What does a mushroom umbrella look like? Edible and inedible umbrella mushroom. The main differences: how to choose edible mushrooms
The edible umbrella mushroom, according to many experienced mushroom pickers, is one of the most delicious and useful representatives of the mushroom kingdom. Umbrellas belong to the Champignon family. Unfortunately, they are not very popular in our country, due to their similarity with some types of deadly poisonous mushrooms.
Botanical description
In the forests, huge representatives of this species are quite often found, resembling giant umbrellas, lined up in a characteristic "witch's circle".
These reach a height of 0.35-0.45 m, and the diameter of the cap reaches 0.25-0.35 m. In young specimens, the plates are closely pressed against the stem, with age they turn into a horizontal arrangement. There are many types of umbrellas, the main ones are presented in the table.
| Species name | Latin | Description of the hat | Leg characteristic | Features of the pulp |
| Mushroom umbrella variegated | Macrolepiota procera | In young specimens, it is spherical, and with age it acquires a wide conical or umbrella-shaped shape. Surface with a dark, rounded tubercle in the center. Brownish-gray skin with angular scales | Cylindrical, hollow, with a rigid fibrous structure and a spherical thickening at the base | Whitish in color, quite dense, with a characteristic nutty taste and a slight mushroom odor |
| Mushroom umbrella graceful | Macrolepiota gracilenta | Fine fleshy, ovoid or bell-shaped, becomes almost flat with age, with a brownish tubercle in the center. Whitish skin with cracking and ocher scales | Cylindrical, with clavate extension and slight curvature | Snow-white, with a pleasant mushroom aroma and taste |
| Mushroom umbrella white | Macrolepiota excoriata | Flat-spread, with a large brown tubercle in the central part, whitish or cream colored, without shine | Fibrous, white, pleasant taste and aroma | |
| Conrad's Umbrella Mushroom | Macrolepiota konradii | Relatively thick, convex-prostrate, with a papillary tubercle in the central part | Cylindrical, hollow, with a slight clavate thickening at the base | White and dense, with a pleasant mushroom aroma and taste |
| Mushroom-umbrella mastoid | Macrolepiota mastoidea | Fine fleshy, umbrella-shaped, with a large and well-defined pointed tubercle in the central part | Cylindrical, hollow, with a slight tuberous thickening at the base | Dense and soft, pure white in color, with a pleasant nutty flavor and mushroom smell |
| Mushroom umbrella blushing | Chlorophyllum rhacodes | Beige, umbrella-shaped, with cracking edges | Tapering at the top, hollow, with a smooth surface and a thickened base | Hard, fibrous, white, reddening at the cut |
| Mushroom umbrella girlish | Leucoagaricus nympharum | Fine fleshy, umbellate, with a low tubercle and thin fringed edges | Cylindrical, narrowed at the top, with a tuberous thickening at the base | It turns pink on the cut, has a rare smell, there is no pronounced taste |
Photo gallery
Most of the edible mushrooms growing in our country have poisonous counterparts, and the umbrella species is no exception in this regard. The false or inedible umbrella mushroom comes in two main varieties:
- chlorophyllum lead-slag (Chlorophyllum molybdites);
- dark brown chlorophyllum (Chlorophyllum brunneum).
Both species, due to the soil and climatic features of our country, are not widespread in Russia and are found mainly in America, Eurasia, Australia and Africa.
Mushroom umbrella: collection features (video)
Many inexperienced mushroom pickers confuse Macrolepiota with fly agarics. ... However, these two types are easy to distinguish by the following features:
- the presence of a three-layer ring on the Macrolepiota leg, which can be easily moved both up and down;
- the umbrellas are completely free of the remains of the bedspread on the leg;
- fly agarics have a smooth and shiny head, while Macrolepiota has a matte surface.
Edible umbrellas are characterized by pronounced cracking of the skin, but in the central part it always remains intact.
