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There are often cases when inexperienced mushroom pickers pick up a dangerous double of a porcini mushroom instead of a real one, which inevitably leads to quite serious food poisoning. In small quantities, some false species are not capable of causing significant harm to health, however, there are also such doubles that, if consumed, can be fatal.
Are there false porcini mushrooms?
When going into the forest for a porcini mushroom, you should always be on guard - false doubles similar to it are found very often, and many of these mushrooms are poisonous or simply inedible. At best, such a harvest will spoil future preparations and other dishes - the bitterness from false species quickly spreads to real boletus mushrooms. It is very difficult to get rid of it even after long soaking.
There are no toadstools similar to the porcini mushroom, as it is quite massive. The outlines of the former are generally much more elegant, so it is difficult to confuse them.
What are mushrooms that look like white mushrooms called?
Sometimes a false porcini mushroom is called bitter or gall mushroom, however, this is not entirely true. The term includes several similar varieties, which include the following:
- the boletus is beautiful;
- gall fungus;
- satanic sickness;
- speckled oakwood;
- boletus le gal.
In order not to confuse real and false porcini mushrooms, it is important to familiarize yourself with the main characteristics of these species and carefully study their photos.
The stem of a genuine porcini mushroom is relatively smooth and without mesh formations
What false porcini mushrooms look like
In order not to accidentally pick up a false porcini mushroom, it is recommended not only to familiarize yourself with the names and photos of its dangerous doubles, but also to carefully study the features of their internal structure. The color and texture of the pulp can indicate whether a real boletus has been found.
Satanic mushroom
The satanic mushroom (lat. Boletus satanas) or satanic boletus is a common doppelganger of the porcini mushroom, which can grow up to 20-25 cm in diameter and 15 cm in height. His hat looks like a hemisphere and resembles a pillow. As it matures, its shape changes slightly, approaching the prostrate type. The surface of the cap is smooth to the touch and dry. The color varies from white and grayish tones to dark olive, sometimes with ocher streaks.
The thickness of the leg is on average 6-10 cm.In young boletes, it is egg-like in shape, even a ball, but then becomes tuberous. In mature specimens the leg is quite dense, narrowing upward.
The flesh of Satan's boletus is white in young specimens and yellowish in mature ones. At the site of the incision, it changes its color - damaged fibers may turn slightly blue or acquire a reddish tint. Changes occur within five minutes. Old fruits smell unpleasant.
Satanic pain can be distinguished by the following characteristics:
- The double has a rather massive barrel-shaped leg.
- The hat has a rough surface and looks like velvet.
- The tubular layer of the false species is red or orange. His leg also becomes red with age.
- Ripe fruit bodies smell like rotten onions.
Despite the fact that in some sources Satanic bolet is listed as conditionally edible, under no circumstances should it be eaten.
The stem of a ripe satanic mushroom acquires a scarlet color, however, closer to the cap it is yellowish
Gall mushroom
Gall mushroom (lat. Tylopilus felleus), mustard or false porcini mushroom is another inedible counterpart, which has an unpleasant taste of the pulp. Its size is quite small - the cap reaches only 10-12 cm in diameter. It is convex and hemispherical in shape, but as it matures, its appearance changes. Older specimens have flatter caps.
To the touch, the surface of the fruiting body is smooth and dry. The color of the cap is brown. Bitterweed does not have a pronounced odor.
It differs from a genuine porcini mushroom in its tubular layer, which is colored off-white or pink. Also, the flesh of the fruiting body becomes pink when cut, however, the changes are quite minor. You need to take a close look at it 5-8 minutes after the damage is done.
The gall mushroom is distinguished from a genuine porcini mushroom mainly by the appearance of its stem and cap.
