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Hebeloma coal-loving is a representative of the Hymenogaster family, whose Latin name is Hebeloma birrus. Also has a number of other synonyms: Agaricus birrus, Hylophila birra, Hebeloma birrum, Hebeloma birrum var. Birrum.
What does Hebeloma carbonifera look like?
Grows either singly or in numerous groups
Hebeloma coal-loving can be recognized by the following characteristics:
- At a young age, the cap is hemispherical in shape with a noticeable central tubercle; as it matures, it becomes flat. It is quite small in size, not reaching 2 cm in diameter. The surface of Hebeloma charcoal-loving is bare, mucous, and sticky to the touch.Painted in yellowish shades with lighter edges.
- Under the cap there are dirty brown plates with almost whitish edges.
- The spores are almond-shaped, the spore powder is dark brown in color.
- The leg is cylindrical, in some specimens it may be slightly thickened at the base. It is characterized as very thin, the thickness of which is no more than 5 mm, and the length reaches from 2 to 4 cm. The surface is light ocher, covered with a pityriasis-like coating. At the base of the stalk there is a thin vegetative body of a fluffy structure. Unlike its relatives, this specimen does not have pronounced remains of the veil.
- The pulp of Hebeloma coal-loving is white, has a pleasant or indistinct aroma and a bitter taste.
Where does Hebeloma carbonifera grow?
The name of this specimen speaks for itself. Hebeloma coal-loving prefers to grow in burnt areas, fireplaces and in places of old fires. It is most often found in Asia and Europe, less often in Russia, in particular in the Khabarovsk Territory, the Republic of Tatarstan and the Magadan Region. Active fruiting of these mushrooms occurs in August.
Is it possible to eat Hebeloma coal-loving?
The described gift of the forest is inedible and poisonous. Eating Hebeloma charcoal is prohibited as it can lead to serious health problems.
Twins of Hebeloma carbonifera
The fruiting bodies of Hebeloma carbonifera are particularly fragile and brittle.
The species in question has quite a lot of doubles, these include:
- Gebeloma girdled - is a conditionally edible mushroom.As a rule, it grows in a variety of forests and forms mycorrhizae with broad-leaved and coniferous trees, most often with pine trees. It differs from the carbon-loving one in the largest size of the fruiting bodies. Also a characteristic feature of the double is a hollow whitish stem with dark shades at the base. Its thickness is about 1 cm, and its length is up to 7 cm.
- Hebeloma adhesive - inedible specimen. You can recognize a double by its cap, the size of which sometimes reaches 10 cm. The color is light brown or yellowish, but sometimes there are specimens with a brick or red surface. It is sticky and slimy to the touch, like coal, but with age it becomes dry and smooth. Also a distinctive feature is the unpleasant rare smell of the pulp.
Conclusion
Hebeloma coal-loving is a small-sized gift of the forest that contains toxic substances. Despite the fact that no deaths from this species have been recorded, eating it can cause severe poisoning. It is also worth noting that experts do not recommend collecting even edible mushrooms of the Gebeloma genus, since its representatives are very similar to each other and sometimes it is almost impossible to distinguish edible from poisonous.