Distribution area
The umbrella belongs to the saprotroph category and prefers sandy soils in light forests. Quite often found in clearings and forest edges, and also feels good in forest clearings or clearings. In some years, it can be found in open areas, recently it has become a frequent visitor to the territory of forest park zones and personal plots. Grows best in temperate climates.
Fruiting occurs in the period from early summer to mid-autumn. Grows lamellar mushroom singly or in small groups. The species is prone to the formation of "witch circles".
Cooking methods
Macrolepiota is very easy to prepare. These mushrooms are suitable for making soups, delicious and nutritious second courses, cold snacks.
Even novice housewives can cook aromatic soup from umbrellas:
- rinse and soak the mushrooms for a couple of hours in cold and salted water;
- rinse the mushrooms again and cut into small pieces;
- chop onions and potatoes;
- grate peeled carrots;
- sauté onion with carrots in vegetable oil until tender;
- Pour mushrooms with water, bring to a boil and cook for 20-25 minutes;
- add potatoes to the soup, and after 15 minutes add sautéing and spices and cook until tender.
Mushroom soup should be served with fresh herbs and fresh sour cream.
Baked umbrellas have a unique mushroom aroma and delicate taste, which are prepared according to the following recipe:
- gently peel and rinse the mushrooms, remove the legs completely;
- beat eggs with salt and chopped garlic in a blender;
- dip the mushroom caps in the egg mass and roll in breadcrumbs.
The resulting mushroom blanks can be baked in the oven or fried in a hot pan until golden brown. You can use such a dish not only hot, but also cold.
These are extraordinary, exotic, amazing with their sometimes huge size and delicious mushrooms. And it only remains to be surprised how, with their high prevalence, they are so little known.
Is the umbrella mushroom edible or not?
A true umbrella mushroom is quite edible. Many gourmets claim that it has an amazing mushroom flavor and chicken flavor. Only the hat is consumed in the dish, and the leg is thrown away.
Where do edible umbrellas grow and what do they look like?
The name justifies itself: the formed mushroom can be 45 cm long, and the diameter of the open cap is over 45 cm - well, it’s not an umbrella, it’s true, for children. The caps are mostly covered with scales, only the middle part is smooth with a darker color. Hollow smooth or ribbed legs with three-layer rings that move freely up and down.
Umbrellas grow on the Eurasian continent, in North Africa, in Australia and America, in open, sufficiently lit areas, in humus-rich soil. They can be harvested from July to late autumn, until the last days of October in mixed deciduous or coniferous forests. There they live in small colonies or singly.
Did you know? Mushrooms are, on average, 90% water.
Another name is the field mushroom umbrella. His hat, as a rule, is white-gray, sometimes pale yellow or beige, fat with lagging scales. The size of the cap in diameter is from 7 to 13 cm, in the shape of young mushrooms the cap is egg-shaped, then gradually becoming almost flat, at the edges bordered by dull white fibers. A brown tubercle is clearly visible in the center. The plates on the back of the cap are numerous and free; if the mushroom is old, they are brown or with a brown tint. 
The leg is cylindrical, hollow inside, from 4 to 14 cm high. Slightly curved, white to the ring, darker below. It turns brown when touched.
The pulp is white with a pleasant aroma; if cut or cut, the color does not change.
They grow from the second half of June until the end of October, they like glades, forest edges, meadows and pastures.
His hat can be beige, light brown or gray. The scales on the cap are fibrous. At first, the cap is also egg-like, but as it grows, it takes on the shape of a bell and finally forms into a flat one, with tucked edges. The diameter of the cap is from 7 to 22 cm. The plates are white or pale yellow, if you press, an orange, pink or ruddy color will appear. 
The leg is hollow, in the form of a cylinder, tapers upwards, from 6 to 26 cm long.
The pulp is white, brittle and fibrous, with a pleasant smell.
The blushing umbrella mushroom grows from the second half of June to the first days of November in deciduous forests, can be found in clearings, meadows, as well as in parks and city squares.