Gorchak has a wider cap, and its leg is covered with a large mesh
Beautiful boletus
The beautiful boletus (lat. Boletus pulcherrimus), it is also called the beautiful boletus - a poisonous false species with a velvety cap. It can grow up to 25 cm in diameter. It is a little dry to the touch, the color is brown with a red tint. The flesh of the boletus is dense, yellowish. The leg of the double is quite thick - about 15 cm wide.
A distinctive feature of the beautiful boletus is a red leg with a palpable mesh
Speckled oakweed
Speckled oakberry (lat. Boletus erythropus) is one of the few conditionally edible counterparts of the porcini mushroom. The pulp of the fruiting bodies can be added to soups and stews, and this type is also suitable for preparations.
The dubovik grows on average up to 20 cm in diameter, however, its stem is quite short - only 6-10 cm. The surface of the cap is dry and slightly velvety to the touch. It is shaped like a rumpled pillow. The color of the cap is red-brown.
Speckled oakwood is easy to recognize by the way the edge of its cap behaves after pressure or impact - it darkens quite quickly under pressure. Also a characteristic sign of a false twin is darkening of the flesh. If the fruiting body is cut, it will turn bluish-blue.
The dubovik's cap is quite voluminous, but does not have a clear shape.
Borovik le Gal
Borovik le Gal (lat.Boletus legaliae), also the legal boletus, is another poisonous counterpart to the porcini mushroom, which can grow up to 15 cm in diameter. The hat is hemispherical, smooth to the touch. The surface is painted pinkish with an admixture of orange. The leg of the boletus is thick, about 5-6 cm in diameter.
The flesh of this false double is pale, slightly yellowish. The aroma of the fruiting bodies is pleasant.
The main distinguishing feature of this species from the porcini mushroom is the presence of a fine reddish mesh on the stalk.
When cut, the boletus pulp quickly turns blue
How to distinguish a white mushroom from a false one
In order not to confuse a real porcini mushroom with a false one, you need to familiarize yourself with the main signs of doubles. These include the following characteristics:
- The pulp of bitterling, satanic boletus and some other similar varieties changes color at the site of the cut or break, turning into brownish or reddish shades. In legal boletus, damaged fibers may turn blue. This does not happen with real porcini mushrooms.
- In the bitterling, a tuberous mesh can be felt on the stem, which is not found on the fruiting body of the edible porcini mushroom.
- A freshly cut gall mushroom begins to secrete milky juice on its stem, unlike white juice.
- Outwardly, a false double is almost always more attractive. This is explained by the fact that there are no external damages on the fruiting body, since insects and animals are repelled by the taste of the pulp.
Why is false white mushroom dangerous?
The poisonous counterpart of the porcini mushroom is dangerous because its pulp may contain toxic substances. They quickly penetrate the human blood and soon affect liver cells, destroying its structure.Additionally, toxic components negatively affect the nervous system and blood vessels.
Poisoning with false porcini mushroom
Symptoms of false porcini mushroom poisoning may vary slightly depending on the species, however, in general, the patient’s condition can be described as follows:
- During the first 24 hours after eating the double, a person may experience unusual weakness and dizziness. The next day the condition usually improves.
- After 5-10 days, signs of poisoning appear again. This time it is expressed in severe nausea, vomiting, and bowel dysfunction. Sometimes the temperature may rise.
- If the false double contains a large amount of toxic substances, then at some point the victim begins to hallucinate.
- After eating a large amount of poisonous pulp, damage occurs to blood vessels, nerve endings and liver cells. Limb spasms are possible.
- At high concentrations of toxic substances, cirrhosis of the liver can begin.
Conclusion
The dangerous double of the porcini mushroom can cause irreparable damage to human health and often causes accidents. Eating a large number of false fruiting bodies can lead to death, especially if it is a satanic disease - even a small piece of it poses a mortal threat. Some other species cause cirrhosis of the liver by destroying its structure. In order for a quiet hunt to go smoothly, it is necessary to become familiar with the main distinguishing features of false doubles.
You can learn more about how to collect real porcini mushrooms from the video below:
