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The white cap is a mushroom that is little known to a wide range of amateur mushroom pickers. This is explained by the fact that it is not suitable for human consumption. In Latin the name sounds like Conocybe albipes. Belongs to the lamellar mushrooms. Member of the Bolbitiev family, genus Konotsibe.
What do white caps look like?
The white cap is small in size. The diameter of the cap barely reaches 3 cm. It is conical in shape, and as the fruiting body grows, it changes to bell-shaped, sometimes to convex. The edges are thin and raised. A characteristic feature is the presence of a high tubercle.
The top of the cap is slightly wrinkled and matte. Color varies from gray-white to yellowish. In conditions of high humidity, the color changes to grayish-brown, but the characteristic tubercle remains yellowish.
The pulp is thin and tender. Emits a slight unpleasant odor. The color of the pulp is white, with a yellow tint.
The plates are adherent and wide. In young specimens they are gray-brown, in adults they are rusty and brownish-brown.
The legs are cylindrical, smooth, thin and long. Reaches 8-10 cm in height. Their diameter is about 2 cm. They are hollow inside, with a pronounced nodule at the base. The color of the legs is white.
Where do white caps grow?
Favorite places to grow are wide, open spaces. Mushrooms can be found on soil and in grass. They often grow along roadsides and even on lawns.
There are single specimens. Often mushrooms form small groups.
The fruiting period occurs in July, August and September. Sometimes fruiting bodies appear a little earlier, at the end of June. It is quite rare.
Is it possible to eat white caps?
There is no exact data on whether white caps are safe to eat. Edibility unknown. For this reason, experts classify the mushroom as an inedible variety, and do not recommend tasting it.
How to distinguish white caps
The white cap is not always easy to distinguish from its “relatives”: large-headed conocybe and milky white conocybe:
- Konocibe large-headed - an inedible species of miniature size. The conical-shaped cap reaches a diameter of 1-2 cm. Its color is brown, with a reddish tint. The cap is ribbed, with translucent plates. Sits on a dark brown leg. Most often found in grass, likes abundant irrigation. But the lifespan of the fruiting body is short.
- Konocibe milky white also not eaten. A hat with an uneven edge, whitish, with a yellow tint. It is distinguished by its small size - up to 2.5 cm. In young specimens it is closed, egg-shaped. Then it takes on a bell-shaped shape, never fully opening. The leg is straight, very thin and quite long, about 5 cm. The flesh is tender, yellowish. The leg ring is missing. Fruits all summer, found in the grass. The lifespan of fruiting bodies is no more than 2 days.
Conclusion
Finding a rare and also miniature white cap mushroom is not so easy. Its lifespan is short. And for lovers of “silent hunting” it is of no value. Known mainly to specialists.
