Honey mushrooms are popular with mushroom lovers. They are used for frying, pickling, marinating and freezing for the winter. Honey mushrooms are very easy to collect. They grow big families, closely spaced to each other. Finding such a family in the mushroom season is not difficult. The most important thing is to distinguish the real from the false. How to do it?

Honey mushrooms - autumn mushrooms growing in flocks, families. They can be found on stumps, old fallen trees where they are arranged in clusters. Small mushrooms are considered the most valuable. They are used for frying, salting and marinating. Adult mushrooms look less attractive, so mushroom caviar is made from them.

How to distinguish mushrooms?

The honey agaric has a thin and flexible leg. It can reach 15 cm in length. The color of the legs can be different - light yellow and dark brown. It all depends on the age of the fungus. On the leg you can see a skirt that rings it. But not all mushrooms have such a sign.

The hat is neat, rounded down. It also differs in its shape, it depends on age. Young mushrooms have a spherical cap with small scales. With age, it becomes like an umbrella and smoothes out. Hats are yellow, cream and even red.

These mushrooms are hard workers, they love to grow on diseased and lifeless wood residues or depleted soil. They are able to process biomass into useful trace elements, restore the balance in the soil and make it fruitful for healthy plant growth.

In ancient times, there was a sign: where the honey agaric family settled, a treasure was buried. In addition, honey agaric was attributed medicinal properties. Its skin was used as a band-aid to heal cuts and burns.

How to distinguish edible mushrooms: types of mushrooms

To know how to distinguish honey mushrooms from false mushrooms, you need to know that there are several types of edible mushrooms.

  1. Summer honey agaric - a mushroom that loves to grow in families on stumps deciduous trees. It is small in size, its leg reaches a length of no more than 7 cm. The leg is smooth on top, covered with dark scales below. The skirt is not always present, it may fall off with age. In young mushrooms, the hat is convex, with growth it levels off and a bulge forms in the center. Plates are located under the cap. This species appears from April and continues until November. The pulp of the mushroom is very tender with a pleasant smell of natural forest.
  2. Autumn mushrooms: how to distinguish summer mushrooms from autumn ones? Autumn has a longer leg up to 10 cm. At the bottom, the leg expands slightly. From above it is yellow-brown, from top to bottom it becomes dark brown. At autumn mushrooms a white skirt with a yellow edging is expressed. The first mushrooms appear at the end of August.
  3. Winter mushroom - grows on dead deciduous trees. The leg is 2 to 7 cm long. The hat has a brown or red-brown tint. Unlike other species, winter honey agaric does not have a skirt under the hat. Grows from autumn to spring.

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

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

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

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

From spring to early summer deciduous forests there may be other openings - spring(Forest-loving Collybia, Collybia dryophila) and white slimy(Oudemansiella mucous, Oudemansiella mucida), which are very easy to distinguish from summer honey agaric. Spring honey agaric can grow on rotten wood and on the litter, and white slimy honey agaric can grow on deadwood and living deciduous trees (maple, beech), along the trunks of which it sometimes “climbs” to the very crown. The first species also has a two-color hygrofan hat, but with the exact opposite color - darker in the center and lighter at the edges; it lacks the ring and stalk scales, and the spore powder is creamy white. Although the white slime honey agaric has a pronounced ring on the stem, outwardly it does not at all resemble summer honey agaric: the mushroom is almost all white (creamy gray), slippery in any weather and does not have scales on the stem and cap. In contrast to the summer honey agaric, which is characterized good taste and a pleasant smell, both of these types of special nutritional value do not represent and are usually used in dishes as a "fleshy" addition to other mushrooms. In the literature, the spring mushroom appears as a conditionally edible mushroom, and the white slimy mushroom as edible, but most mycologists do not classify any of these species as false mushrooms and do not call them dangerous.