A variegated gray or beige fibrous cap with dark brown scales. At first, it is spherical or egg-shaped, as it grows, it takes the shape of a cone, fully formed - very similar to an umbrella. The edges are curved towards the inner side, at the top there is a round dark mound. Numerous white or light gray plates are easily detached from the cap. Plates are white or light gray, numerous. 
Brown leg - from 10 to 35 cm, homogeneous, hollow inside, cylindrical, slightly tapering towards the cap. Easily detaches from the cap.
The pulp is white and loose, with a faint pleasant mushroom odor, tastes like champignon or walnut.
It grows from the second half of June to the first days of November. He loves sandy soils of forest meadows or forest edges, but can also be found in cities - in parks and squares.
Important! You should not collect edible umbrellas near highways, businesses and garbage dumps - these fungi absorb toxic substances and thus are dangerous to humans.
Inedible species
These false mushrooms in appearance are very similar to edible ones, however, their poisonous properties are extremely dangerous to humans, up to and including death. And the most dangerous of them are the comb umbrella and the chestnut umbrella.
This one is from the Champignon family, its cap is from 2 to 5 cm in diameter, in young ones it looks like a bell, and in mature ones it is already open, on top of the cap there are yellow-orange pointed scales. The color of the cap is red-brown, up to 5 cm in diameter.
The leg of an inedible mushroom is very thin, half a centimeter in diameter, hollow, cylindrical, expanding at the base, from 7 to 10 cm high. The ring is white or pink, narrow, disappears very quickly. Stem color ranges from yellow to pale yellow. 
The flesh of the comb umbrella is white with fibrous specks. The smell is unpleasant and pungent.
This species is also called chestnut lepiota. Also from the Champignon family. A red or brown hat with a diameter of 2 to 4 centimeters. Initially ovoid, then spread out, on top - scaly, with small hard chestnut scales. The plates gradually turn yellow.
The leg is cylindrical, widening downward. The ring is white, but disappears over time. 
The pulp is reddish or brown in color, which is clearly visible if cut, with an unpleasant odor. When touched, it is extremely fragile.
Other names are scaly lepiota or brown-red lepiota. A deadly poisonous mushroom containing cyanides.
The diameter of the cap is from 2 to 4 centimeters, and up to 6 centimeters are found. Flat, may be open with a bulge, pale yellowish or gray-brown with a cherry-colored tint. Slightly drooping edges. Above, on the cap, in the form of concentric circles, dark scales merge in the center and form a dark red continuous coating. 
A short, cylindrical leg with a characteristic fibrous ring in the middle. The color of the leg above the ring is creamy, below the ring is dark cherry.
The pulp is compacted, at the top of the leg and in the cap is pale yellow, the bottom of the leg is dark red. The smell in young mushrooms is fruity, in old or dry ones it is sharply unpleasant of bitter almonds.
The cap is scarlet-pink, in young mushrooms it is protruding in the center with a tubercle, in mature mushrooms it is even, open. On the breaks of the cover, there are small silky scales. The plates are white, free.
The leg is straight, somewhat thickened at the bottom. In young, fibrous pale pink, in ripe - smooth red. A ring that resembles a bracelet, sliding. 
The pulp is white, loose; if cut, it acquires a light pink tint.
Important! If you are not sure what kind of mushroom it is, you cannot touch it!
The main differences: how to choose edible mushrooms
There are no one hundred percent ways to distinguish edible mushrooms from dangerous ones by eye, but there are signs by which you can recognize a good and safe umbrella mushroom:
- The first and most important sign is that the mushroom must be fresh.
- The hat is 8 to 25 (maybe up to 35) centimeters in diameter.
- The leg is thin and elongated (from 10 to 25 centimeters in height and 0.8 to 2 centimeters in diameter, thickened from top to bottom with frequent small scales. There should be a membranous ring freely moving up and down and back) on the leg.
- An absolutely edible mushroom must be large, with a cap of at least 25 centimeters.
A few more tips: take only what is well known; do not touch small mushrooms if it is difficult to determine what kind of mushroom it is by their appearance; do not touch the parts of the mushrooms.
