Content
- 1 What can an umbrella mushroom be confused with?
- 2 Types of Edible Umbrella Mushrooms
- 3 What do poisonous umbrellas look like?
- 4 How to distinguish edible umbrella mushrooms from poisonous ones
- 5 What to do if you eat a poisonous double of the umbrella mushroom
- 6 Advice from experienced mushroom pickers
- 7 Photo of poisonous umbrella mushrooms
- 8 Conclusion
Many mushroom pickers, in the process of “quiet hunting,” often encounter unusual mushrooms with a long thin stem and a large flat cap similar to a saucer on the side of highways, in groves and on the edges of mixed forests. At first glance, they resemble a fly agaric or a pale toadstool. In fact, these mushrooms are called macrolepiots or umbrellas in common parlance. They belong to the Champignon family and can be eaten raw. But not all of them are edible. Photos of poisonous umbrella mushrooms will help you avoid mistakes when collecting and make the right choice in the forest.
What can an umbrella mushroom be confused with?
Almost all edible mushrooms have poisonous or false counterparts. Umbrellas are no exception. Some of their representatives are inedible, and you should be able to distinguish them using basic external characteristics.
The edible umbrella mushroom is often confused with the poisonous toadstool
Most often, umbrellas are confused with pale toadstools or inedible look-alikes. Poisonous mushrooms can be very similar to them in a number of external characteristics. By studying the characteristic features of these species, you can learn to distinguish umbrella-like mushrooms by color, size and shape of the cap. And under no circumstances should you collect fruiting bodies that raise even the slightest doubt:
- Chlorophyllum lead-slag - the poisonous double of the umbrella. The size of the white cap with brown scales can range from 7 to 30 cm. The smooth stem is framed by a ring. The light pulp has a neutral taste and odor; when damaged, the color turns brown. The cut area turns slightly red. If you press on the plates, they will turn yellow. Unlike real umbrellas, the white leg of these doubles darkens with age and acquires a gray-green, sometimes olive color.
Poisonous umbrella mushrooms grow singly, rarely in “witch rings”
- Chlorophyllum dark brown or brown has a fleshy cap, 10-15 cm in diameter, covered with brown scales. When damaged, the flesh of the false umbrella mushroom changes color from white to orange-red. The leg of an adult poisonous double is shorter and thicker than that of a real umbrella. It is smoother and has a tuber-shaped growth reaching up to 6 cm in diameter. Another distinctive feature is the absence of a pattern on the stem.
Chlorophyllum dark brown differs from a real umbrella in its short stature.
- White grebe (smelly fly agaric). The poisonous twin has very high toxicity. The difference between an umbrella mushroom and a toadstool lies in the surface of the cap. In the edible representative, it is covered with scales formed as a result of cracking of the skin.The cap of the white grebe is smooth, white, sometimes with a gray tint.
If you break the stinking fly agaric, its pulp will emit a very unpleasant odor
- Panther fly agaric It resembles an umbrella less than its other brothers, but sometimes they are still confused. You can distinguish a fly agaric from an umbrella by its flat brown cap covered with scales. The leg is white, thickened below. The color of the poisonous pulp does not change when broken and is characterized by an unpleasant taste and odor.
The dark brown cap of the panther fly agaric with white flakes indicates its poisonous origin
Types of Edible Umbrella Mushrooms
There are several edible types of umbrella mushrooms that have a delicious taste. Despite their external similarity, they have a number of differences:
- White mushroom umbrella (field, meadow). The size of the scaly matte cap reaches 7-13 cm. When young, it has a rounded shape, shaped like an egg. As it grows, it opens up, becoming almost flat with a convex dark tubercle. The structure of the cylindrical leg is hollow. Externally it looks slightly curved, white with a darker ring. When damaged it turns brown. The height reaches 5-14 cm. It grows from mid-June to early October in all countries of Eurasia, Australia and the northern parts of Africa and America. It has gained particular popularity in traditional Chinese cuisine.
The plates of young mushrooms are white, those of old ones darken, the flesh is light with a pleasant smell
- Blushing umbrella mushroom (chicken coop, shaggy). The cap of young representatives of this species is spherical in shape. The surface is covered with fibrous scales, painted beige, gray or light brown. The diameter reaches 7-22 cm.The length of the smooth stem depends on the place of growth and ranges from 6 to 26 cm. It is painted white or light brown, darkening over time. The cylindrical shape tapers at the top. The stem is hollow inside and can be easily removed from the cap. The pulp is white, fibrous and brittle to the touch. When pressed, the light plates turn red or orange, which gives the name to this type of edible umbrella mushroom. Red-brown stains are also clearly visible on the cut. You can eat it in any form, but it is recommended to first clean the surface of the cap from hard scales.Important! Red umbrella mushroom can cause allergic reactions, so people prone to this disease should be careful when consuming them.
The name of the blushing umbrella comes from its ability to change the white color of the pulp and plates into carrot
- Variegated umbrella mushroom (big, tall). The light cap, measuring from 15 to 38 cm, with a smooth tubercle in the center and inwardly curved edges, is covered with dark scales. The plates are easily separated, as is the thick cylindrical leg, painted in a uniform brown color and reaching a height of 10 to 35 cm. The pulp is loose and light. It has a mild, pleasant, mushroom aroma. Before cooking, it is recommended to clean the surface of hard scales. French gourmets fry the caps of variegated umbrella mushrooms in oil with the addition of herbs. The disadvantages include the fact that when frying, these mushrooms greatly decrease in volume.
In Italy, a motley umbrella was called “drumsticks” due to the length and slenderness of its legs.
- Elegant umbrella mushroom (thin). An edible mushroom on a thin, sometimes curved stalk, reaching from 10 to 15 cm in height and 0.8-2 cm in thickness, covered with a scaly cap with a tubercle. Its diameter ranges from 5 to 15 cm.
The light leg of the graceful umbrella mushroom darkens with age, in the upper part it is framed by a wide “skirt”
- Mastoid umbrella mushroom. The light cap in adulthood becomes darker in the central part. It is covered with scales in the form of flakes, densely located in the middle and not affecting the edges. The diameter can reach from 7 to 12 cm. The height of the hollow leg is 7-16 cm. There is a ring with fringe in the upper part.
The tubercle in the central part of the cap of the mastoid umbrella mushroom is more pronounced than in other edible species
- Girl's umbrella. A very rare mushroom, is under protection. In Russia it is found only on Sakhalin and Primorsky Krai. It differs from other varieties in the small size of the cap, ranging from 4 to 7 cm in diameter, and the smell of radish.
The girl's umbrella has a very beautiful hat, covered with scales that give the impression of lace ruffles.
- Conrad's umbrella. The medicinal mushroom differs from others in the star-shaped pattern on its small cap, reaching 3-6 cm in size. A silky film covers the central part of the surface, exposing the edges.
Conrad's umbrella grows in coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests, where it is easily distinguished by the pattern on the cap
What do poisonous umbrellas look like?
The umbrella mushroom also has inedible counterparts, some of which are even poisonous:
- Lepiota chestnut. The small cap, less than 4 cm in size, is covered with brick-colored scales. The plates of an adult poisonous mushroom change from white to yellow.The pulp is dark red, with a repulsive odor. The leg is widened at the base.
The poisonous chestnut lepiota is distinguished by its brindle-colored cap.
- Lepiota crest (combed silverfish). The poisonous species is characterized by a modest cap size, not exceeding 5 cm.
The poisonous combed umbrella has a hollow thin stem and wavy edges of the cap.
- Lepiota rougha (sharp-scaled umbrella). The fleshy cap is yellowish-brick in color and can reach 15 cm. The long leg is painted light yellow. The film ring is covered with dirty-colored scales.
The cap of the rough umbrella is covered with dark large scales
In order not to confuse edible umbrella mushrooms with their poisonous counterparts, you should take a closer look at their main distinctive features.
How to distinguish edible umbrella mushrooms from poisonous ones
Due to the large number of inedible types of umbrellas and their poisonous counterparts, many mushroom pickers avoid these mushrooms. If you carefully study the photos and descriptions of edible representatives of this species before going into the forest, you can harvest a tasty harvest without risk to life and health.
To distinguish false umbrellas from real ones, you should pay attention to the appearance of the cap, stem and pulp of the mushrooms.
How to distinguish a poisonous umbrella from an edible one by the cap
Young umbrella mushrooms have caps that are closed and resemble a dome. As the fruiting body grows, they open up and become umbrella-like.
The wide-open cap and frequently spaced plates on the underside give the mushrooms an even greater resemblance to an umbrella.
The cap of adult umbrella mushrooms can reach significant sizes - up to 35 cm in diameter. This distinctive feature significantly distinguishes them from other counterparts.
The surface of this type of mushroom is dry and covered with scales. With strong growth, the skin cracks, forming a translucent fringe.
The surface of the cap is dry, matte, cracks as it grows, becoming covered with brownish scales
Young umbrellas do not differ in color from adult mushrooms and have the same scales on the surface. But in appearance they bear little resemblance to an umbrella; rather, they resemble a small egg on a thin stalk.
Young and adult umbrella mushrooms have different cap shapes
The main difference between poisonous umbrella mushrooms is the color of the plates. In young representatives it can be white, but in adulthood it becomes dark brown.