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

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

There is also a noticeable resemblance to the summer honey agaric False foam Candoll(Psathyrella candolleana), which was previously classified as a poisonous mushroom in the literature, and now has moved into the group of conditionally edible. This mushroom grows in large groups from May to autumn on stumps and living wood of deciduous trees, mainly in shady places. It can be distinguished from summer honey agaric by the remnants of the bedspread (transparent flakes, film) at the edges of the “changeable” hat, which can change color from almost white to yellow-brown, and in adult specimens it becomes very prostrate and very brittle. Kandol's honey agaric also does not have rings on the leg, and the color of its plates changes from a grayish tint to dark brown. In comparison with the previous species, this false mushroom is less known, since it is much less common and is ignored by many mushroom pickers. However, eating it is quite acceptable, although after pre-treatment (soaking and boiling).

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

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

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

A similar “scaly” appearance, but with a rich yellow-orange-red tint, has another species from the genus Honey agaric -, or yellow-red rowing (Tricholomopsis rutilans), which occurs in small groups (3 - 4 each) in late summer - early autumn ) on deadwood and stumps, mainly in coniferous (often pine) forests. In addition to the place of growth and the “screaming” color, the rowing differs from the autumn mushroom in smaller sizes (the hat is not more than 7 in diameter) and in that it does not have a ring on the leg, so an attentive mushroom picker is unlikely to be able to put it in a basket instead of autumn mushrooms. This mushroom is considered conditionally edible of the fourth category, but due to the bitter taste, which is removed only after soaking and pre-boiling, many mushroom pickers try not to collect it at all.

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

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

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

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

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

Honey agaric(plural - mushrooms, honey agarics) is the popular name for a group of fungi belonging to different genera and families.

Mushrooms "Agaric mushrooms" got their name because of their peculiarity of growth - stumps (hemp), both living and dead. But there are also several types of mushrooms that grow in meadows.

Description of honey agaric

Mushrooms have a hat, which in youth is hemispherical in shape, which later becomes umbrella-shaped - a tubercle on top, then flat, often rounded on the sides, 2-10 cm in diameter. In edible mushrooms, the hat is covered with small scales, which practically disappear by the aging of the fungus. Sometimes the cap is covered with a layer of mucus. The color of the cap is from cream and light yellow to reddish shades, with a darker center. The leg of honey mushroom grows in length from 2 to 18 cm, up to 2.5 cm wide. Read other features of honey mushrooms below, in the descriptions for each of the species.

Where to collect mushrooms? The habitat of most mushrooms is weakened or damaged trees, as well as rotten or dead wood, mainly deciduous trees (beech, oak, birch, alder, aspen, elm, willow, acacia, poplar, ash, mulberry, etc.), less often conifers (spruce, pine, fir).

Some species, for example, meadow mushroom, grow on the soil, meeting mainly in open grassy spaces - fields, gardens, roadsides, forest glades, etc.

Honey mushrooms are widespread in the forests of the Northern Hemisphere (from the subtropics to the North) and are absent only in permafrost regions. Of course, high humidity in forests also has a beneficial effect on the number of mushrooms, although they can be found in damp ravines.

Honey mushrooms grow in large families (tubers), although single mushrooms are occasionally found. The foci of growth themselves can be connected by long (up to several meters) cord-like mycelia, which can be seen under the bark of the affected plant.

When do mushrooms grow?

The collection time of mushrooms depends on the type of honey agaric and climatic conditions. So, for example, autumn honey agaric grows from August to winter itself, summer honey agaric - from April to November, but to summarize, the most fruitful time for harvesting mushrooms is autumn, especially September, October.

What to do with mushrooms?

Honey mushrooms can be prepared in the following ways:

- to extinguish;
- weld;
- fry;
- marinate;
- salt;
- make caviar;
- dry.

Fried and pickled mushrooms are considered the most delicious.

Types of mushrooms

Real mushrooms. Edible mushrooms

Autumn honey agaric (Armillaria mellea). Synonyms: Real honey agaric.

Collection season: end of August - beginning of winter. The peak is September, with an average daily temperature of +10°C.