Mushroom storage rules
Fresh ones should be stored in the refrigerator in an open container or paper packaging for air access, but in this case they should be eaten for one or two days. Another way is to salt it. Clean the umbrellas, rinse, sprinkle with salt and put under oppression in a cool place. The shelf life of salted umbrellas is from two to three months. You can also freeze, but the temperature should not be higher than minus 18 degrees. In frozen form, umbrellas are stored from four months to six months. Or you can simply dry it, then the umbrellas will retain their properties for about a year. 
How to cook umbrellas in batter
The process of cooking umbrellas in batter is quite simple and does not take much time. The main thing is knowledge of how to cook properly. We will tell you about this.
Grocery list
To prepare umbrellas in batter you will need:
- opened umbrella hats;
- chicken eggs;
- salt;
- pepper;
- Italian Provencal herbs (optional);
- vivo dried umbrellas (if any);
- flour;
- vegetable oil.
Cooking recipe with photo
- Cut off the opened umbrella hats - 7 pieces.
- Remove parts of the legs from the caps (if any), then rinse and dry the caps well.
- Cut each cap into two pieces.
- Break two chicken eggs in a deep bowl.
- Add a heaped teaspoon of salt and spices to the eggs (to taste).
- Add half a teaspoon of pepper and a pinch of Provencal herbs (to taste).
- Crumble the cap of a naturally dried umbrella (if any).
- Stir the composition evenly with a kitchen whisk.
- While mixing, gently add flour in proportion to one egg - one tablespoon of flour.
- Stir until the lumps disappear.
- Dip the mushrooms in the prepared batter and fry in vegetable oil at a short distance from each other in a pan.
- Fry for three to four minutes on each side.
Video: how to cook an umbrella mushroom
What are the benefits of umbrella mushrooms
The benefits of umbrella mushrooms are determined by the chemical composition, which contains a large amount of useful bioactive substances. Due to their low calorie content, they contribute to weight loss, due to their low glycemic index, they activate the digestive process and thereby saturate, and also cleanse from toxins.
In addition, umbrella mushrooms:- have an antitumor effect;
- neutralize bacterial activity;
- rejuvenate the cells of the body;
Did you know? Due to its bactericidal properties, the powder from the dried umbrella legs purifies and heals the air in the living area.
Compound
The umbrella is generously endowed with healing substances by nature, in it:
- proteins - 2.4 g;
- fat - 1.3 g;
- carbohydrates - 0.5 g;
- ash compounds - 1.2 g;
- saturated fatty acids - 0.2 g;
- vitamin PP (NE);
- vitamin B1 (thiamine):
- vitamin B2 (riboflavin);
- vitamin B3 (nicotinic acid);
- vitamin B6 (pyridoxine);
- vitamin B9 (folic acid);
- vitamin C (ascorbic acid);
- vitamin E (tocopherol);
- vitamin K (phylloquinone).
In addition, the umbrella is rich in trace elements - sodium, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus. He is not deprived of amino acids, there are 17 of them, and among them the most important for the human body are glutamine, tyrosine, leucine, arginine.
Beneficial features
The systematic use of umbrellas will allow you to feel positive changes in well-being. And this is due to the useful properties of umbrellas, with the help of which it happens:
- improving the work of the cardiovascular system;
- decrease in nervousness;
- increasing resistance to infectious diseases;
- reducing the risk of contracting cancer;
- activation of the immune system;
- antioxidant effect.
Harm and contraindications
Although the umbrella has a lot of useful properties, it can nevertheless be harmful. The fungus is contraindicated for people suffering from ailments of the intestines, liver or pancreas, it will be harmful to both young children under five years of age and women during lactation.
And it can harm healthy people if you eat too much - the result will be stomach pain, flatulence and cramps.
Umbrella mushrooms are an uncommon delicacy on the tables. Nevertheless, it is possible to prepare delicious and wholesome delicacies from them, which will generously enrich the human body with vitamins and other healing substances.
