False mushrooms are large. False mushrooms: description, photo. What do summer mushrooms look like

“Well, who doesn’t know what mushrooms look like?” you say. Really! Sometimes even scientists involved in the study of fungi find it difficult to determine their type. And mushrooms, by the way, are very different, unlike each other, and also deadly poisonous.

Such different mushrooms ...

Honey mushrooms are one of the most common mushrooms in the world. From a scientific point of view, the group of mushrooms Agaric is the most "motley". For non-biologists, these are mushrooms growing on stumps or trees (hence the name), but for scientists, this group is much wider. It includes mushrooms from the forest floor and growing in the grass.

But there is another more exciting ability in these mushrooms - they belong to bioluminescent organisms. This means that mushrooms glow in the dark. But these greenish reflections are so weak that under normal conditions, even on a moonless night in the middle of the forest, it is almost imperceptible.

Different types of honey mushrooms can have different forms and color. Their smooth caps come in shades of red-brown to yellow-brown. In shape, there are small rounded, bell-shaped or flat. And the mushrooms themselves can appear either singly or in families, which sometimes consist of several dozen mushrooms.

There are different opinions about edibility again. Some consider them unfit for human consumption, although mycologists say that among them there are both good and inedible. True, the people of science, having analyzed the nutritional value, attributed them to products of 3-4 categories. However, for many mushroom pickers, they remain the best for pickling. And it is honey agaric lovers " silent hunting» open the season as these mushrooms appear in early spring, long before boletus, boletus, oil, porcini mushrooms or saffron milk caps.

Beginning mushroom pickers, perhaps, had to hear about false mushrooms, which, although they resemble real ones, are poisonous. However, not everything is so simple: even researchers find it difficult to determine which category a particular specimen belongs to. These are such diverse and unique organisms that some do not even resemble mushrooms. But the most interesting thing is that some representatives of the species are able to change their appearance, depending on weather conditions or the characteristics of the wood they feed on. Experienced mushroom pickers and mycologists are ready for such transformations again, but for beginners it is difficult to determine edible and inedible only by typical external characteristics.

Inedible and conditionally edible mushrooms are considered to be "false".

But the danger is that even conditionally edible ones have poisonous counterparts. If “false” ones were lost among the collected mushrooms, then after thorough soaking and proper cooking they will not cause poisoning. Twins are just as dangerous as pale grebes. But the dangers don't end there. You can also get poisoned with real mushrooms, especially the old representatives of the "family". Poorly washed or undercooked foods cause dizziness, nausea, and vomiting. In some, poisoning is accompanied by an increase in blood pressure, tachycardia, nosebleeds, and in severe cases, hemorrhages in the brain tissue.

Poisoning with poisonous gifts of the forest manifests itself differently. The first signs are a sharp decline blood pressure, slowing of the pulse, loss of consciousness. Up to 6 hours after eating a poisonous mushroom, vomiting, diarrhea, intestinal colic appear, which are not eliminated by medication. Most cases of poisoning with false mushrooms are fatal. As a rule, up to 10 days after eating.

In order for the "silent hunt" not to end in trouble, you first have to learn as much as possible about mushrooms. But we hasten to reassure: this does not mean that novice mushroom pickers will have to become a mycologist. There is no need to study the characteristics of all known to science mushrooms and their counterparts, it is enough to focus on those that are found in local forests. And what are "found" - this will already be prompted by more experienced "hunters" for mushrooms. But the most correct rule best advice: If in doubt, don't take it! So, the most common and most recognizable mushrooms are winter, summer and autumn. We will talk about them in detail.

Winter honey agaric, or Flammulina velutipes

The fruiting of this species begins at the end of September, and if weather conditions allow, it will produce crops during the winter. You can find this mushroom on the remains deciduous trees. Recognizable thanks to the smooth honey-brown cap (semi-spherical in young mushrooms and flat in old ones). At high humidity, the hat becomes slippery. The plates under it are creamy, like the pulp on the cut. But there should not be any scales or rings on the leg - this is a sign of poisonous twins.

Scientists attribute this mushroom to conditionally edible, and mushroom pickers - to the most delicious representatives of honey mushrooms. Some of them are grown on summer cottages or on the balcony. They say that homemade winter mushrooms are even tastier than forest mushrooms. Plus, it's definitely safe.

Spring honey agaric, or Collybia dryophila

Appears in forests in spring or early summer. These mushrooms love rotten wood and forest floor. Spring mushrooms are recognized by their two-tone hat (dark in the center and light at the edges), there are no rings or scales on the stem. And although in the scientific literature it is called conditionally edible, mushroom pickers are happy with it and love it for its bright aroma and “meatiness”.