Description: The hat is 3-17 cm in diameter, convex at first, then opens to a flat one, often with wavy edges. The peel, depending on the growing conditions, is colored in various shades - from honey-brown to greenish-olive, darker in the center. The surface is covered with rare light scales, which may disappear with age. The flesh of young caps is dense, whitish, becoming thin with age. The pulp of the legs is fibrous, in mature mushrooms of a rough consistency. The smell and taste are pleasant. The plates are relatively sparse, adherent to the stem or weakly descending. Juveniles are whitish or flesh-colored, darkening slightly at maturity to pink-brown, and may be covered with brown spots. Legs 8-10 cm long, 1-2 cm in diameter, solid, with a light yellow-brown surface, darker in the lower part, to brown-brown. At the base may be slightly expanded, but not swollen. The surface of the stem, like the cap, is covered with flaky scales. The fruiting bodies are often fused at the bases of the legs. Remains of spathe: a ring in the upper part of the stem, usually directly under the cap, clearly visible, membranous, narrow, whitish with a yellow edge. Volvo is missing. Spore powder is white.


Thick-legged honey agaric (Armillaria lutea) . Synonyms: Armillaria bulbosa, Armillaria gallica, Armillaria inflata, Armillaria mellea, Armillariella bulbosa.

Collection season: August - November.

Description: The hat is 2.5-10 cm in diameter, broadly conical at the beginning, with a turned-up edge, then becomes flattened with a lowered edge. IN young age the hat is colored in dark brown, pale brown or pinkish shades, whitish along the edge, then yellowish-brown or brown. Scales in the center of the cap are numerous, almost conical, fibrous, grayish-brown, closer to the edge - solitary, raised or recumbent, whitish or the same color as the cap. In the center of the scales are usually preserved in adult mushrooms. The plates are quite frequent, descending on the stem, whitish in young mushrooms, then acquiring a brownish tint. The stalk is usually cylindrical, with a club-shaped or bulbous thickening at the base, whitish above the ring, brownish or brown below, often grayish at the base, below the ring with scattered yellowish remains of the bedspread. The ring is fibrous or membranous, white, often with brownish scales along the edge, bursting in a star-like manner. The flesh is whitish, with a faint or unpleasant cheesy odor and astringent taste. Spore powder white.


Summer honey agaric (Kuehneromyces mutabilis) . Synonyms: Talker, Kyuneromyces changeable, Lime honey agaric, Agaricus mutabilis, Pholiota mutabilis, Dryophila mutabilis, Galerina mutabilis.

Spreading: Honey agaric grows in dense colonies on rotten wood or on damaged living trees, preferably deciduous, occasionally pine, in deciduous and mixed forests of the northern temperate climate.

Collection season: April-November, and in mild climate- almost all year round.

Description: The hat is 3-6 cm in diameter, convex at first, becomes flat as the fungus ages, with a well-defined wide tubercle. In rainy weather, translucent, brownish, in dry weather - matte, honey-yellow; often lighter in the middle and darker at the edges. The edges of the cap are markedly furrowed; in wet weather there are concentric zones around the tubercle and darker margins. The skin is smooth, mucous. The flesh is thin, watery, pale yellow-brown in color, darker in the stem, with a mild taste and a pleasant smell of fresh wood. The plates are 0.4-0.6 cm wide, adherent or slightly descending, relatively frequent, first light brown, then brown-brown. Leg up to 7 cm high, 0.4-1 cm in diameter, dense, lighter in the upper part than the cap, smooth, small dark scales appear below the ring. Remains of bedspreads: ring membranous, narrow, clearly visible at the beginning, may disappear with age, often stained with ocher-brown color by fallen spores; Volvo and the remains of the bedspread on the hat are missing. Spore powder is ocher-brown.

Winter honey agaric (Flammulina velutipes) . Synonyms: Flammulina velvety-legged, Kollibiya velvet-legged, Winter mushroom, Agaricus velutipes, Gymnopus velutipes, Collybia velutipes, Pleurotus velutipes, Collybidium velutipes, Myxocollybia velutipes.

Collection season: autumn - spring. Fruits best during winter thaws, but can often be found under snow. Winter honey agaric is popular as an object of cultivation. In stores it can be found under the names: "Enokitake" (Enokitake), "Inoki".

