the cap of a pale grebe there are bedspreads that hang down in scales. Russula doesn't have all that. The legs of the russula are white, while those of the pale grebe are “decorated” with clearly visible greenish or yellowish streaks and veins. In addition, in adult pale grebes, the legs are disproportionately high and thin. There are many differences between these mushrooms, they are all very characteristic. However, at the slightest doubt, the mushroom should not be taken. Especially when his doppelgänger belongs to deadly poisonous mushrooms.

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Russula are fungi of the basidiomycetes department, agaricomycetes class, russular order (russular, russula), russula family, russula genus (lat. Russula).

Own Russian name mushrooms were obtained due to the fact that many of them can be eaten after daily salting. Some russula can be eaten raw, but there are also bitter-tasting varieties that are best soaked before cooking to remove the bitterness. The Latin name of the genus originated from one of the colors of their cap: the word "russulus" is translated as "reddish".

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

Hat

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

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

The skin covering the hat, even in mushrooms of the same species, can be:

either smooth, moist and sticky;
or dry, matte, gently velvety.

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

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

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

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

1. Golden Russula (lat. Russula aurea), photo by archenzo, CC BY-SA 3.0; 2. Turkish russula (lat. Russula turci), photo by Maja Dumat, CC BY 2.0; 3. Russula green (lat. Russula aeruginea), photo by: Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 3.0; 4. Russula light yellow (lat. Russula claroflava), photo by: Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 4.0; 5. Russula (lat. Russula emetica), photo: Dohduhdah, Public Domain; 6. Black loader (lat. Russula adusta), photo by Igor Lebedinsky, CC BY 3.0.

Hymenophore

The hymenophore of the russula, or the lower surface of the cap, consists of broadly or narrowly adherent plates of different length, thickness, frequency and color. Russula plates can be white, light yellow, light cream, slightly pinkish, ocher, lemon yellow.

Leg

Russula is more common with cylindrical, regular-shaped legs, less often with spindle-shaped (olive russula (lat. R. olivacea), club-shaped (russula golden (lat. R. aurea), cylindrical, but narrowed towards the base (russula food, or edible (lat. R. vesca). The stem is attached to the middle of the hat. Its pulp changes with age; in young mushrooms, it can be filled, that is, loose, cotton-like or dense. As it ages, cavities appear in it, it becomes spongy and brittle. The color of the leg can be either light: white, yellowish, cream, pinkish, or dark: gray or brown. At its base, rusty spots may be present, as, for example, in green russula (lat. R. aeruginea). The surface of the stem is smooth, glabrous, silky or velvety, and may become slightly wrinkled with age.

pulp

The flesh of the cap is mostly white or very light in color; thick or thin; odorless or with a slight aroma and a different aftertaste. When the fruiting body of the russula is broken, no milky juice is released.

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

spore powder

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

Where and when do russula mushrooms grow?

Russula is one of the most common mushrooms. They grow in Europe, Russia, Asia and America: from the Arctic to the tropics, but the vast majority are inhabitants of the middle latitudes. Some species are even found in Africa.

Russula live in symbiosis, i.e. mutually beneficial partnership, with many types of trees (depending on the type of mushroom) (beech, hornbeam, poplar, linden, alder, aspen), and in some cases with shrubs and herbaceous plants, and therefore are widely distributed in all types of forests: coniferous, deciduous, mixed. Different species prefer different soils: moist, sandy, swampy. Mushrooms bear fruit from spring to autumn, but the main season for russula is August-September, since at this time they appear most actively.

What are russula: types, names, photos

Among the existing variety of russula, the number of which, according to various sources, ranges from 275 to 750, it is rather difficult to determine a specific species. An ordinary mushroom picker can recognize only 2-3 dozen species, in other cases it is necessary to contact a specialist and even use chemical analysis. Externally, russula can be distinguished by the shape of the cap and stem, the structure of the subcap layer, as well as by the color of the skin and pulp of the cap and stem, plates and spore powder. Russulas are very brittle, and from milkers similar to them with this quality (lat. Lactarius) are distinguished by the fact that when incised and pressed, they do not secrete milky juice.

Fungi of the genus Russula are divided into:

edible;
conditionally edible;
inedible.