White slimy honey fungus, or Oudemansiella mucida

These are also spring-summer mushrooms. White slimy mushrooms “settle” on fallen trees, live beeches and maples, the trunks of which they can “stick around” to the very branches. They are creamy grey, sticky in all weathers, their stipe ringed but not scaled. Mushroom pickers and mycologists agree that it is a safe, tasty and fragrant mushroom.

Summer honey agaric, or Kuehneromyces mutabilis

It grows on birch stumps, and in mountainous regions - on the remains of coniferous trees, in August-October. Easily recognizable in rainy weather when its 8 cm sticky cap draws in moisture and becomes two-tone (light brown in the center, dark brown or brown at the edges). In sunny weather, the mushrooms are monophonic, honey-yellow. The young have a convex hat, the old flat-convex. Distinctive features: leg with small scales and a ring, brown-cream plates under the cap.

Autumn mushroom, or Armillaria mellea

Garlic

This is the so-called atypical representative of mushrooms, feature which has a pronounced odour. It never grows on wood; it does not have the ring on the leg that is characteristic of honey agaric. Garlic grows on dry forest floor from late summer and autumn. This is a small mushroom, its cap is never more than 5 cm in diameter (in older representatives it is prostrate or even slightly inverted), and the stem is not thicker than half a centimeter. Garlic stalks range in color from brownish to white, and the tough stalks are brownish-black. Garlic is consumed fresh, they are good for salting, as well as for making seasonings from dried mushrooms.

Honey agaric meadow

It is also an atypical honey agaric growing among the grass in meadows, glades, pastures, in gardens, near roads. Usually meadow mushrooms appear in the first days of summer and bear fruit until October. But they grow in a very specific way - forming rows or circles in the grass, which the people called witch rings. This type of mushroom is recognized by the absence of a ring on the stem, by a small (up to 5 cm) hat, light at the edges and brown in the center, as well as by a pleasant taste and smell. It is thanks to these gastronomic characteristics that the small meadow mushroom is very popular among mushroom pickers.

IN summer period inexperienced mushroom pickers sometimes confuse edible mushrooms with false ones - seroplastic and sulfur-yellow. The former are reminiscent of summer ones in many respects. Recognize poisonous mushroom by the absence of a ring and scales, as well as by gray plates under a rusty-brown hat. Appear exclusively in coniferous forests in mid-July. Despite the fact that “false” appears in the name, gray-plastic mushrooms can be consumed after careful heat treatment, although the older ones have a rotten taste.

Sulfur-yellow mushrooms appear in spring on rotting stumps of deciduous trees. Their rounded yellow-olive caps and yellow-green or purple-brown plates are a clear sign of toxicity. The taste and smell of the pulp is bitter.

Candoll's false honey agaric can also be confused with summer mushrooms due to inexperience. Groups of these organisms "inhabit" stumps and living deciduous trees (mainly in the shade, from May to September). They are recognized by their almost white color, the absence of a ring on the stem and by grayish or dark brown plates. After prolonged soaking and several hours of cooking, they are quite acceptable as food.

An extremely dangerous twin of summer mushrooms is the bordered galerina. This mushroom is slightly smaller than the summer mushroom (hat up to 4 cm), the stem is not scaly, but fibrous, but otherwise it very much resembles an edible mushroom. Appears in various forests from June to October, most of all loves rotten coniferous stumps and ignores birch. According to the content of toxic substances, it is equivalent to pale grebe.

The honey agaric thick-legged reminds autumn mushroom, and some mushroom pickers consider both specimens to be a variety of the same species. The main signs of false autumn mushrooms: they "live" on the litter, bear fruit constantly, and not in waves, Bottom part their legs are thicker. But even if such a mushroom ended up in the basket, do not worry - it is edible. But it is advised to use only hats for food, as the legs are very tough.

Yellow-red honey agaric appears at the end of August on coniferous wood. It differs from the autumn edible "brother" in an excessively bright color, smaller sizes (caps up to 7 cm), the absence of a ring and the bitter taste of the pulp.

The brick-red mushroom that appears at the height of the autumn mushroom season is called poisonous. Identified by the red velvety hat, the absence of scales and the ring on the leg. More common in deciduous forests, where there is a lot of sun and fresh air, less often - in pine forests.

No less dangerous twin of garlic and meadow agaric - whitish talker (deadly dangerous mushroom). Her main feature- grayish White color hats, which, unlike meadow mushrooms, are flat.

The benefits and harms of mushrooms

Honey mushrooms are a low-calorie product: 100 grams contain no more than 22 kcal. But at the same time, mushrooms remain a good source, as well as, and. Like other representatives of the mushroom family, mushrooms are rich and. Interestingly, the concentration of calcium and phosphorus in these small mushrooms is close to that in fish. A lot of mushrooms and iron, which makes them an indispensable product for people with low hemoglobin.