Description: The fruiting body is cap-shaped, central or slightly eccentric. The cap is flat (convex in young mushrooms), 2-10 cm in diameter, painted yellow, honey-brown or orange-brown. The edges of the cap are usually lighter than the middle. The flesh is thin, from white to light yellow in color, with a pleasant taste. Leg 2-7 cm long, 0.3-1 cm wide, tubular, dense, characteristic velvety-brown color, yellowish-brown above. The plates are adherent, rare, there are shortened plates. The color of the plates is from white to ocher. The rest of the cover is missing. Spore powder is white.

Spring honey agaric (collybia forest-loving, Collybia dryophila) . Synonyms: Agaricus dryophilus, Collybia aquosa var. dryophila, Collybia dryophila, Marasmius dryophilus, Omphalia dryophila.

Spreading: Spring honey agaric grows mainly by tubers.
Occurs in groups, from June to November, in small groups, on rotting wood or leaf litter in mixed forests with oak and pine.

Collection season: May - October. Peak - June, July.

Description: The cap is 1-7 cm in diameter, hygrophanous, convex at a young age, then broadly convex and flat in shape, colored red-brown, then fading to orange-brown or yellow-brown. In old mushrooms with a tucked edge. The flesh is white or yellowish in color, without much taste and smell. The hymenophore is lamellar, the plates adherent to the stem or almost free, often located, white in color, sometimes with a pinkish or yellowish tinge. Sometimes the form ‘luteifolius’ with yellow plates is distinguished. The leg is flexible, 3-9 cm long, 0.2-0.8 cm thick, relatively even, sometimes expanding to a bulbous thickened base. Cream or white spore powder.

Yellow-red honey agaric, or yellow-red rowing (Tricholomopsis rutilans) . Synonyms: Reddening row, Yellow-red false row, Yellow-red honey agaric, red honey agaric, Pine honey agaric, Agaricus rutilans, Gymnopus rutilans, Tricholoma rutilans, Cortinellus rutilans.

Family: Ordinary, or Tricholomovye (Tricholomataceae). Genus: Tricholomopsis (Tricholomopsis).

Spreading: It grows in groups, mainly on dead wood of pine species, in coniferous forests.

Collection season: July - end of October. Peak: August-September.

Description: The hat is convex, grows to flat, 5-15 cm in diameter, is colored in orange-yellow tones, velvety, dry, covered with small fibrous purple or reddish-brown scales. The flesh is bright yellow, dense, thick in the cap, fibrous in the stem, with a mild or bitter taste, with the smell of rotten wood, or sour. The plates are narrowly grown, sinuous, painted in yellowish or bright yellow colors. The leg is solid, then hollow, with a thickening at the base, often curved, 4-10 cm long, 1-2.5 cm thick. The surface of the leg is the same color as the cap, with purple or lighter scales than on the cap. Spore powder is white.


Mucous honey agaric, or mucous oudemansiella (Oudemansiella mucida) . Synonyms: Agaricus mucidus, Armillaria mucida, Collybia mucida, Lepiota mucida, Mucidula mucida.

Family: Physalacrye (Physalacriaceae). Genus: Udemansiella (Oudemansiella).

Spreading: It grows mainly in groups, on thick branches of living deciduous trees, more often - beech, maple, hornbeam, almost all over the world.

Collection season: May - September.

Description: The hat is convex in shape, in young mushrooms hemispherical, slimy, painted white, light gray or creamy brown, slightly brownish in the middle, 2-10 cm in diameter. The plates are also white, widely adherent, dense, with well-defined intervals . The leg is thin, fragile, smooth, dry above the ring, mucous below the ring, 4-8 cm high, 0.4-0.7 cm wide. The surface of the leg in the lower part is covered with small black-brown flakes. The base of the leg is thickened. The pulp is dense, yellowish-whitish. Spore powder is white or light cream.


Honey agaric (Marasmius oreades) . Synonyms: Meadow rot, meadow marasmius, meadow, clove mushroom, Agaricus oreades, Agaricus caryophyllaeus, Collybia oreades, Scorteus oreades.