Below are some varieties of russula that fall into each of these categories.

Edible Russula

Edible russula are pretty tasty mushrooms. They can be eaten fried, salted, pickled, and some even raw. The main thing is to know what they look like.

Russula green(lat.Russula aeruginea ) - edible russula. It has a pungent taste that disappears when boiled. The shape of the cap is initially hemispherical, then convex-prostrate, and then flat, with a sunken center, 4-9 cm in diameter. The cap is light on the edges and dark in the middle, green, olive green, yellowish green, often with rusty brown spots. The leg is covered with the same spots, the height of which is 4-7 cm, and the diameter is from 1 to 2.5 cm. The plates are white or cream-colored. Spores are creamy. The peel is sticky, in places it separates easily. The flesh of this russula is white, not changing color when cut. The mushroom does not have a special smell. Green russula grows in forests of any type from June to October.

Russula yellow (light yellow, pale yellow, bright yellow) (lat. Russula claroflava) named after the color of its cap, which is convex at the beginning and flat as it grows. In diameter, the hat reaches 8 centimeters. The stem is cylindrical or barrel-shaped, changing color from white to gray with age. White plates become grayish-black as the fungus ages. The light pulp of the russula turns gray on the cut. It has a mild or astringent taste, but is odorless. Spore powder of light ocher color. The skin is partially removed.

The fungus grows in small groups on moist, mossy soils, under poplars, birches or alders. This russula is not very tasty, but quite edible.

Russula food (lat.Russula vesca ) - one of the most common types of mushrooms. Its cap, up to 10 cm in diameter, is dry, sometimes finely wrinkled, with a smooth or slightly ribbed edge, with a non-peeling or slightly peeling skin. The peel often does not reach the edge of the cap by 1-2 mm. It is pink, white-pink or burgundy-red, in most mushrooms with large white spots. The plates are frequent, branched near the stem, white or yellowish-white. The leg is pink, cylindrical, thinning downwards. The pulp is quite strong, white. This edible russula is boiled, fried and salted.

Russula brown, fragrant, purple, or herring (lat. Russula xerampelina) - an edible mushroom that fully justifies the name "russula", since it can be eaten raw. The hat, with a diameter of 6 to 15 centimeters, is first convex, then flat-depressed and straight. The color of the cap, depending on the tree under which this russula grows, is different.
- Under coniferous trees it is red with burgundy, carmine, brown or purple hues.
- Under oaks - red-brown, pink or olive.
- Under birches - yellow, yellowish-green, with purple edges.

The peel of the cap is initially slimy, then velvety, it lags behind the pulp to half. The flesh is white, turning brown with age, and in reaction with ferrous sulfate it turns green. The leg is brownish-reddish, with a pink tint, turning brown with age, 4-8 centimeters high. Spores are creamy yellow. The taste of young russula is a little sharp, later inexpressive. The smell, on the contrary, is hardly noticeable at first, becomes herring over time. Russula grow brown from August to November in coniferous and deciduous forests.

Russula marsh (lat. Russula paludosa) , vernacular name- float. This is the most big mushroom kind of russula, with a cap diameter up to 16 cm, a stem 10-15 cm high and 1-3 cm in diameter. It has a convex orange-red cap with a slightly depressed yellowish middle. The fruit body is covered with a dry skin that becomes slightly sticky in wet weather. The plates of marsh russula are white, yellowish or light golden. Its flesh is pink, graying with age, with a pleasant taste. Edible swamp russula grows in large groups on the sandy soil of coniferous forests.

Russula greenish, or scaly (lat. Russula virescens) - an edible mushroom, one of the best species of the russula family for eating. The mushroom cap is large, up to 14 cm in diameter, with a velvety skin that quickly cracks into scales. Its shape, like many russula, changes with age. In young mushrooms, it is spherical; in large russula, its middle becomes concave. The color of the hat is a mixture of green, yellow, blue, ocher, copper and olive hues. The leg is white, with brown scales below. The plates are white. The mushroom is fleshy, with a sweetish nutty taste and odorless. Its flesh is dense and brittle, turning from white to rusty when cut. Russula grows greenish singly or in groups, preferring space under oaks, beeches and birches in deciduous and mixed forests.