Researchers have proven the antimicrobial and anti-cancer abilities of these mushrooms. They are useful for getting rid of E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus, and also as a medicinal food for thyroid dysfunctions. Phosphorus-rich mushrooms are beneficial for strong bones, healthy teeth, and adequate functioning of the central nervous system. Copper and zinc make the product important for the peripheral nervous system as well as maintaining spinal health. Some members of the mushroom family contain a lot, which makes them useful for visual acuity, skin elasticity and strong hair. Thanks to vitamins E and C, these mushrooms have a beneficial effect on the immune and hormonal systems.

But for people with diseases of the digestive system, it is better to refuse this product. Another point that is important to know: mushrooms - not best source. The digestibility of proteins from mushrooms is several times lower than from porcini mushrooms. Even a healthy body does not absorb honey mushrooms well in combination with the test. And when frying, the pulp of mushrooms absorbs fat very quickly and in large portions. Pickled or salted mushrooms loved by many can cause swelling, and large portions of autumn ones can cause diarrhea. Boiled mushrooms are considered the most useful.

How to grow winter mushrooms

This is perhaps the only mushroom that can be grown not only on garden plot but also on the balcony or windowsill.
Squeeze and transfer to 3-liter jars (fill half way). Then sterilize the vessels with the substrate for 2 hours. Repeat the procedure the next day. When the contents of the jars have cooled to 25 degrees, close with nylon lids, in which to make holes (about 2 cm in diameter). Pour mycelium through them (about 7% of the mass of the substrate). Put the "seeded" jar for 30 days in a warm (not lower than 20-24 degrees), but a dark place. With the advent of the first "sprouts" transfer to the northern window sill, and then to the balcony (keep the temperature at least 10 degrees). When the mushrooms grow to the lid, open the jar and wrap a wide strip of cardboard around the neck. On the 10th day after the appearance of "shoots" you can harvest. Cut the mushrooms, remove the legs from the substrate and send again closed jar into the dark and warm place. The next harvest will appear in 2 weeks. One jar can "give birth" to 1-2 kg of tasty, healthy and, most importantly, safe winter mushrooms.

Despite the fact that Europeans do not really like these mushrooms, they remain tasty and healthy. The main thing is to know which ones are edible and which ones you should stay away from. And what to cook from fragrant mushrooms - every housewife knows.

Not all mushroom lovers can recognize inedible or poisonous varieties among forest gifts. And false mushrooms are also not always amenable to classification, their different types belong to several families. And only experienced mushroom pickers confidently collect edible specimens, although cases of poisoning by them are also known. This is due to the species variability of representatives of this very common and numerous family of agaric fungi.

They have brightly colored brick-brown or red-brown caps. Mushrooms with bright yellow caps are especially dangerous. They are smooth, evenly colored, sticky to the touch. The same bright colors are present with reverse side hats false mushrooms. Their plates are green, yellow or dark olive. Sometimes they are covered with a thin cobweb-like film.

These representatives of the forest flora have a heavy smell of dampness, sometimes they smell like earth. This is due to the fact that they lack useful organic oils.

Features of false mushrooms (video)

Photo gallery

Places of growth of false mushrooms

All justify their name by the fact that they grow mainly on or around stumps. They surround the trunks of fallen trees, they are found on rotten trees or in moss, sometimes they do not disdain even outwardly healthy trees. And they are always large mushroom families, “drawing” large circles. Often, on the spot, you can pick up a full box of mushrooms.

What do false mushrooms look like

There are about two dozen species of mushrooms that are not suitable for food, there are much more of them than edible ones. Most often there are such varieties.

Outwardly, this is a very beautiful and bright mushroom. In young specimens, it is domed, and with time it opens and becomes up to 8 cm in diameter. It is bright brown along the edges, and bright brick in the center. Its surface is smooth, there are no scales on it. Mushroom flesh is light yellow. The spore plates are firmly attached to the stem. At first they are yellow, then turn brown, and in adult specimens they are dark brown. Mushroom legs are thin and long, at the base they are denser, their color is dark closer to the ground, and light yellow at the top.

The fungus is distributed from late summer until frost on the remains of deciduous trees. He is attributed to inedible species.

This is extremely dangerous. It occurs both on decaying hardwoods and on the remains of coniferous trees. Its hat is slightly smaller than that of its brick-red counterpart, but undergoes the same transformations of its shape - from bell-shaped to prostrate. The edges are usually lighter - gray-yellow or yellow, and the center - a red-brown hue. Mushroom flesh is yellow with a repulsive odor. Numerous thin plates fit snugly to the stem. In young specimens they are yellow. Then they become green, and in old specimens - almost black with an olive or chocolate tint.