Family: Non-rotten (Marasmiaceae). Genus: Negniuchnik (Marasmius).

Beneficial features: Honey agaric contains marasmic acid, which is used against Staphylococcus aureus and other pathogenic bacteria.

Spreading: Unlike most other mushrooms, these mushrooms grow mainly in open areas, on the soil - meadows, gardens, forest clearings, roadsides, ravines, etc. Fruits in groups, forming arcs, rows or "witch circles". Distributed throughout the world. Able to endure strong drying, but as soon as it receives moisture from the rain, it immediately comes to life.

Collection season: May - October.

Description: The cap is smooth, 2-8 cm in diameter, at a young age hemispherical, later convex, in old mushrooms it is almost flat with a blunt tubercle in the middle. The edges of the cap are translucent, slightly ribbed, often uneven. The hat in wet weather is sticky, yellowish-brown or reddish-ochre, sometimes with slightly noticeable zoning. In dry weather, it becomes a lighter, pale cream color. The center of the cap is always darker than its edges. Laminae 3-6 mm wide, sparse, adherent in young mushrooms, later free, with clearly visible intermediate lamellae. In wet weather, the plates are ocher, in dry weather they are creamy-whitish. The leg is thin, but dense, sometimes sinuous, 2-10 cm long and 0.2-0.5 cm in diameter, thickened at the base, painted in pale ocher color. The flesh is thin, whitish or pale yellow, does not change color when cut, with a slight sweetish aftertaste and a strong peculiar smell, reminiscent of the smell of cloves or bitter almonds. Spore powder is white or cream.

Garlic mushrooms, or garlic


Common garlic clover (Marasmius scorodonius) . Synonyms: Agaricus scorodonius, Chamaeceras scorodonius, Gymnopus scorodonius, Marasmius rubi, Marasmius scorodonius.

Family:


Spreading: It grows in large groups, mainly on twigs and rotting bark of coniferous trees, in coniferous and mixed forests of the Northern Hemisphere. It also often grows on grassy surfaces, in dry places on the forest floor, preferring sandy and clay soils.

Collection season: July-October.

Description: The cap of young mushrooms is convex-conical or hemispherical in shape, with a tucked edge, then opens, and becomes almost flat, with wavy edges, 0.5-2.5 cm in diameter. The surface of the cap is naked and smooth, less often indistinctly furrowed, depending on the weather is variously colored: in wet weather, pinkish-brown - ocher-red, when dried - cream or ocher. The flesh is very thin, the same color as the surface, with a strong smell and taste of garlic. The hymenophore plates are rare, 13-20 in number, with plates, rarely intertwined or branching, almost free from the stem, painted in white - yellowish hues. The leg is shiny, glabrous, rigid, 0.5-5 cm long, 1-2 mm thick, orange in the upper part, below - red-brown to black. The spore print is white.


Large garlic clover (Marasmius alliaceus) . Synonyms: Agaricus alliaceus, Agaricus dolinensis, Chamaeceras alliaceus, Marasmius alliaceus, Marasmius alliaceus, Marasmius schoenopus, Mycena alliacea.

Family: Non-rotten (Marasmiaceae). Genus: Garlic (Mycetinis).

Spreading: It grows in large groups, mainly on fallen leaves, near stumps and rotting branches of beech, in deciduous forests Europe.

Collection season: June-October.

Description: Cap 1-6.5 cm in diameter, bell-shaped or semi-prostrate, with a wide protruding tubercle, striped along the edges, whitish, turning brown with age. The pulp is white, with a garlic-onion smell and mushroom taste. The plates are whitish, sparse, first adhering to the stem, then free. The leg is dense, cartilaginous to the base, thickened, sometimes rhizomatous-elongated, brown-brown, up to 10 cm in length and 0.2-0.3 cm in diameter. Spore powder is white.

Sometimes under the name "honey mushrooms" it can be sold.

False mushrooms, false honey agarics. Inedible mushrooms, poisonous mushrooms

False honey agaric, false honey agaric- the name of several types of poisonous or inedible mushrooms, outwardly similar to edible mushrooms.