Russula blue, or azure (lat. Russula azurea) - a species growing under coniferous trees, more often under spruce trees. The diameter of the mushroom cap is from 3 to 10 cm. It is convex at an early age and flat with a concave center by the time the spores ripen. The hat comes in a variety of colors. purple with a bluish tint. Leg whitish, velvety. Skin with a bluish bloom, well removed. Spore powder is white. Blue russula is edible mushrooms having a pleasant taste.

The loader is often lamellar, or nigella often-plate (lat.Russula densifolia ) - mushroom of the russula genus. The diameter of its cap is less than 20 cm. The whitish flesh on the cut first turns red, and then turns brown and black. Plates are light. As the fungus ages, the outer color of the fungus changes from grayish to olive, brown and brown. The load is growing in the southern regions in broad-leaved and coniferous forests. The extract of this russula is used in medicine.

Russula gray (lat. Russula grisea ) - the earliest of russula. Grows in large groups in light pine or broadleaf forests, on fresh, sandy soils, from June to August. Its hat is from 5 to 12 cm in diameter, of a traditional form for russula: convex in young mushrooms and flat, funnel-shaped in old ones. Its color is bluish, gray, dirty gray or dirty lilac-bluish, lighter towards the edge and dark in the middle. The leg is light. The peel is removed to half the cap. The pulp of russula is dense, white, odorless, fresh or slightly edible.

white pickup, or dry breast (lat. R u ssula d e lica ) . Synonyms: cracker, russula pleasant, excellent. White podgruzdki often found in coniferous and deciduous forests in the northern part of the forest zone of Russia. Grow from July to October. The hat, up to 20 cm in diameter, is first flat-convex with a curved edge and a depression in the middle, then funnel-shaped with a straightening edge, pure white, sometimes with brownish-yellow spots (scorch marks), at first thin felt, then naked. A white load is characterized by the presence of adhering soil particles in the center of the cap.

The stem of the fungus is up to 5 cm long, smooth, at first solid, then hollow, white, thin-felt. The pulp is white, does not change at the break, is not caustic in the cap tissue, bitterish in the plates. The plates are descending, narrow, clean, sometimes forked, forked, white towards the outer edge. Spores are colorless, ovate-rounded. Usually this mushroom is salted. Salted podgruzdok tastes good and has a pleasant white color.

Conditionally edible russula

Conditionally edible russula can be eaten only after heat treatment and in no case can not be eaten raw. This group includes:

Russula black, black podgrudok, or nigella (lat. Russula adusta) has a dirty white-gray in youth and brown in maturity color of the cap. Her legs are lighter. The plates are dirty gray, the spores are colorless. The flesh is first turning pink, and then graying on the cut, blackening on the stem when pressed. The cap of a young mushroom is convex-prostrate, then with a funnel in the center. The cap diameter is from 5 to 15 cm. The taste of the mushroom is mild, the smell is unpleasant. Black russula grow mainly in pine forests from July to October.

Russula ocher (lat. Russula ochroleuca) has many similar specific epithets: pale ocher, pale yellow, lemon, ocher yellow, ocher white, ocher yellow. The color of the cap corresponds to the name, its diameter is 5-12 cm. Hemispherical at first, then it becomes convex. The skin of mushrooms of this species is easily separated by strips. Their leg is white with a brown tint, 3 to 8 in height, 1 to 2.5 cm in diameter. The plates and spores are white or creamy. Buffy russula are conditionally edible mushrooms that are often found in European forests of all types.

Russula pink, beautiful, or rosaceous (lat. Russula rosea) - conditionally edible mushroom. Named for the color of the cap, although it is not actually pink, but has shades from red to pinkish and can change with the weather to pale lemon. The diameter of the cap is from 4 to 12 cm. Its shape is semicircular, eventually flattened with a concave center. The skin does not separate from the pulp of the cap. The height of the stem is from 3 to 8 cm, the diameter is from 1 to 3 cm, its color is white or pinkish, approximately like a hat. The plates are pinkish or cream, sometimes reddish closer to the stem. The pulp is white with a sweet smell, dense, but brittle. Spore powder has light shades of ocher or cream color. Pink russula grows singly or in groups from July to October, mainly in broadleaf but sometimes in coniferous forests, on well-drained soil.