The "Umbrella" mushroom belongs to the Champignon genus, but it is completely different from them with its exotic appearance, more precisely, an extraordinary shape with a hat that resembles an umbrella in shape. In our forests you can find "Umbrellas" edible and poisonous. Thanks to their excellent taste, their edible varieties are highly regarded by experienced mushroom pickers. They grow practically all over the world in mixed and deciduous forests, less often found in parks and meadows.
In forests, they grow in areas where there are accumulations of leaves or branches. The largest mushrooms can grow up to several tens of centimeters in length.
Edible varieties of mushroom "Umbrella"
Poisonous varieties
- Comb umbrella or "silverfish" ("crested lepiota"). In appearance, this mushroom resembles edible variegated and red umbrellas, but unlike its counterparts, it is poisonous. When eaten, it provokes poisoning, the typical symptoms of intoxication are severe vomiting, convulsions, cramps in the intestines, diarrhea and headache.
The hat is white, less often gray, beige or pinkish, but with time it acquires a brown tint. Its dimensions are small, the surface is covered with many brown plates. A mushroom can be recognized by its characteristic growths on its outer side, forming many scales, which resemble scallops in shape.
The stem is thin and short, yellow or reddish in color, has a fibrous structure. In the middle of the leg, young mushrooms have a thickening in the form of a ring, but over time it disappears. Another distinguishing feature of the comb umbrella is its rotten, unpleasant odor.
It grows from July to October, grows in fields, in thickets of nettles, on the side of the road, in fields and meadows, often found in parks and squares in cities.
2. Lepiota poisonous( brownish red or chestnut)
Another inedible variety of umbrellas, lepiota is considered deadly poisonous.
Her hat is small, gray-red in color, covered with circles consisting of dark brown scales. On its inner side, there are many thin yellowish plates that secrete poisonous spores that are toxic to humans.
The leg is cylindrical, pinkish, sometimes brown, without thickening.
Symptoms of lepiota poisoning appear within a few minutes after eating it. The fungus is extremely dangerous because it can cause cardiac arrest and even death of the victim. Grows in forests of mixed, deciduous and coniferous types, less often in meadows and summer cottages. Fruiting from July to late October.
After reviewing a detailed description of what the "Umbrella" mushroom looks like, photos, edible and poisonous species, you can get a clear idea of these rather unusual families.
Umbrella girlish in the photo 
Hat 8-12 cm, thick-fleshed in the photo
Umbrella girlish (Macrolepiota puellaris) Is an edible mushroom.
The cap is 8-12 cm, thick-fleshed, thinner at the edges, ovoid, spherical, later convex-prostrate, with a low tubercle, umbellate, white, the tubercle is pale brownish, glabrous, the rest of the surface is covered with fibrous white triangular scales with a lagging tip, with a thin fringed edge. The entire surface of the cap is covered with very large lagging beige or white, later nutty, scales.
The plates are first white with a pink tint, then darken, brown from touch. The plates are free, easily separated from the cap, wide, white, light pink. Stem 5-10 cm long, 1-2 cm thick, with tuberous thickening, fibrous white in the lower part, later dirty brown. In the upper third of the stem, there is a white, soft, freely moving ring. The pulp is wadded, white, slightly reddening in the cut, at the base of the leg with a radish smell, without a special taste. The spore powder is whitish, whitish-cream. The leg can be pulled out of the cap.
This edible umbrella mushroom grows near barnyards, in coniferous and deciduous forests.
Requires boiling for 15 minutes. Young umbrella hats are suitable for making soup or boiling. Large open caps can be fried whole in a pan.
Umbrella blushing in the photo
Umbrella blushing, or shaggy(Macrolepiota rhacodes) is a lamellar mushroom. Another name is shaggy umbrella. It grows in small groups from early July until the first frost, giving consistently high yields annually. He chooses mixed and coniferous forests as habitats, especially young spruce forests, as well as nutrient-rich garden and greenhouse soils and areas in the vicinity of anthills.
