Content
Bulbous webwort is a rare mushroom found in only a few regions of Russia. The only representative of the genus Leucocortinarius is famous for its good taste.
What does the bulbous white web look like?
Leucocortinarius bulbiger or tuberous mushroom is one of the most recognizable mushrooms of the Rowadovaceae family. Also called white spider web. It is difficult to confuse it with representatives of another species, since the height of the fruiting body reaches 8-10 cm. This specimen can also be recognized by its characteristic distinctive features.
A representative of the genus Leucocortinarius is distinguished by its impressive size
Description of the cap
The cap is very large and can reach 10 cm in diameter. In young specimens it has a spherical shape with concave edges. In mature ones, the top of the fruiting body becomes more convex, and its edges become wavy. The color is cream, brown-orange, dark red with light growths characteristic of this species.
On the cap there are white flakes characteristic of this species - the remains of a private bedspread
Under the cap there are frequent narrow plates of hymenophore of cream or light brown color. With age they darken and acquire a reddish-brown tint.
Description of the leg
The stem of the fruiting body is solid cylindrical. The color is whitish and may darken to dark cream or brown with age. The length of the leg reaches 8-10 cm, and its thickness is 2 cm.
The pulp of the fruiting body is juicy, tasteless and odorless, white or light gray in color (leg).
A characteristic feature is the presence of a thickening and a white cobwebby ring at the base of the leg.
Where and how does it grow
This is a rather rare representative - you rarely see him. It grows in groups in coniferous (spruce, pine) and mixed forests in Western and Eastern Siberia, the Far East, and some regions of the European part of Russia. The collection period is from August to October.
Is the mushroom edible or not?
It is considered conditionally edible. This product cannot be consumed raw - only after boiling for half an hour, followed by frying, stewing or canning the product. You should not purchase bulbous webwort from private hands, since even an edible specimen, for example, collected near a highway, can be poisonous. Also, you should not eat old specimens.
Doubles and their differences
Gossamer tuber - the only one in the genus Leucocortinarius. However, there are several specimens similar to it in appearance.
Light buffy spiderwort (Cortinarius claricolor) - an inedible and poisonous counterpart, does not have a characteristic tuberous thickening, the color of the cap is warmer with a reddish tint.
More common on sandy soils
Red fly agaric (Amanita muscaria) – inedible and hallucinogenic. You can distinguish a double by a thin stalk, creamy plates, and a cobwebby ring with sharp edges. During periods of drought, these signs are not so pronounced, so you should only collect fruits in rainy weather and with an experienced mushroom picker.
The red fly agaric with a faded cap looks very similar to the bulbous white web
Conclusion
White cobweb is a little-known mushroom that is extremely rare in the coniferous forests of Russia. The representative of the Rowadovaceae family is not famous for its high taste qualities. However, experienced mushroom pickers value this representative primarily for its impressive size. It is important not to confuse the white cobweb with similar-looking counterparts, so every mushroom picker should be able to distinguish and recognize this specimen.
Yesterday I walked along the edge of an unfamiliar coniferous forest and unexpectedly came across a whole family of these spider webs. There is no point in slandering them - the taste is wonderful. Unique aroma, tender pulp. The taste and smell are somewhat reminiscent of Amanita Rubescens.
Rare indeed. For the second time in my entire life I met them.
Very beautiful!