As a rule, mushrooms are poisonous mushrooms:
- the genus Hypholoma of the Strophariaceae family;
- some representatives of the genus Psathyrella (Psathyrella) of the dung beetle (Coprinaceae) family (according to another taxonomy - Psathyrellaceae (Psathyrellaceae)).

Sometimes certain types false mushrooms are classified as conditionally edible mushrooms of low quality, for the preparation of which you need to have special skills, but even in this case, the safety of their consumption has not always been proven.

poisonous mushrooms


Sulphur-yellow honeycomb (Hypholoma fasciculare) . Synonyms: Agaricus fascicularis, Dryophila fascicularis, Geophila fascicularis, Naematoloma fasciculare, Pratella fascicularis, Psilocybe fascicularis.

Family:

Spreading: Sulphur-yellow false honey agaric grows in large groups or bunches, mainly on old stumps or semi-rotten trunks of deciduous or coniferous trees covered with moss, as well as at the base of living and withered trees. Often inhabits trunks lying on the ground and broken trees...

Collection season:

Description: Cap 2-7 cm in diameter, first bell-shaped, then prostrate, yellowish, yellow-brown, sulfur-yellow, lighter along the edge, darker or reddish-brown in the center. The flesh is light yellow or whitish, very bitter, with an unpleasant odor. The plates are frequent, thin, adherent to the stem, first sulfur-yellow, then greenish, black-olive. The leg is even, fibrous, hollow, up to 10 cm long, 0.3-0.5 cm thick, light yellow. The spore powder is chocolate brown.

Brick-red false honeycomb (Hypholoma sublateritium) . Synonyms: Agaricus carneolus, Agaricus pomposus, Agaricus sublateritius, Dryophila sublateritia, Geophila sublateritia, Hypholoma lateritium, Naematoloma sublateritium, Pratella lateritia, Psilocybe lateritia.

Family: Strophariaceae. Genus: Hypholoma (Hypholoma).

Spreading: Grows in groups, bunches or colonies on rotting wood, stumps or near them of deciduous species (oak, birch, etc.) in deciduous and mixed forests.

Collection season: July - November. Peak: August-September.

Description: The cap is rounded-convex, then semi-open, 4-10 cm in diameter, orange, brick-red, yellow at the edges with hanging flakes from a cobwebby-fibrous bedspread, brick-red in the middle, with a darker center, sometimes with red-brown spots. The pulp is dense, relatively thick, yellowish, bitter. The plates are adherent, yellowish. Leg 4-10 cm long, 0.6-1.5 cm thick, narrowed towards the base, yellowish, brown below, without a ring, sometimes with remnants of a private bedspread. Spores are purple-brown.


Psatyrella candolleana (Psathyrella candolleana) . Synonyms: Candoll's husk, Agaricus candolleanus, Agaricus violaceolamellatus, Drosophila candolleana, Hypholoma candolleanum, Psathyra candolleanus.

Family:

Spreading: It grows in large groups and colonies, occasionally singly, on hardwood, on soil near stumps, in Eurasia and North America.

Collection season: May - October.

Description: The cap is hemispherical, then bell-shaped or wide-conical, opening up to flat, with a rounded tubercle, 3-8 cm in diameter. The edge of the cap is wavy and sinuous, often cracked. The skin is almost smooth, covered with small, quickly disappearing scales, brownish or yellow-brown. The cap dries quickly and becomes yellowish or creamy white, matte, especially at the edges. Dried caps are very brittle. The pulp is thin, white, fragile, without much taste and smell or with a mushroom smell. The plates are adherent, frequent, narrow, when ripe they change color from whitish to gray-violet and then dark brown, porphyritic, with a lighter edge. Leg 3-9 cm high and 0.2-0.6 cm thick, with a thickened base. The surface of the leg is white or cream, smooth, silky, fluffy at the top. The remains of the veil are visible in young fruit bodies along the edges of the cap, filamentous or in the form of fibrous hanging flakes, films, white. Spore powder brown-violet.


