Content
Mushroom pickers often encounter entire glades of long-legged bell-shaped mushrooms on their way. Collibia confluent often grows on stumps in groups of 2-9 or more specimens. Inexperienced mushroom pickers often mistake them for honey mushrooms, but in order not to make mistakes when collecting, you need to know the varietal characteristics and look at the photo.
What does confluent collibia look like?
Collibia confluent, or money confluent, is an inedible species. Therefore, in order not to harm your body, you need to be able to recognize mushroom species by their external characteristics.
Description of the cap
When young, the mushroom has a hemispherical cap with a diameter of 20 mm. As the cap grows older, it increases in size and takes on the shape of a bell with a pronounced tubercle in the center. The glossy surface is smooth and thin, through which you can easily see the lamellar bottom. The skin is colored light brown. The edges are lighter and wavy. With age, the color lightens to a fawn or cream color.
On the inner side there are numerous adherent or partially adherent narrow plates of a whitish or yellowish color.
Like all representatives of the fungal kingdom, Collibium fusion reproduces by elongated spores located in the spore powder.
Description of the leg
The longitudinally folded cylindrical leg reaches a height of 100 mm and a thickness of 5 mm. The pulp is hard and fibrous, colored white-yellow, which changes to rusty-red or red-brown with age.
Is the mushroom edible or not?
Despite the fact that the pulp has a pleasant taste, the mushroom is considered inedible, as it emits an unpleasant smell of rotten cabbage.
Where and how does it grow
This species can be found in large families in mixed deciduous forests, on rocky areas, in fallen leaves, on stumps and in dust. Fruiting begins in mid-July and continues until the first frost.
Doubles and their differences
Collibia confluentus has edible, poisonous and conditionally edible counterparts.
- Collibia oily – the edible variety has a red-brown leg and a cap of the same color measuring up to 120 mm.The surface is smooth, after rain it becomes covered with mucus. The species has hard flesh and grows in coniferous forests.
- Mycena oblique - an edible species that has a thin bell-shaped cap. Prefers to grow on stumps in an oak grove.
- Collibia spotted - conditionally edible species. The growing snow-white cap is covered with individual reddish spots. Grows in deciduous and coniferous loess.
- Collibia wrapped - an inedible variety with a brown-red cap. The surface is smooth, and during drought it acquires a golden color.
- Collibia tuberous - poisonous variety. The mushrooms are small in size and cream colored. If consumed, they may cause food poisoning.
Conclusion
Due to its hard flesh and unpleasant aroma, collibia confluent is considered an inedible species. Therefore, to protect yourself, you need to look at the photo and familiarize yourself with the varietal characteristics. Experienced mushroom pickers advise passing by an unfamiliar specimen, as confusion often occurs and poisonous species end up in the basket.