In addition, he loves the company of gray and purple. It grows in large numbers in abandoned livestock pens, sometimes on forest edges, along rivers and roads. In deciduous, mixed, coniferous forests, prefers woodland. Often forms "witch circles".
The mushroom is edible. The cap is 10-18 cm, initially pistil-shaped in young mushrooms, bell-shaped, later hemispherical, in mature mushrooms it is umbellate, grayish-brownish or grayish-yellow-ocher, with a smoothed tubercle of a darker color.
As you can see in the photo, in the umbrella mushroom of this species, the entire surface of the cap is covered with large lagging fibrous brown scales, except for the smooth brown middle:
The plates are white, free, with age and damage they turn reddish-brown.
Stem 10-20 cm long, 2-3 cm thick, with significant tuberous thickening, fibrous white or reddish-brown in the lower part. In the upper third of the peduncle, there is a white or reddish soft, freely moving ring.
The flesh is loose, white, tender; when cut, it first turns yellow, then turns orange and finally turns brown. The taste and smell are pleasant.
Umbrellas are found in July, August and September.
The danger is represented by inedible and poisonous mushrooms like an umbrella from the genus Lepiota (Lepiota). They have a small open cap size - only 2-5 cm.
Young umbrella hats are good for soup or boiling. Large open caps are fried whole in a pan.
Season. July - October.
Umbrella Motley in the photo
By description, it is similar to a variegated umbrella mushroom (M. procera), the flesh of which does not turn red;
with an umbrella mushroom (M. excoriata) growing outside the forest;
with Lepiota puellaris, sometimes considered a subspecies of the blushing umbrella, with an almost white cap and often curving at the base of the stem.
All of these species are edible.
It can be confused with the considered poisonous form of the blushing umbrella (M. rhacodes var. Hortensis), characterized by a shorter and thicker stem, the toxicity of which is probably exaggerated.
This species grows outside the forest, often on compost heaps, on fertilized soil. The authors consumed these mushrooms after the obligatory boiling without harmful consequences. Probably, some people have an individual intolerance to this shape of the umbrella.
It is necessary to beware of accidental falling into the basket of poisonous lepiota (L. helveola, syn .: L. brunneo-incarnuta), an autumn fungus that is small in size, red scales and a fragile ring, but this fungus is extremely rare.
Use. Less tasty than a variegated umbrella mushroom, although it has good nutritional qualities and is used boiled, fried, dried, as fillings. Young mushrooms, when the caps are not yet covered with scales, can be pickled. Only hats are used for food. It is better not to collect old fibrous caps, since they are difficult to digest. As a last resort, they can be dried and ground into powder.
Here you can see photos of umbrella mushrooms, which are described on this page:
The hat of the Motley's umbrella is 12-25 cm in diameter, in young mushrooms it is ovoid-rounded, then bell-shaped, and in mature mushrooms it is spread like an umbrella (hence the name of the mushroom), in the center with a tubercle, whitish, grayish or gray-brown, in the middle is darker, with large, soft brownish-brown scales, easily detached from the skin.
The umbrella is colorful, or large (Macrolepiota procera) grows near cattle yards, in coniferous and deciduous forests, on sandy and calcareous soils in thinned forests and shrubs, on forest edges, clearings, clearings, along roads, in gardens and parks, sometimes forms "witch's rings".
The mushroom is edible.
Pay attention to the photo - in this edible umbrella mushroom, the entire surface of the cap is covered with large lagging brown scales:
The plates are white or beige, free, separated from the stem by a collar, slightly reddening with age, frequent, wide, with an even edge. Leg 12-40 cm long, 2-3 cm thick, with tuberous thickening, fibrous in the lower part, white or beige, below the ring with transverse brown stripes like "snakeskin". In the upper third of the leg there is a soft, freely moving ring. The pulp is wadded, white, loose, thick, does not change at the break, without a special smell, with a pleasant taste.
The leg can be pulled out of the cap.
A little-known edible mushroom of the fourth category. Used at a young age, as long as the cap retains its ovoid shape. It can be boiled, fried, and dried to make mushroom powder.
