Content
The mushroom hygrophorus Persona is known by the Latin name Hygrophorus persoonii, and also has several synonyms:
- Hygrophorus dichrous var. Fuscovinosus;
- Agaricus limacinus;
- Hygrophorus dichrous.
Species of the department Basidiomycetes, family Hygrophoraceae.
The fruit has a standard structure, consisting of a cap and a stalk.
What does hygrophor Persona look like?
The little-known species stands out among the representatives of its family with its striking appearance and coloring, unusual for mushrooms. The color changes during the growth period. At the beginning of the growing season, the fruiting bodies are dark with a brown or brown tint, then lighten to gray-green.
The peculiarity of the color is that at any age, olive color is present to a greater or lesser extent not only on the surface of the fruiting body, but also in the pulp. The color is more pronounced at the base of the stem and in the upper layer of the cap.
The external characteristics of the hygrophore Person are as follows:
- At the beginning of the growing season, the cap is conical with a blunt convexity in the center, then takes a rounded-spread shape with concave edges, diameter - 8-10 cm.
- The bulge becomes less noticeable, but is always darker in color than the main background.
- The surface is smooth, covered with a dense layer of mucus, which is present even at low humidity.
- The spore-bearing layer is formed from plates of different lengths, some of them are located along the edge of the cap, some reach the border with the stem. The longest ones are descending.
- The plates are wide, thin, arched, and sparsely spaced. Young specimens are white, while older specimens are light brown with a green tint.
- The height of the stem is 12 cm. It, like the cap, changes during the aging period of the mushroom. At the beginning of growth, the shape is cylindrical, narrow near the mycelium, white on top, then gray-green, finely scaly. The lower part is darker and covered with mucus. There are several gray-green rings on the surface.
- The structure is fibrous, the interior is solid.
More often, the legs of young mushrooms are curved at the base
Where does hygrophor Person grow?
The hygrophora Person is found infrequently, mainly in the North Caucasus, less often in the Primorsky Territory and the Far East. Mushrooms are found in the Sverdlovsk and Penza regions. It grows only in broad-leaved areas in symbiosis with oak, less often hornbeam and beech.Fruiting bodies are found singly or in small scattered groups.
Is it possible to eat hygrophor Persona
In mycological reference books, the hygrophore Persona is designated as a little-studied edible mushroom. In terms of nutritional value it is in the fourth category.
False doubles
The species has no officially designated false counterparts. Externally, the olive-white hygrophore is similar to it. The mushroom is conditionally edible. It has a thicker leg, a conical cap covered with mucus, and a brown-green color. It forms mycorrhiza only with coniferous trees.
The central part with the tubercle is always much darker than the main color
Rules for collection and use
Fruiting bodies begin to form from August to November. They harvest in the forests where oak trees are found. The period is quite long, there are no peaks in fruiting, the mushrooms grow evenly and stably. Little known to mushroom pickers, they are unattractive due to their greenish color and slimy coating. To some, they look like toadstools.
In fact, hygrophor Persona is a tasty, versatile mushroom, suitable for all processing methods.
Conclusion
Hygrophor Persona is a little-known, not widely distributed edible species. It grows only in deciduous forests near oak or hornbeam. Fruiting is autumn, long-lasting. The fruiting bodies are consumed immediately after collection or used for storage for the winter.