The stem of the mushroom is empty and thin, growing in length up to ten centimeters. Sometimes you can meet a family numbering up to fifty fused mushrooms. Fruiting is observed from the end of spring until the first frost. These mushrooms have such strong toxins that even one specimen caught among a whole pot of edible counterparts is enough to get serious poisoning at the risk of life. Moreover, the poison passes to all forest gifts prepared in one container, making them also dangerous.

The second name of the fungus is gray-lamellar honey agaric. A seven-centimeter hat in the form of a hemisphere, then opens, often keeping the remains of the bedspread in the form of a thin film along the edges. The color of the cap, depending on the humidity, changes color from pale yellow to bright brown. The edges of the cap are lighter than the middle. Its flesh is light, with a smell of dampness. Thin plates, tightly attached to the stem, are first light yellow, and later have a color like that of poppy seeds. The thin and long curving leg is bright brown at the base, and yellow at the top.

The fungus appears abundantly in late summer, preferring pine forests. Young specimens are classified as edible, but old specimens are tasteless.

How to distinguish false mushrooms from autumn ones (video)

Signs of poisoning with false mushrooms

Signs of poisoning with false mushrooms appear soon after food enters the stomach. But depending on the type and portion dangerous twins reaction to them can occur in a few hours. Toxins, getting into the blood, spread throughout the body. Most of them get to the digestive organs. Symptoms of poisoning are similar to those of acute gastroenteritis, with the following observed:

nausea accompanied by severe vomiting.
pallor skin.
reusable liquid stool.
weakness, dizziness, increased sweating.
acute paroxysmal pain in the abdomen.

In case of poisoning with brick-red mushrooms, it also suffers nervous system. This is expressed in headache, high blood pressure, difficulty speaking and nosebleeds. In severe cases, intoxication occurs, threatening coma and even cardiac arrest.

Sulfur-yellow honey agaric is also dangerous because its toxins do not decompose during heat treatment. Toxic substances are preserved and even accumulated during the conservation of the insidious forest gift.

First aid for acute mushroom poisoning comes down to cleaning the gastrointestinal tract. It is necessary to provoke vomiting with a large amount of drunk boiled water. After that, you need to drink activated charcoal, washing it down with big amount liquids. In this case, mineral water without gas, broths are useful. You need to drink them in small portions every quarter of an hour.

Before the arrival of the ambulance, you need to lay the patient down, warming the limbs with a blanket and heating pads. In case of loss of consciousness, it is necessary to fix the tongue so that the victim does not suffocate.

How to distinguish a false mushroom from an edible mushroom

The main difference between dangerous doubles of honey mushrooms is the absence of a small ring of film remnants in the form of a “skirt” surrounding the leg from above. But sometimes it is not present on benign types of mushrooms, they can simply lose it.

In addition, they can be distinguished from real mushrooms by the following features:

Edible counterparts smell pleasant, while false ones give off earth or dampness.
good mushrooms"Wear" more modest clothes of a light brown or beige hue. And false brethren are different from edible mushrooms brick red or yellow caps.
In young real mushrooms, hats are scaly, while in false ones, they are smooth. But it is not possible to distinguish mature specimens by this feature, because. their scalyness disappears over time.
The spore plates on the reverse side of the cap also differ in color. In quality mushrooms, they are cream or off-white, while in their dangerous counterparts, they are dark: bluish, olive-black or dark gray.
During heat treatment, false mushrooms turn black or turn blue.

The most poisonous mushrooms in Russia (video)

If you are not an experienced mushroom picker and you are not sure about the quality of the harvested forest crop, you should not take risks. There can be no absolute guarantee of the identification of poisonous mushrooms when they are visually compared. With a significant species diversity, sometimes even professionals are mistaken in their identification. And the consequences of such a delusion are serious - up to cardiac arrest. Therefore, you need to collect only those mushrooms that you are familiar with.

Also look at the edible mushrooms in the photo very carefully, because in field conditions there will be nothing to compare the found instances with:

Mushroom mushrooms in the photo

Yellow-red edible mushrooms in the photo

The mushroom is edible. Yellow-red varieties of edible mushrooms adorn velvety caps 5-15 cm in diameter, in young specimens hemispherical, later convex, fleshy, covered with red scales at a young age, solid red, later yellow spots appear on the edge of the cap and where the light does not fall due to a fallen leaf or twig. The caps are dry, not slimy. The plates are often yellow or golden yellow. The leg is cylindrical, 6-15 cm long, 1-2 cm thick, yellow-red, velvety.

The description of edible mushrooms should be continued by the fact that they grow in mixed and coniferous forests on stumps, trunks and roots of coniferous trees, on the roots of dry pines.

Fruiting from July to October.

