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Cinder flake (Pholiota highlandensis) is an unusual mushroom of the family Strophariaceae, genus Pholiota, which can be found at the site of fires or small fires. The mushroom is also called cinder foliota, carbon-loving flake.
What does cinder flake look like?
The cinder flake got its name because of the scaly surface of the fruiting body. It belongs to the plastic mushrooms. The plates are located at a short distance from each other, fused with the stalk, and contain spores.In young specimens, the plates are gray in color, but as the spores grow and mature, the shade changes to clay-brown.
The photo below shows cinder flake in a mature state, when the color of the plates has already acquired a brown tint.
Description of the cap
The cap of a young coal-loving flake has the shape of a hemisphere; during growth it opens. The diameter ranges from 2 to 6 cm, the color is heterogeneous, brown with an orange tint, the color becomes lighter closer to the edges. The surface of the cap is sticky with a sheen and radial, fibrous scales of small size. Due to high humidity in damp and rainy weather, the skin of the cap becomes slippery as it becomes covered with mucus; in the heat it is sticky and shiny. The edges are wavy, and in the center of the cap there is a wide truncated tubercle. The pulp is quite dense, light yellow or light brown in color at the break.
Description of the leg
The leg is long, can reach a height of up to 60 mm and a diameter of up to 10 mm. The lower part is covered with brown fibers, and the top has a lighter color, identical to the cap. The leg itself has small scales that range in color from reddish to brown. The ring area is highlighted in brown, but it fades quickly, so the mark is almost invisible.
Is the mushroom edible or not?
Foliote charcoal-loving is assigned to a number of inedible mushrooms. Due to the lack of culinary value, since it is tasteless and odorless, it is practically not used for food. In rare cases, mushrooms are boiled and then fried or pickled.
Where and how does it grow
Cinder flake begins to grow in the spring, most often found from early June to October. It grows in temperate climates and is considered most common in Europe, Asia, and North America. In Russia, you can find it on the site of old fires in coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests. It mainly grows in the territory located from Kaliningrad to Vladivostok.
Doubles and their differences
Due to the nature of its growth, namely on the site of old fire pits, cinder flake does not have twins or similar mushrooms. But if we make a comparison, then in most cases in appearance it resembles toadstools and inedible species of the genus Scaly.
Conclusion
Cinder flake is an unremarkable mushroom, as it has no peculiarities in appearance or taste. But it is very easy to remember, because the place where it grows is quite unusual.
