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Floccularia rickenii is a lamellar mushroom of the Champignon family, has a limited growing area, partially covering the territory of the Rostov region. The species is protected as rare and poorly studied, and work is underway to search for new populations. Has no other names.
What does Riken's floccularia look like?
Floccularia rickenii is a medium-sized mushroom with a sweetish pulp that has a pleasant mushroom smell. The structure of the fruiting body is dense, the flesh is white, and when interacting with air, the color at the break does not change.
Description of the cap
The average diameter of the cap is from 3 to 8 cm, some specimens reach 12 cm. When young, the cap is fleshy, thick, and hemispherical.As it grows, it opens up, becoming prostrate and convex. The surface of the cap is dry, without gloss, with characteristic small warts. These are the remains of the velum (common covering) that protects the fruiting body at a young age. Each wart has from three to eight edges, the diameter varies from 0.5 to 5 mm. When dry, the warty growths peel off easily.
The edges of the cap are first curved, then straight, and often have fragments of the veil. The color of the cap changes with age from white to cream. The center is much darker than the edges and is colored straw-grayish or lemon-gray.
The reverse side is covered with thin white plates located close to each other and descending onto the stem. In old mushrooms, the plates acquire a lemon-cream color.
Microscopic spores are colorless, shaped like a wide oval or ball. The surface of the spores is smooth, sometimes with an oil droplet.
Description of the leg
The color of the stem is identical to the color of the cap. Height – on average from 2 to 8 cm, diameter – 15-25 mm. The stem of Riken's floccularia has the shape of a cylinder, with a very noticeable thickening in the lower part. At the base, the leg is covered with small layered warts - about 0.5-3 mm. The top is bare. Young specimens have a ring that quickly disappears as they grow.
Is the mushroom edible or not?
Floccularia Riken is edible. Data on taste are contradictory: in some sources the species is characterized as tasty, in others - with low taste.
Where and how does it grow
Floccularia Riken is a rare mushroom listed in the Red Book of the Rostov region.On the territory of Russia it can be found only in the suburbs of Rostov-on-Don (in the forest belt of the Chkalov farm), in the vicinity of the Ulyashkin farm in the Kamensky district and in the Shchepkinsky forest in the Aksai region. Cases of finding this species in the Volgograd region have also been recorded.
Floccularia Riken also grows in other countries:
- Ukraine;
- Czech Republic;
- Slovakia;
- Hungary.
It prefers to settle in artificial plantings of white acacia, thickets of honey locust and black locust. Fruiting bodies are located on the soil, often in sandy areas of deciduous forests, and grow in small groups. Floccularia Riken loves the neighborhood with Tatarian maple and pine, but does not form mycorrhiza with them. Fruits from May to October.
Doubles and their differences
In some cases, Riken's floccularia can be confused with its closest relative, straw yellow floccularia (Floccularia straminea). Another name is Floccularia straminea. The main difference between the two types is the yellow color of the cap. Floccularia straminea is an edible mushroom with mediocre taste, growing mainly in the coniferous forests of Western Europe.
Conclusion
Floccularia Riken is a rare species in Russian forests, more interesting for specialists than for ordinary mushroom pickers. In order to preserve and further distribute this representative of the Champignonaceae, one should refrain from collecting in favor of more familiar and tasty varieties.