Toxic twin honey agaric yellow-red - sulfur-yellow rowing (Tricholoba sulphureum) easily distinguished by color fruiting body and an unpleasant acetylene smell of pulp.

The mushroom is slightly bitter. Some experts advise pre-boiling it before cooking.

Seasonal types of mushrooms mushrooms: photo and description

Look at the seasonal views of honey mushrooms in the photo, which shows the summer and autumn, winter mushrooms:

summer mushrooms
summer mushrooms

autumn mushrooms
autumn mushrooms

These types of mushrooms are very common, but only at certain times of the year. This is where their names come from.

Seasonal mushrooms, their types and descriptions are presented further on the page, you can see them in the photo:

Honey agaric winter
Honey agaric winter

Winter honey agaric in the photo

The mushroom is edible. Caps 2-8 cm, young - bell-shaped or convex, then prostrate, sticky, yellow-ocher or rusty-brown, with frequent white-ocher or white plates below. The legs are thin, velvety, without a ring, at first the color of the cap, not very hard, then they become dark brown or almost black and hard. The main distinguishing feature of winter honey agaric is a hard velvety leg. The intergrowths of its fruiting bodies look like fiery spots against the background of snow. The fungus has adapted to bear fruit during thaws in winter. It can be observed under a microscope how, when the temperature rises above zero, the cells of its mycelium that burst when freezing grow together.

It grows on dead and living tree trunks, as well as on the stumps of willow, poplar, birch and linden. Sometimes it can be found on coniferous trees.

Fruiting from September to December. Sometimes grows in the spring.

Has no poisonous twins.

Soups are cooked from winter mushrooms, hot salted, marinated in jars.

Summer honey agaric in the photo

The mushroom is edible. Caps 3-8 cm, at first hemispherical closed, then almost open, smooth from yellow to yellow-brown with a darker edge. The plates are pale clay-yellow, rusty-brown with age, in young mushrooms they are covered with a film of white or yellow. Leg hard, dense yellow-brown 3-8 cm long, 6-12 mm thick with a whitish ring, covered below the ring with lagging scales. Spore powder is rusty brown.

Grows on dead tree trunks, stumps, sometimes on land rich in woody debris. Splices contain a large number of mushrooms.
Summer honey agaric appears in June, sometimes even in May, bears fruit until September.

A poisonous mushroom resembles a summer honey agaric - bordered galerina (Galerina marginata). Her growths and mushrooms are much smaller, the ring is not obvious, but barely noticeable, the scales on the leg are white and pressed.

Only hats are used in preparations and dishes, the legs of old mushrooms are thrown away or left in the forest when harvested.

Autumn honey agaric in the photo

The mushroom is edible. Beautiful, rather fleshy caps 3-10 cm, at first hemispherical, then convex, dull due to small scales, yellow-cream, ocher-brown. At first, the plates are yellowish-white, hidden under the coverlet. Then the plates become ocher or brown. Legs 5-10 cm long, 1-2 cm thick, with remnants of a coverlet in the form of a white ring under the hat. The flesh in the cap is whitish with a pleasant smell.

In the birch forest, the autumn honey agaric captures a vast territory. The mycelium develops in stumps and in weakened trees, uniting with the help of strands up to 3 mm in diameter into a single organism.
They grow in large clusters from August to November.
A big harvest happens once every three years.

You can confuse autumn honey agaric with inedible red-brick false honey agaric (Hypholoma sublateritium), which is distinguished by later fruiting on the same stumps and bitter pulp.

Autumn honey agaric is edible after heat treatment or drying. Poisonous when cold salting.

Meadow mushrooms in the photo

Meadow mushrooms are edible species used in cooking in boiled and canned form.

Look at these types of mushrooms in the photo and in the description, which will distinguish meadow honey agaric from inedible mushrooms:

Meadow mushrooms
Meadow mushrooms

Caps 3-5 cm, at first hemispherical convex, then open with a blunt hump, smooth light ocher, sometimes light flesh-red. The plates are rare, adherent in young mushrooms, later free, ocher in wet weather, creamy whitish in dry weather. The mushroom cap does not age, droops in dry weather, restores elasticity during rain and rises on a leg. From this, in old mushrooms, the edge of the cap crumbles, the tips of the plates are visible from above. Leg 3-10 cm high, fine velvety light ocher, lower part ocher. The pulp is whitish sweetish with a sweetish slight aftertaste of cloves. The smell is pleasant. Spore powder is white.

Grows in the grass in clearings in the forest, on the lawn. Forms "witch circles".
The honey agaric bears fruit from June to October. In dry weather, the fungus is not visible in the grass.

There are no poisonous twins in the meadow agaric.