The photo below shows the difference between the umbrella and the pale grebe.
The plates of poisonous and real umbrellas differ in color
The color of the dots on the surface will also help determine whether the mushrooms are edible or poisonous. In the umbrella they are brown, gray or dark beige. The twins are white, with a possible shade of green.
White dots on the cap are a sign of the toxicity of the mushroom
How to distinguish an edible umbrella from a poisonous one by its stem
The legs of a real umbrella and its poisonous counterpart are also different. The thickness and length of the leg corresponds to the dimensions of the surface. The larger it is, the denser and longer the leg. It has a slight thickening at the base and a movable ring at the top.
Poisonous mushrooms can be identified by a tuberous growth at the bottom that resembles a wrapper. In real umbrellas, the stem is smooth, slightly thickened at the level of the soil and at the junction with the cap. Above the ring the color of the leg is lighter. The rest is yellow-brown, with a scaly coating.
The leg of an adult umbrella has a wide fringed movable ring
When collecting umbrellas in the forest, you should be wary of those specimens whose legs are lighter, smoother and lack a brown pattern.
Unlike its poisonous counterparts, the leg of the edible umbrella has a characteristic motley pattern and a movable ring
How to distinguish an umbrella from a toadstool by its pulp
The flesh of edible umbrellas is light in color with a pleasant smell. When pressed, a clear liquid emerges from it. In poisonous counterparts, the flesh has a repulsive, unpleasant odor and bitter taste. For example, lepiota rougha, which in appearance is very similar to an edible umbrella, smells of pungent resin. The flesh of the white toadstool emits a pungent odor of chlorine, which allows you to immediately determine its inedibility and not confuse it with a real umbrella mushroom.
What to do if you eat a poisonous double of the umbrella mushroom
Poisonous twins, in addition to the listed characteristics, are characterized by significantly smaller sizes.
You can distinguish edible umbrella mushrooms from poisonous ones in the video:
If it was not possible to be careful and poisoning occurs with the poisonous counterparts of umbrella mushrooms, you must act quickly and call a medical team when the first symptoms appear.
Following the following recommendations will help provide first aid to a poisoned person before the ambulance arrives:
- Activated carbon and a large amount of water will remove poisoning products from the body and reduce the degree of intoxication.
- Any emetics and laxatives available in the medicine cabinet will also help to cleanse the stomach and intestines. Their use should be carried out in strict accordance with the instructions.
- Avoid drinking alcohol, which accelerates the absorption of toxic substances into the blood.
If you experience any deterioration in your health after eating umbrella mushrooms, you should immediately seek help from medical staff. The consequences of ingesting the poison contained in twin mushrooms can be very serious, even fatal.
Advice from experienced mushroom pickers
The main rule of experienced mushroom pickers is: if you’re not sure, don’t take it! It is better to bring home a small harvest than to expose your life and health to unjustified risks by collecting mushrooms, the edibility of which there is even the slightest doubt.
In order not to make a fatal mistake, before going into the forest you should study reference books, videos and photos of poisonous umbrella mushrooms with descriptions. Beginners who enjoy quiet hunting should also heed the advice of experienced mushroom pickers:
- Only fresh, elastic specimens can be placed in the basket, avoiding old, limp, dried and rotten mushrooms.
- Fresh mushrooms smell like champignons, and old umbrellas that are starting to deteriorate take on a fishy smell.
- You cannot pick mushrooms with dark plates. This is a sign of a spoiled umbrella or its poisonous counterpart.
- You should not take too small and young specimens with an unopened cap. They can be confused with inedible false umbrellas.
- When collecting representatives of this species, you should place them separately from other mushrooms so that they do not wrinkle or crumble.
Suspicious specimens should be left untouched in the forest.
Photo of poisonous umbrella mushrooms
The variety of false doubles of umbrella mushrooms is presented in the photo:
The poisonous dark brown chlorophyllum is more fleshy and short, contains a hallucinogenic toxin
The stinking fly agaric emits an unpleasant chlorine odor and is characterized by a white stem and cap covered with a poisonous coating
Chlorophyllum lead-slag differs from the edible umbrella by a smooth stem with a fixed ring
Conclusion
Photos of poisonous umbrella mushrooms will help you make the right choice in the forest and harvest a tasty harvest without risk to life and health. Many mushroom pickers undeservedly avoid these fruiting bodies, mistaking them for pale toadstools. The umbrella is the largest mushroom in central Russia. And, having learned to distinguish its edible species from poisonous ones, you can discover a new object of quiet hunting, characterized by a pleasant mushroom taste, aroma and impressive size.