Russula birch (caustic birch) (lat.Russula betularum ) - a conditionally edible mushroom that has a flat hat from 2 to 5 cm in diameter. Its color is the most diverse: from dark red to white with a yellowish center. The skin is easily removed. The leg is brittle, with cavities, soaking from dampness, wrinkled above, light. The flesh of the russula is white, grayish when wet, practically odorless, pungent in taste. Spores are white.

According to its name, these mushrooms grow under birch trees in deciduous and mixed forests. They like wet or swampy places. Birch russula is edible after preliminary boiling.

Value (lat.Russula foetens ) - conditionally edible mushroom. Other names for the fungus: plakun, goby, svinur, kulbir, apricot, head over heels, podtopolnik, fist, cowshed. Grows in the forest zone of North America and Eurasia. It occurs in mountain, spruce, deciduous forests. Most abundant in oak forests and birch forests. Collect valui from July to October. The cap of the mushroom is yellow-brown or ocher. Its maximum diameter is 15 cm. At first it is spherical, adjacent to the leg. Later it becomes flat, depressed in the center. The edge of the cap is thin and ribbed, with a peeling off skin. The mushroom is covered with mucus, especially in wet weather, for which it was nicknamed the crybaby. Valuya leg is cylindrical, 6-12 cm high and up to 3 cm thick. Light, may be covered with brown spots at the base. Bloated, empty inside. Its flesh is initially white and dense, turning brown on the cut. It tastes pungent and pungent and has an unpleasant smell of dampness. In dry and hot weather, the smell disappears completely. Valuya plates are often located, they are adherent, at first white, later yellow. Drops of liquid stand out along the edges of the plates, drying in air and leaving brown spots. Its spores are round, colorless at the time of appearance and light ocher, prickly at the time of maturation. Mushrooms are suitable for salting. To do this, it is better to collect valui with a hat up to 6 cm. Their legs are cut to the base and blanched before salting. Prepared in this way, they acquire good taste. Valui is also used to make mushroom caviar.

blackening loader, or russula blackening (lat.Russula nigricans ) - a large conditionally edible mushroom, at first with a convex, then with a flat-prostrate hat and a slightly depressed middle. The color of the cap varies from whitish to sooty brown. Its maximum diameter is 20 cm. The flesh is white, first reddening on the cut, and then blackening. The stem of the mushroom is short, strong, covered with veins. The plates are not typical for russula: thick, different in length, rare, at first yellowish, later dark and even black. Loading grows from July to October, mainly in coniferous forests.

Russula reddening false (lat. Russula fuscorubroides) . The fungus grows singly or in small groups in pine and spruce forests from June to August. It has a smooth lilac-purple or black-tinted cap, convex-flat in young specimens and depressed in the middle with fringed edges in mature ones. Its diameter is from 4 to 14 cm. The stem is 4-9 cm high and 7-15 mm thick, purple, with blood-red longitudinal grooves, cylindrical, tapering upwards. The plates are adherent, narrow, arched, ocher-white. The spores are also buffy white. Due to its pungent taste, russula is used to prepare hot spices. It can be eaten after preliminary boiling in two or three waters.

The genus name Russula is translated from Latin as "reddish", and the genus includes more than sixty species of various colors - from red, brown, green to yellow and white. Mushrooms are elegant and undemanding - they grow on various soils in dry and damp cold weather. They have brittle white flesh and light plates. Contrary to the sonorous name, fruiting bodies are not eaten raw, and many of them have a bitter taste.

Young russula are collected together with the legs and carefully placed in baskets on a layer of leaves or moss - fragile mushrooms are difficult to bring whole to the house. They are suitable for preparing various second courses and homemade pickles.

Types of russula

A beautiful strong mushroom is found in oak and birch forests, where it grows singly or forms small mushroom clearings. The hat is wide, at first rounded, then prostrate, up to 18 cm in diameter. The skin is greenish, pale, brownish-green in the center, easily removed.

The leg is dense, 8–10 cm high, light cream, smooth, without thickening at the base and the ring on the leg. The pulp is white, brittle, with creamy frequent plates adhering to the leg, neutral taste, without bitterness.