Other types of edible mushrooms: what they look like, photos

We offer you to look at other types of edible mushrooms in the photo, which illustrate appearances bulbous and dark honey agaric:

Mushroom bulbous

You need to know what edible mushrooms look like, since most of the species presented have false poisonous twins.

Agaric bulbous in the photo

The mushroom is edible. Beautiful, rather fleshy hats 3-10 cm. At first hemispherical, then convex, matte due to small scales, yellow-brown, sometimes with a meat-red tint. At first, the plates are yellowish-white, hidden under the coverlet. Then the plates become ocher or brown. Cap-colored legs 5-10 cm long, 1-2 cm thick, with remnants of a veil in the form of a white ring under the cap, with a bulbous thickening at the bottom. The flesh in the cap is whitish with a pleasant smell.

Grows mainly in birch forest, sometimes in orchards, coniferous forests. It occurs on old stumps, on the roots of stumps and trees so that it seems that it grows on the ground.
Occurs from August to October in clusters or single mushrooms.

It is possible to confuse bulbous honey agaric with inedible false red-brick honey agaric (Hypholoma sublateritium), which is distinguished by later fruiting on the same stumps and bitter pulp.

The bulbous honey agaric is edible after heat treatment or drying.

Poisonous when cold salting!

Agaric dark in the photo

The mushroom is edible. Beautiful, rather fleshy caps 3-10 cm, at first hemispherical, then convex, matte due to dark scales, ocher-brown. At first, the plates are yellowish-white, hidden under the coverlet. Then the plates become ocher or brown. Legs 5-10 cm long, 1-2 cm thick, with remnants of a bedspread in the form of a ring with a brown edge under the cap. The flesh in the cap is whitish with a pleasant smell.

IN coniferous forest honey agaric dark captures a vast territory. A 35-hectare mycelium was found in Swiss forests.
They grow in large clusters from August to November. A big harvest happens once every three years.
You can confuse dark honey agaric with inedible false red-brick honey agaric (Hypholoma sublateritium), which is distinguished by later fruiting on the same stumps and bitter pulp.

Dark honey agaric is edible after heat treatment or drying.

Poisonous when cold salting!

honey agaric translated from Latin into Russian means "bracelet". This name is not at all surprising, because if you look at the stump, on which mushrooms are most often comfortably located, you can see a peculiar form of mushroom growth in the form of a ring.

A small mushroom with a stem up to 7 cm high and 0.4 to 1 cm in diameter. The top of the leg is light, smooth, dark scales cover the bottom of the leg. The “skirt” is narrow, membranous, may disappear over time, due to falling spores it turns brownish. The diameter of the cap is from 3 to 6 cm. Young summer mushrooms are distinguished by a convex hat, as the mushroom grows, the surface flattens, but a noticeable light tubercle remains in the center. The skin is smooth, matte, honey-yellow with dark edges. In wet weather, the skin is translucent, and characteristic circles form near the tubercle. The pulp of the summer mushroom is tender, moist, pale yellow in color, pleasant to the taste, with a pronounced aroma of a living tree. The plates are often located, light, eventually becoming dark brown.

The summer honey agaric is found mainly in deciduous forests throughout temperate zone. Appears in April and bears fruit until November. In areas with favorable climate can bear fruit without interruption. Sometimes summer mushrooms are confused with poisonous bordered galleria (lat. Galerina marginata), which is distinguished by the small size of the fruiting body and the absence of scales at the bottom of the stem.

Autumn honey agaric, he is real honey agaric(lat. Armillaria mellea)

The height of the leg of the autumn mushroom is from 8 to 10 cm, the diameter is 1-2 cm. At the very bottom, the leg may have a slight expansion. The stem is yellowish-brown above, becoming dark brown below. The hat of autumn mushroom, 3 to 10 cm in diameter (sometimes up to 15-17 cm), is convex at the beginning of the growth of the fungus, then becomes flattened, with a few scales on the surface and a characteristic wavy edge. The ring is very pronounced, white with a yellow border, located almost under the cap itself. The pulp of autumn mushrooms is white, dense, fibrous in the leg, fragrant. The color of the skin on the hat varies and depends on the type of trees on which the mushroom grows.

Autumn mushrooms of honey-yellow color grow on poplar, mulberry tree, common robin. Brown grow on, dark gray - on elderberry, red-brown - on the trunks of coniferous trees. The plates are rare, light beige in color, darken with age and dotted with dark brown spots.

The first autumn mushrooms appear at the end of August. Depending on the region, fruiting occurs in 2-3 layers, lasting about 3 weeks. Autumn mushrooms are widespread in marshy forests and clearings throughout the Northern Hemisphere, except for permafrost areas.

Winter honey agaric(flammulina velvety-legged, collibia velvety-legged, winter mushroom) (lat. Flammulina velutipes)

The stem is 2 to 7 cm high and 0.3 to 1 cm in diameter, has a dense structure and a distinctive, velvety brown color, turning brown with yellowness closer to the top. In young mushrooms, the hat is convex, flattens with age and can reach 2-10 cm in diameter. The skin is yellow, brownish or brown with orange. The plates are rarely planted, white or ocher, different lengths. The flesh is almost white or yellowish. Unlike the bulk of edible mushrooms, winter mushrooms do not have a “skirt” under the hat.

It grows throughout the temperate part of the forest-park zone of the northern hemisphere from autumn to spring. Winter mushroom grows in large, often fused groups, during thaws it is easily found on thawed patches. According to some reports, the pulp of winter mushroom contains a small dose of unstable toxins, so it is recommended that the mushroom be subjected to more thorough heat treatment.

Honey agaric meadow (meadow grass, meadow rot, clove mushroom, meadow marasmius)(lat. marasmius oreades)

An edible mushroom of the non-rotten family, the genus non-rotten. A typical soil saprophyte growing in fields, meadows, pastures, summer cottages, along the edges of clearings and ditches, in ravines and forest edges. It is characterized by abundant fruiting, often growing in straight or arcuate rows, sometimes forming “witch circles”.

The leg of the meadow grass is long and thin, sometimes curved, up to 10 cm in height, and from 0.2 to 0.5 cm in diameter. Dense along the entire length, expanded at the very bottom, has the color of a cap or a little lighter. In young meadow mushrooms, the hat is convex, flattens with time, the edges become uneven, and a pronounced blunt tubercle remains in the center. In wet weather, the skin becomes sticky, yellow-brown or reddish. IN good weather the hat is light beige, but always with a center darker than the edges. The plates are rare, light, darker in the rain, there is no “skirt” under the hat. The pulp is thin, light, sweet in taste, with a characteristic smell or almond.

Lugovik is found from May to October throughout Eurasia: from Japan to canary islands. It tolerates drought well, and after rains it comes to life and is again capable of reproduction. Meadow agaric is sometimes confused with wood-loving collibia (lat. Collybia dryophila), a conditionally edible fungus that has biotopes similar to meadow grass. It differs from the meadow grass in a tubular, hollow inside leg, more often located plates and an unpleasant odor. It is much more dangerous to confuse a meadow with a furrowed govorushka (lat. Clitocybe rivulosa), a poisonous mushroom characterized by a whitish hat devoid of a tubercle, often sitting plates and a powdery spirit.

Honey agaric thick-legged(lat. Armillaria lutea, Armillaria gallica)

The leg of the thick-legged honey agaric is low, straight, thickened from below like an onion. Below the ring, the leg is brown, above it is whitish, gray at the base. The ring is pronounced, white, the edges are distinguished by star-shaped breaks and are often strewn with brown scales. The diameter of the cap is from 2.5 to 10 cm. In young thick-legged mushrooms, the cap has the shape of an expanded cone with tucked edges, in old mushrooms it is flat with descending edges. Young thick-legged mushrooms are brownish-brown, beige or pinkish. The middle of the cap is abundantly strewn with dry conical scales of a gray-brown color, which are also preserved in old mushrooms. The plates are planted often, light, darken over time. The pulp is light, astringent in taste, with a slight cheesy smell.

Honey agaric slimy or udemansiella mucosa(lat. Oudemansiella mucida)

A species of edible mushrooms of the physalacrium family, genus Udemansiella. A rare mushroom that grows on the trunks of fallen European beech, sometimes on still living damaged trees.

The curved stem reaches 2-8 cm in length and has a diameter of 2 to 4 mm. It is light under the hat itself, below the “skirt” it is covered with brown flakes, at the base it has a characteristic thickening. The ring is thick, slimy. Caps of young mushrooms have the shape of a wide cone, open with age and become flat-convex. At first, the skin of the mushrooms is dry and olive-gray in color, with age it becomes slimy, whitish or beige with yellowness. The plates are rarely located and differ in yellowish color. The pulp of the mucous membrane is tasteless, odorless, white; in old mushrooms, the lower part of the stem turns brown.

Mucous honey agaric is found in the broad-leaved European zone.

Spring honey agaric or Collybia arborifolia(lat. Gymnopus dryophilus, Collybia dryophila)

A species of edible mushrooms of the non-gnitting family, the genus Gymnopus. It grows in separate small groups on fallen trees and decaying foliage, in forests, with a predominance of oak and.

The elastic leg, 3 to 9 cm long, is usually even, but sometimes has a thickened base. The cap of young mushrooms is convex, with time it acquires a wide-convex or flattened shape. The skin of young mushrooms is brick-colored, in mature individuals it brightens and becomes yellow-brown. The plates are frequent, white, sometimes with a pink or yellow tint. The flesh is white or yellowish, with a mild taste and smell.

