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The oblong golovach is a representative of the genus of the same name, the Champignon family. Latin name: Calvatia excipuliformis. Other names: elongated raincoat, or marsupial.
What does an elongated bighead look like?
In the photo of the oblong bighead you can see a large mushroom that looks like a large mace or white skittle. The fruiting bodies are easy to spot on the forest floor due to their unusual shape. They often reach from 7 to 15 cm in height, under favorable conditions - up to 17-20 cm.
On the long leg of the oblong bighead there is a hemispherical apex
The fruiting body has thickenings (up to 7 cm) and narrower areas (2-4 cm). Young specimens are tobacco brown. With age, the surface becomes lighter and becomes covered with thorns of various sizes.
In the early stages of growth, the flesh of the oblong loggerhead is elastic in structure, but over time it becomes flabby and yellowish, and then turns into a brown powder.
The top of mature specimens completely crumbles, spores begin to be released, and the stalk itself remains intact for a long time
You can find detailed information about the mushroom in the video:
Where and how does it grow
The oblong puffball grows both as single specimens and in small groups in the European part of Russia, the Far East and Siberia. The species is found in forests of various types in clearings and forest edges. The fruiting period begins in mid-summer. Mushrooms can be collected until the second half of autumn.
Is the mushroom edible or not?
The oblong golovach belongs to the edible category. For culinary purposes, it is best to use young specimens with light and elastic flesh. As with all edible species of puffballs, the fibrous stalk and tough exoperidium must be removed before consumption.
Doubles and their differences
Due to its large size and specific shape, it is quite difficult to confuse the mushroom with other species. However, unformed specimens may be similar in appearance to other varieties of raincoats:
- Pear-shaped raincoat – the main double, a representative of the conditionally edible category. The fruiting body is pear-shaped and has a pronounced “pseudopod”, which is hidden in the substrate and makes the fruiting body visually rounder. Reaches from 3 to 7 cm in diameter and from 2 to 4 cm in height. With age, the color becomes dirty brown and the surface becomes smoother. The pear-shaped puffball is covered with a thick skin that can be easily removed. The pulp is characterized by a pleasant mushroom taste and aroma. The species is distributed in the territory of deciduous and coniferous forests; the fruiting period begins in mid-July and lasts until the end of September. Only mushrooms with light, elastic flesh are suitable for consumption.
Young specimens are light in color and have a spiky surface.
- Saccular golovach (bubble-shaped, round) - representative of the edible group.The round fruit body reaches 10 to 20 cm in diameter. Young specimens have a white color, which gradually turns into gray-brown; tubercles and cracks appear on the surface. The top of ripened mushrooms collapses and releases spores. The baghead can be found in clearings, forest edges and meadows. Distributed singly, fruiting time begins in May and lasts until September.
The mushroom is flattened at the top and narrowed at the bottom
- Spiky raincoat - a mushroom of the edible group. It differs in life expectancy and some structural features.
The spores of the puffball are located in the hole at the top, which almost completely disappears in the bighead.
Conclusion
The oblong golovach is an edible mushroom that can be found both in the forest and in a clearing or forest edge. It has an unusual shape; the top of the fruiting body collapses with age, leaving only brown spore powder. It is best to use young specimens with white, elastic flesh for cooking.