Umbrellas are found in July, August and September.
Mastoid umbrella (Macrolepiota mastoidea) in the photo 
the surface of the cap is covered with large brown scales like "snakeskin".
Mastoid umbrella (Macrolepiota mastoidea) is a rather rare lamellar mushroom. It grows in the forest on the forest floor and in meadows overgrown with grass, in clearings, as well as in parks, exclusively alone.
The mushroom is edible. The cap is 8-15 cm, at first pistillate, then convex, finally open with a conical brown hump in the center. The plates are frequent, adherent, white, later cream. Stem 10-16 cm long, 2-3 cm thick, hollow, slender, with tuberous thickening in the lower part, white, covered with small brownish scales. On the upper third of the leg there is a soft, freely moving ring. The pulp is wadded white, does not change color on the cut, with a pleasant smell and nutty taste. Upon contact with air, its color does not change.
The umbrella mushroom belongs to the fourth category of mushrooms.Only the caps of young mushrooms are eaten, which can be boiled or fried.
Umbrellas are found in July, August and September.
The danger is represented by inedible and poisonous mushrooms like an umbrella from the genus Lepiota (Lepiota). They have a small open cap size - only 2-5 cm.
Umbrellas white and amiana
Mushroom Umbrella white in the photo 
The leg is rounded, wider at the base,
Umbrella white- a rather rare edible lamellar mushroom, owing its name to the external resemblance to an umbrella. Grows singly and in groups from mid-July to late September in open areas of coniferous or deciduous forests, as well as in pastures, meadows and along roadsides.
The spherical cap of the mushroom becomes prostrate over time. Its average diameter is about 8-10 cm. The skin is fine-scaled, light brown in color with a brown center. In mature mushrooms, it gradually becomes covered with a dense network of cracks. The spore-bearing layer consists of thin white plates forming a cartilaginous protrusion around the stem. The stem is rounded, wider at the base, hollow inside, 6–8 cm high and no more than 1 cm in diameter. The surface of the stem is covered with small scales, at the cap it is whitish, brown at the base. The leg is adorned with a distinctive two-layer white movable ring. During the growth of the mushroom, the pulp changes its color from white to gray. In the cap it is thin and delicate, and in the stem it is fibrous and tough.
The white umbrella mushroom belongs to the fourth category of mushrooms. Only caps of young mushrooms are used for food, which can be subjected to all types of culinary processing.
Similarity. Similar to other edible umbrellas. Unlike poisonous fly agarics, the stem of the umbrellas is not located in the vagina. They differ from champignons in white plates.
It is dangerous to confuse with poisonous lepiota (Lepiota helveola, syn .: L. brunneo-incarnuta), which has a gray-red cap with concentric scales, slightly pinkish flesh and much smaller size.
Umbrella amiant on the photo 
Cystoderma amianthinum pictured
Umbrella amiant(spinous cystoderm, Cystoderma amianthinum) has a cap with a diameter of 2-5 cm, thin fleshy, at first semicircular, later flat, with a wide obtuse tubercle in the center, dry, granular mealy with a fleecy edge, ocher yellow or ocher brown, sometimes yellow. The plates are adherent to the pedicle, frequent, narrow, thin. In addition to the plates, there are plates, whitish, then yellowish. The leg is solid, later hollow with a ring (which quickly disappears) in the upper part, like a raised collar, above which it is granular-mealy, and below it is scaly-granular. The pulp is whitish-yellowish with a faint, indefinite odor. It grows on forest litter, coniferous litter, moss and grass, sometimes in meadows with acidic soils, in groups from June to November. It is not common.
Cooking. Considered a little-known edible mushroom. It is used for food after pre-boiling.
This video shows mushroom umbrellas in their natural habitat:
The umbrella is a wonderful mushroom that is often found in our forests. Unfortunately, this delicious mushroom is not popular, as many mushroom pickers are afraid to confuse it with toadstools.
Why is a mushroom called an "umbrella"?
