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Bolet purpurea is a tubular mushroom belonging to the Boletaceae family, Boletaceae genus. Another name is Purple Boletus.
What do purple boletes look like?
The cap of a young purple bolet has a spherical shape, then becomes convex. Its diameter is from 5 to 20 cm. The edges of the cap are wavy, the surface is dry, velvety, lumpy, and a little slimy in wet weather. The color is uneven: the background is greenish-gray or grayish, with reddish, reddish-brown, pink or wine-colored areas on it. When pressed, dark blue spots appear. The cap is often eaten away by pests.
Bolet purple looks very impressive
The tubular layer in young specimens is lemon yellow, becoming yellowish-greenish over time.The pores are small, orange-red or blood-red, and turn blue when pressed. Spores have a size of 10.5-13.5x4-5.5 microns. The powder is greenish or olive brown.
The young one has a tuberous stalk, then becomes cylindrical. Its height is 6-15 cm, thickness is 2-7 cm. The surface is lemon-yellow with a reddish, rather thick mesh; when pressed it turns black and blue.
The flesh of the purple bolete is hard, lemon-yellow, and when broken it first turns black, then acquires a wine-red hue. The smell is not pronounced, sourish, with fruity notes, the taste is sweetish.
Purple boletus can be confused with other related species.
Similar species
Speckled oakweed. Conditionally edible species. The cap is cushion-shaped or hemispherical. Its diameter is from 5 to 20 cm. The skin is dry, velvety, matte, and sometimes slimy. The color is varied: brown, brown, reddish, chestnut, with a greenish tint. The leg is thick, fleshy, thickened at the bottom, tuberous or barrel-shaped. The surface is orange with reddish scales. The flesh is yellow, the stem is red-brown. The main difference from the purple bolet is that it turns blue when broken.
Speckled oakweed grows in central Russia, the Caucasus and Siberia, often settling on mosses
Satanic mushroom. It is called false white because of its resemblance. Inedible. The hat is large and thick, up to 20 cm in diameter. At first it is hemispherical, then it looks like a pillow. The color is white with a yellowish, grayish or pinkish tint. The surface of young specimens is velvety and dry, while that of mature specimens is bare and smooth. The leg is first in the form of a ball, then stretches out and becomes like a tuber, expanded at the bottom. The height of a mature one is 15 cm, thickness is 10 cm.The surface is reticulate, the color is uneven: yellowish-reddish at the top, red in the middle, yellowish or brown at the bottom. The flesh is white, with a red tint below, and turns blue when cracked. Young specimens have a faint pungent aroma, while older specimens smell rotten. Grows in areas with warm climates. In Russia, it is distributed in the south of the European part, the Caucasus and Primorye.
The main difference from the purple bolet is that the leg is more intensely colored.
Oak tree olive-brown. Conditionally edible. Externally, it is almost the same as purple bolete, and can only be distinguished by the absence of a fruity smell.
Olive-brown boletus can be distinguished from purple boletus only by smell
Where do purple boletuses grow?
The mushroom is heat-loving, quite rare. Distributed in Europe, in areas with warm climates. In Russia, boletus purpurea is found in the Krasnodar Territory, Rostov and Astrakhan regions. Prefers to settle in deciduous and mixed forests next to oak and beech. Grows in hilly and mountainous areas and loves calcareous soils. Bolet grows in single specimens or small groups of 2-3 pieces. Fruits from June to September.
Is it possible to eat purple boletuses?
Purple boletus is inedible and poisonous and should not be eaten. Little information is available on toxicity. Consumption of food does not lead to severe poisoning.
Symptoms of poisoning
Common symptoms include severe abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. Other signs will depend on the type of toxic substance. In any case, there are disturbances in the functioning of the digestive system. Fast-acting toxins are less dangerous to humans than slow-acting poisons.
Poisoning with boletus purpurea is accompanied by nausea and pain in the stomach.
First aid for poisoning
You cannot self-medicate. At the first suspicion, you should immediately call an ambulance. Before this, do the following:
- Rinse the stomach to get rid of the toxic substance. To do this, you need to drink about 1 liter of liquid and induce vomiting. Repeat the procedure until the water is clear. It is recommended to use boiled water with soda diluted in it (per 1 liter - 1 tsp).
- Cleanse the intestines. Take a laxative or do an enema.
- Take the sorbent. Traditionally, activated carbon is used.
- Drink plenty of fluids. Weak tea and mineral water will do.
Conclusion
Purple boletus is a rather rare poisonous mushroom. It has many similarities with other boletus mushrooms, including edible ones.