Spring mushrooms grow throughout the temperate zone from early summer to November.

Garlic common (common garlic mushroom) (lat. Mycetinis scorodonius, Marasmius scorodonius)

An edible medium-sized mushroom of the non-rotten family, the garlic genus. It has a characteristic smell of garlic, which is why it is often used in seasonings.

The hat is slightly convex or hemispherical, can reach 2.5 cm in diameter. The color of the hat depends on humidity: in rainy weather and fogs it is brownish, sometimes saturated red, in dry weather it becomes creamy. The plates are light, very rare. The leg of this honey agaric is hard and shiny, darker below.

(lat. myc etinis allia ceus)

Belongs to the genus Garlic of the non-gnjuchnikov family. The mushroom cap can be quite large (up to 6.5 cm), slightly translucent closer to the edge. The surface of the cap is smooth, yellow or red tones, brighter in the center. The pulp has a pronounced garlic flavor. Strong leg up to 5 mm thick and 6 to 15 cm long, gray or black, covered with pubescence.

The fungus grows in Europe, preferring deciduous forests, and especially rotting beech leaves and twigs.

Pine honey agaric (yellow-red row, blushing row, yellow-red honey agaric, red honey agaric) (lat. Tricholomopsis rutilans)

A conditionally edible mushroom belonging to the ordinary family. Some consider it inedible.

The hat is convex, with aging the fungus becomes flatter, up to 15 cm in diameter. The surface is covered with small red-purple scales. The flesh of the honey agaric is yellow, in the leg its structure is more fibrous, in the cap it is dense. The taste may be bitter, and the smell sour or woody-putrefactive. The stalk is usually curved, hollow in the middle and upper parts, thickened at the base.

To be honest, it is very difficult to judge whether mushrooms belong to real or false ones (false mushrooms) due to the species diversity of the group. Theoretically, many edible species are considered to be real, and most conditionally edible and inedible species are considered false. In practice, it turns out that in addition to relatively non-dangerous conditionally edible "relatives", many mushrooms also have more dangerous (including poisonous) counterparts outside the group. And if eating the former is quite acceptable after preliminary soaking and boiling, then the latter pose the same danger as death cap. Poisoning, by the way, can be caused by both pre-treated false mushrooms, and poorly washed or old specimens. edible species- real mushrooms. In mild cases, the symptoms of poisoning are expressed in the defeat of the central nervous system - the appearance of headaches, dizziness, nausea and vomiting. In more serious cases, an increase in blood pressure, increased heart rate and nosebleeds are possible, which, if not provided in a timely manner, medical care can lead to 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 their edibility could be clearly determined. 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 distinctive features twin mushrooms from an experienced mushroom picker. By the way, it is absolutely not necessary to study the entire group and the twins of each of the species: it is enough to limit yourself to in-depth knowledge of at least one or two that are most common in your area. In relation to species that have not been studied, you will simply have to adhere to the rule “not sure - don’t take it.”

Beginning mushroom pickers, as a rule, pay maximum attention to the most recognizable mushrooms - Winter honey agaric(Flammulina velutipes), Summer honey mushroom (Kuehneromyces mutabilis) and Autumn honey mushroom (Armillaria mellea). The first of the listed species differs from the others in that its fruiting begins 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 it characteristic features is the cream color of the plates and the pulp at the break, as well as the absence of scales and rings on a thin stem typical of some edible mushrooms. Although in the literature flammulina (winter honey agaric) appears as 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 mushroom becomes dry and acquires a monochromatic honey-yellow color, so you have to identify the mushroom 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 often “sprinkle” the caps of mushrooms of the lower tier.

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

The danger when collecting summer mushrooms can be slightly poisonous or inedible false mushrooms from the genus Gyfoloma (Hypholoma) - (Hypholoma capnoides) and sulfur-yellow false honey mushrooms (Hypholoma fasciculare). The first 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 gray-lamellar pseudomushroom is considered in the literature and among mushroom pickers to be a completely edible mushroom with white-yellow flesh and a pleasant smell. However, it is indicated that it should be eaten only after preliminary boiling, and try to avoid old specimens that acquire a musty, rotten-raw unpleasant aftertaste.

At False foam sulfur yellow the beginning of fruiting occurs in the spring, as in the 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 the “silent hunt”, 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 living and rotten wood of predominantly deciduous trees, and has a “typical” ring for autumn mushrooms on a thin stem and a relatively large (up to 10 cm in diameter) hat. With regard to the edibility of this mushroom, the opinions of biologists differ, since in 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. The worst thing is that this venomous doppelgänger and bears fruit in the same period, and grows in similar conditions, and has similar dimensions 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 brush” 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.