Content
Soft crepidote is widespread in Russia and is often found on dead wood. Sometimes it affects living tissue of deciduous trees. Known among scientists as chestnut crepidotus, Crepidotus mollis.
The mushroom belongs to the Fiber family.
What soft crepidotes look like
The sessile cap is initially kidney-shaped, from 5 mm. Then it opens, becomes fan-shaped, 5-6 cm in diameter. The border is wavy, tucked, and in older specimens it is furrowed. Under the smooth skin there is a sort of gel filling. The color ranges from whitish-cream to dark ocher, yellowish or light brown, chestnut shades.
Narrow, forked plates fan out from a rudimentary stalk, sometimes with branches.Densely growing plates, adherent to an inconspicuous stalk or freely located. Initially light fawn in color, then brownish. A mass of ocher-colored spores. The thin pulp has no odor and a pleasant taste. The leg is noticeable as a small lateral tubercle.
Where do soft crepidotes grow?
Like all members of the genus, the mild species is widespread in Eurasia in the temperate climate zone, Africa and South America. It is common in Russia. Found in deciduous forests of the Volga region. It also lives on dead coniferous trees and in affected areas of living trees. Most often, soft crepidot grows on linden, aspen and other deciduous trees. Fruiting bodies are collected in groups. Fruits from mid-summer to October. Spores can also germinate on treated wood. Sometimes soft crepidot is found in the hollows of living trees.
Is it possible to eat soft crepidotes?
Almost no scientific research has been carried out on the soft species of the Fiber family. Sometimes in the literature there is information that the fruiting bodies are inedible. Most scientists classify the mushroom as conditionally edible, of low nutritional value, and in terms of quality it belongs to category 4. No toxic compounds have been identified in the fruiting body, but it is used only in extreme cases.
False doubles
Soft crepidote is of interest only to amateur naturalists who identify the types of mushrooms and find it by its relatively large size and gel-like surface. In external structure or color they are a little similar to soft crepidot:
- orange or nest oyster mushroom;
- Crepidote variable;
- Crepidote saffron-lamellar.
Orange oyster mushroom belongs to the fourth category in terms of nutritional value.It is distinguished by its bright skin color - orange in various variations of the palette. The flesh of young oyster mushrooms smells like melon, and old caps emit an unpleasant odor, similar to rotten cabbage.
The variable species has very small caps, up to 3 cm, with uneven plates - first whitish and then creamy brown. The spore mass is tobacco-brown in color. The fruiting bodies are free of toxins, but are not considered a good food product due to their small size.
Saffron-plate wood mushrooms differ from the soft type in that the cap looks as if it is covered with scales.
Use
Before eating, the caps should be boiled for 10-20 minutes and then fried. Soft large fruiting bodies are dried, young ones are pickled.
When consuming conditionally edible mushrooms, you must remember that such dishes are not recommended in large quantities. The gifts of the forest take a long time to digest and assimilate by the body due to the high content of chitin.
Conclusion
Crepidote soft is a conditionally edible species, widespread. If there is an abundance of other mushrooms, it is better to refrain from harvesting it.