A common species grows in deciduous and coniferous forests, noticeable from afar due to the bright red tones of the glossy hat - red-burgundy in the center and slightly lighter at the edges. Depending on the place of growth, shades can vary - from lilac-red to raspberry and pink.

The cap is hemispherical, up to 6–10 cm in diameter, prostrate in old mushrooms, while the edges remain curved and slightly wavy. The plates are thin, frequent, milky white. The pulp is strong, slightly pinkish at the break from the cap, neutral taste or slightly bitter. The leg of the correct cylindrical shape, creamy white in color, in dry weather acquires a pink tint.

In pine forests on sandy soil, these delicious mushrooms can be found with a rounded hemispherical hat, which later becomes slightly convex or flat, and then completely concave in the middle. The skin is light red, may have shades of lilac, beige or pink, slightly puffy at the edges and easily removed. The plates are numerous, milky white, then cream.

The leg is dense, thick, white, up to 7 cm high, brownish at the base, in dry weather it acquires the shade of a hat. The pulp is pleasant to the taste, without bitterness, with a mild aroma of pine nuts.

Places of distribution and time of collection

The most delicious kind russula food settles in deciduous or mixed lowland forests under beeches, oaks and birches. The collection time stretches from the beginning of June until the end of August. A common species is valued above others for its pleasant taste, nutty flavor and dense pulp.

Russula wavy collected from late summer to mid-October, found in mixed and deciduous forests, on the plains and in the mountains. The species forms rather strong dense fruiting bodies, and therefore we love mushroom pickers no less than the previous one.

It often grows under birches, forming mycorrhiza with these trees, as well as in light oak forests. The harvest season is at the end of summer and September. And even in warm October, you can come across whole meadows of greenish mushrooms.

Fragile hats, not having time to get out of the ground, quickly open, attracting hordes of insects to the appetizing pulp. Old specimens are especially fragile and, by collecting them, you can bring home a basket of mushroom crumbs.

Experienced mushroom pickers take only the tight fruiting bodies of young mushrooms, carefully placing them in a basket. They are cut off together with a leg that is edible, and at the same time they check for worms.

False russula

Catchy colored russula are not considered the best mushrooms, but they are still massively collected because of their availability and happy property to grow everywhere. Their shortcomings are not only in fragility, insipid taste, and the presence of some bitterness - due to their external diversity, they have very dangerous counterparts.

One of the most dangerous mushrooms, the deadly poisonous pale grebe, looks like green russula. A greenish glossy cap, up to 15 cm in diameter, frequent white plastics and a neutral taste are the main similarities between these species.

characteristic pale grebe differences is a wide, and then a fringed ring on a leg and a thickened cup-shaped base, a kind of "pouch" near the ground itself. Often, in old toadstools, the ring disappears, and therefore one must not lose vigilance, and in case of any doubt, beware and do not take a suspicious mushroom at all.

Convex hats of light red or pinkish color are easy to confuse with also colored food and wavy russula. The fragile flesh is white, turning pink closer to the skin, with a slight fruity aroma and a pungent, unpleasant taste.

This species is not as dangerous as the previous one, and some mushroom pickers even use mouth-watering-looking mushrooms for food, after boiling them for at least half an hour. At the same time, scientists found in the tissues of the poisonous substance muscarine, which is part of the fly agaric and causes severe poisoning. For this reason, this species cannot be considered edible.

Attractive mushroom with a dense smooth cap of cherry or red-brown color and a purple hue looks like wavy russula. The flesh is tight, yellowish, with a fruity aroma, becoming yellow closer to the skin. The taste is unpleasant, acrid. The skin does not come off well. Leg with a purple or pink-lilac reflection.

It grows mostly in coniferous forests, forming mycorrhiza with pine. It is not considered edible due to its bitterness and causes digestive disturbances when raw.

In coniferous and mixed forests, more often under pines, you can meet these catchy blood-red mushrooms. The hat is up to 10 cm in diameter, at first convex, later widely procumbent, wine-red, sometimes with a lilac tint. The skin does not come off well.

The flesh is white, reddish near the skin itself, bitter or acrid to varying degrees, in the stem with a sweet aftertaste, fruity aroma. The species is inedible due to its bitterness and can cause indigestion when raw.