Psatyrella water-loving (Psathyrella piluliformis) . Synonyms: Psatirella hydrophilic, hydrophilic chryplyanka, Psatyrella spherical, Agaricus hydrophilus, Agaricus piluliformis, Drosophila piluliformis, Hypholoma piluliforme, Psathyrella hydrophila.

Family: Psatirellaceae (Psathyrellaceae). Genus: Psatyrella (Psathyrella).

Spreading: It grows in clusters or large colonies on stumps or wood residues of deciduous trees, less often conifers. Sometimes grows around stumps. Distributed in Eurasia and North America.

Collection season: September-November.

Description: The cap is bell-shaped, convex or almost flat with furrowed, often cracking edges and a rounded wide tubercle, 2-5 cm in diameter. The skin is smooth, dry, dark brown, brightens when dried, becomes yellow-brown, starting from the center of the cap. The flesh is thin, brown, watery, mild or bitter in taste, odorless. The plates are adherent, frequent, light brown, then darken, to brown-black with a light edge. In humid weather, the plates release droplets of liquid. The leg is hollow, sometimes curved, relatively dense, 4-8 cm high, 0.5-0.8 cm thick. The surface of the leg is smooth, silky, light brown below, the upper part is covered with a white powdery coating. The remains of the bedspread are white, flaky, visible on the edges of the cap. The spore powder is purple-brown.
The main symptoms of poisoning with poisonous mushrooms: after eating mushrooms, after 1-6 hours nausea, vomiting, sweating, loss of consciousness appear. At the first sign of poisoning, immediately contact the nearest medical facility.

Edible false mushrooms


False honeycomb (Hypholoma capnoides) . Synonyms: Pine honey agaric, Agaricus capnoides, Dryophila capnoides, Geophila capnoides, Naematoloma capnoides, Psilocybe capnoides.

Family: Strophariaceae. Genus: Hypholoma (Hypholoma).

Spreading: Grows in large groups and colonies, occasionally singly, on stumps, decaying pines and spruces, roots in coniferous forests.

Collection season: August-October. Peak: September-October

Description: The hat is 2-8 cm in diameter, convex, then prostrate, sticky in wet weather. The color of the cap is pale yellow or dirty yellow with a lighter edge and a yellow or ocher center. As it matures, the color changes to ocher-brownish, rusty-brown, sometimes with brown-rusty spots. The flesh is white or pale yellow, with a pleasant smell. The plates of young mushrooms are whitish or yellowish, then bluish-gray, darkening with age. The leg is hollow, without a ring, sometimes with the remains of a partial spathe, yellowish, rusty-brown below, 3-10 cm long, 0.4-0.8 cm in diameter. Spores are bluish-gray.

How to distinguish a false honey agaric from a real one?

How to distinguish real mushrooms from false ones? Main difference- a ring on the leg, which is present in edible mushrooms. Poisonous mushrooms do not have rings.

I must say right away that very, very far from each other mushrooms from 5 genera of three different families are artificially collected into the “honey mushrooms” group. They are united only by some similarity. appearance, yes, the addiction of most of them to grow near the stumps, which is reflected in the name - - growing "about the stump", or in modern terms, at the stump.

Most of them have a medium-sized elastic lamellar cap and a long thin stem. They look a little like "toadstools", as some mushroom "experts" imagine. Nevertheless, since they were united by our people together, then we will consider them all together here. Although the description of each of them will be completely independent.

This is a saprophytic fungus, that is, it lives only on dead wood; on living trees, unlike autumn and winter, does not settle. Cap up to 5 cm in diameter, thin, convex, later almost flat with tubercle, light brown; along the edge with a darker rim, as if saturated with water. The plates are rare, in the color of the cap, but slightly lighter (yellow). The young hat is covered with a veil from below. The leg is thin, 0.5 cm in diameter and up to 8 cm long, hollow, with a ring, fibrous; light-brown above, and dark-brown below, tapering towards the bottom.

In June - September, the fungus is often and quite abundantly found on stumps of hardwoods: aspen, birch, linden, etc., almost does not grow on conifers. Since it forms large colonies, then, despite the frail structure, you can collect quite a lot of them. The flesh is grayish-whitish, the taste is pleasant, the smell is moist, woody. The legs, due to their stiffness, are often not taken.