The umbrella mushroom really resembles an umbrella. In the forest you can find huge umbrellas, which sometimes line up in "witch circles", up to 40 cm high with a hat up to 30 cm in diameter. This mushroom opens up like a real umbrella: at first the plates ("knitting needles") are closely pressed to the leg ("umbrella handle"), then they move away from it and take a horizontal position. Such similarities are striking, so few doubt the accuracy of the name. Many edible mushrooms have poisonous counterparts. Umbrellas are no exception. Moreover, not all umbrella mushrooms are edible. Therefore, you should never forget the main rule of a mushroom picker - take only those mushrooms that you know well.
This is not a fly agaric!
Many types of umbrella mushrooms are tasty edible mushrooms, but often mushroom pickers do not pick them up and knock them off with their feet, believing that they have found (porphyry or panther). Let's try to list the main differences between these very different mushrooms. Let's start with the scales. The scales on the cap of the fly agaric are the remnants of the blanket of young mushrooms. As the fungus grows, they keep getting weaker. The hats of old fly agarics are often smooth, with sparse scales. In the umbrella mushroom, the scales on the cap do not appear immediately. The central part of the cap remains without scales. It is darker and smoother. The stem of an adult umbrella mushroom has a three-layer ring that can be moved up and down the stem. There is no blanket or its remnants at the base of the leg.
The thin umbrella can be confused with some inedible mushrooms, such as the purple acutesquamose umbrella, which smells unpleasant and tastes bitter. There are other umbrella mushrooms that can lead to poisoning or stomach upset. For example, an inedible comb umbrella with a hat with a diameter of 2 - 5 cm. It is not necessary to collect a masteoid umbrella (a hat of 8 - 12 cm). His cap is covered with granular scales, white plates. There is also a lethally poisonous fleshy reddish umbrella, the cap of which is only 2 - 6 cm in diameter.
Edible umbrellas, variegated, thin and blushing, are so different in appearance from any "double" that it is not difficult to identify them. However, if in doubt, it is better to pass by, leaving these umbrellas to more experienced mushroom pickers.
Mushroom umbrella motley, thin and blushing
In our forests, the umbrella is motley, thin and reddening more often. It is worth noting that there is confusion in popular literature regarding the definition of umbrella mushroom species. Especially the red umbrella suffers from this, which in some reference books is accompanied by the stigma "poisonous", and in others it is recommended as a very tasty mushroom. Most likely, a fleshy reddish umbrella is meant. In addition, the same umbrella mushroom is often presented under different species names ("motley" - "great" - "big", etc.). The motley umbrella is more often found in birch and mixed forests, the places are chosen where it is lighter: meadows, forest edges and even pastures. Its miniature copy is a thin umbrella with a cap up to 10 cm in diameter and a leg up to 15 cm high. Another thing is a blushing (shaggy) mushroom umbrella. He prefers coniferous forests. The blushing umbrella is slightly smaller than the motley one. The edges of its scaly cap are slightly wavy. This species is easily distinguished by its pulp, which quickly turns red (or slightly reddened) in all sections. Adult mushrooms may have a pinkish discoloration.
Young umbrellas are the tastiest
How to cook an umbrella mushroom?
The umbrella mushroom, or rather, its hat, is very tasty. The stem of this mushroom is discarded as it is made up of long, tough fibers. Try frying the hat in vegetable oil. I am sure that you will like it so much that the umbrella will become one of your favorite mushrooms. I happily eat a hat that is well fried on both sides (like a pancake). First from the side of the plates. You can pre-roll it in flour, bread crumbs or beaten egg. This mushroom (fresh and dry) is also good for soup. Young umbrellas are salted and pickled. The umbrella cooks quickly, almost like mushrooms. Some people eat this mushroom raw, using it in salads or making sandwiches with it. Scales on the cap do not need to be removed. Gourmets cook an umbrella mushroom not only in a frying pan, but also on the oven rack (with a tray) or barbecue. Necessarily with herbs, pepper and garlic. It turns out very tasty.
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