Beneficial features

Russula is a storehouse of valuable substances, vitamins and microelements. More than 20% of crude protein is found in tissues, which is almost twice as much as in most vegetables. From the fleshy dense pulp, you can prepare nutritious lean meals, partially replacing meat and fish products. In the tissues of russula, the most important mineral elements for the body were found - calcium and phosphorus, magnesium and iron.

Mushrooms of red and purple color have an antibacterial effect, they are used in traditional medicine for the treatment of abscesses and pyoderma.

In red-colored species, an enzyme was found, which scientists named Russulin, in honor of Latin name this genus of mushrooms. The enzyme has a powerful activity and in a small amount is able to quickly curdle milk, replacing rennet in the production of cheese.

Contraindications for use

Many species have some bitterness and, raw or undercooked, can cause digestive disorders, and russula is burning, which is also called nauseating, provokes vomiting and severe irritation of the mucous membranes.

Mushrooms are not recommended for people with diseases gastrointestinal tract. Marinated mushroom blanks and fried foods in large quantities put a strain on the liver, especially with gallbladder pathologies. Therefore, such products are eaten in moderation, with caution.

Russula should not be included in the diet of children under six years of age - this is a heavy food for them, requiring the active work of enzymes, the production of which is still insufficient in the child's body.

It would be useful to recall the great danger that threatens the unlucky mushroom picker, who can confuse russula with poisonous mushrooms, especially with pale grebe.

Recipes for cooking and preparations

Before cooking, the mushrooms are thoroughly washed, then quickly cleaned, prying off the skin from the edge, and slightly cutting out the middle. The peeled fruiting bodies are immediately processed, preventing darkening. They are suitable for any preparations and dishes, except first courses.

Russula natural

Use species without bitterness - russula food and green. After the initial treatment, they are boiled in acidified and salted water at the rate of 40 g of salt and 10 g of citric acid per 2 liters of water. It should be noted that during cooking they will shrink significantly, decreasing in volume, and at the end of cooking they will sink to the bottom.

After boiling the mushrooms for 20 minutes, they are laid out in jars and poured with boiling broth, after which they are sterilized for at least one and a half hours. The product is then sealed, cooled and stored in a cold place.

Russula in hot pickle

This healthy spicy pickle is one of the best mushroom preparations. For 2 kg of mushrooms, you need 4 tablespoons of salt, 2 bay leaves, 6 black peppercorns, 4 blackcurrant leaves, a little cloves and dill seeds.

Pour 1 glass of water into the dishes, put salt and bring to a boil. Mushrooms are immersed in boiling brine, the foam is removed, after complete boiling, spices are put and boiled over low heat for 15 minutes. Readiness can be determined by the settling of the pieces to the bottom and the clarification of the brine. The workpiece is cooled and placed in jars, poured with brine and closed. The pickle is ready in a month and a half.

Russula fried in breadcrumbs

Large caps of species without bitterness are peeled, cut into halves, salted, dipped in an egg, breaded in flour and sprinkled with breadcrumbs. The pieces are fried in a large amount of boiling vegetable oil.

Lay the workpiece in half-liter jars 1 cm below the neck and sterilize for one hour. After corking, cool and store in a cool place.

mushroom caviar

Thoroughly washed and cleaned fruit bodies are boiled for 30 minutes, constantly removing the foam, then they are thrown onto a sieve and placed in a porous canvas bag under oppression for 4 hours to drain excess liquid.

Mushrooms pressed in this way are finely chopped or ground in a meat grinder with a large grate along with a small head of onion, 50 g of salt per 1 kg of mushrooms and black ground pepper are added. The resulting caviar is laid out in sterile jars, poured with boiled oil and closed with clean, dry lids. The food is stored for a short time, about one month, in the refrigerator.

Video about russula mushrooms

Elegant colored russula grow everywhere - in pine and deciduous forests, in clearings and edges, in the grass near white-trunked birches. Almost a third of all collected mushrooms belong to one or another type of russulaceae. With their unpretentiousness, accessibility, bright colors and ease of preparation, they attract mushroom pickers who are in no hurry to bypass these wonderfully healthy and satisfying gifts of the forest.