It is suitable for all types of cooking, however, when dried, it becomes very tiny and thin, like paper, besides, it crumbles easily. Therefore, dried mushrooms are usually ground into powder, which is added to sauces to give them a mushroom flavor. The Germans believe that this mushroom is especially good in soup. Therapeutic, normalizes metabolism. Has several varieties. Very rarely wormy. However, many of our mushroom pickers do not take it - some out of ignorance, others simply neglect it, but in vain.

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Mushrooms are a unique product. Their nutritional value is comparable to meat, fish, fruits and vegetables. They contain great amount vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. By consuming mushrooms regularly, you can forget about high cholesterol forever, and a minimum of calories makes them not only tasty, but also a dietary product.

One of the most beloved autumn mushrooms is honey agaric. It is used in all sorts of ways: salted, pickled, frozen and even dried. The benefits of honey agaric are invaluable. Regular use of this fungus can destroy staphylococcal infection and E. coli in the human body, normalize the functioning of the thyroid gland. autumn mushrooms are an excellent laxative, and late, winter mushrooms, rich in proteins, have antiviral as well as anti-cancer effects.

But whether the use of mushrooms will bring you benefit or harm depends, first of all, on what will be in your basket at the exit from the forest. Even if you are not a fan of “silent hunting”, but prefer to buy mushrooms, you should know distinctive features edible mushrooms from poisonous, in any case, is vital.

False mushrooms outwardly are very similar to the "real", however, they contain toxins that poison the body. How to distinguish false mushrooms and edible ones? Let's figure it out.

Appearance

Hat

Mushrooms growing on different surfaces, with different levels of humidity and the amount of penetrating sunlight, outwardly differ somewhat from each other. However, there are characteristic features by which it is always easy to identify the mushroom. The color of the cap of real mushrooms has a muted light brown tone with medium-sized dark scales. False mushrooms are most often found in brick red or gray-yellow light.

Records

The plates of edible mushrooms are necessarily light, cream or yellowish white. The plates of false mushrooms are yellow at a young age, and over time they become greenish, and then olive-black.

Leg

Perhaps all mushroom pickers know the identification sign of the autumn mushroom in the form of a “skirt” or “ring” on the snow-white leg of the mushroom, regardless of age and “quiet” experience. But not everyone knows the fact that false mushrooms also have slightly noticeable remnants of the ring. Therefore, if the ring of the fungus is weakly expressed, it is still worth leaving it in the forest. In addition, if the leg of the honey agaric is 5-10 centimeters in height, then most likely this honey agaric is false. A real honey agaric, as a rule, does not grow more than 4-6 centimeters, and a meadow one, also an edible species, can be quite tall, up to 0.3 meters.

Smell

The real honey agaric is characterized by a pleasant, albeit harsh, mushroom aroma, while the smell of a false one is earthy. However, this sign cannot become fundamental when trying to distinguish a poisonous mushroom from an edible one, since smell is a subjective concept.

Taste

It is a common belief that poisonous mushrooms have a bitter taste. In fact, this is not always the case. For example, the taste of brick-red mushroom is quite edible, and even some peoples eat it after careful processing, and the light bitterness quickly disappears when soaked. But given the danger posed by poisonous and conditionally edible mushrooms However, they should not be used in any form.

Growth time

Honey mushrooms grow throughout calendar year, with the exception of periods characterized by severe frosts. The most active growth of real mushrooms occurs in September-October. False mushrooms appear in the spring for two months, and then in the fall, and a certain type is inherent in each season.

Rice. 1 - False honey agaric (poisonous)

Rice. 2 - Autumn honey agaric (non-poisonous)

Differences between false and ordinary mushrooms:

  1. The false honey agaric has a red-brick or gray-yellow hat, rich yellow flesh and a stalk 5-10 centimeters high. The common honey agaric is light brown in color with dark specks in the center with creamy flesh.
  2. On the leg of this honey agaric there is a well-defined ring.
  3. False mushroom has a bitter taste and an unpleasant odor.