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Panus auriculata is one of the varieties of fruiting bodies that grow in forests. An accurate description and photo allow you to identify the mushroom by appearance, and then make a decision about collecting it.
What does panus auriculus look like?
Another name for the fruiting body is auricular sawfoil. It belongs to the polyporous family.
Description of the cap
In the ear-shaped sawfoil, the diameter of the cap varies from 4 to 10 cm. In young representatives it is purple and reddish in color, but as the fungus grows, it changes color to brown. Its shape is irregular: it looks like a funnel or shell with wavy edges slightly turned inward. To the touch it is hard, leathery, without fluff.
The plates of the fruiting body are narrow in shape. They are hard to the touch and have a purple-pinkish tint. Their color changes to brown as they grow.
Description of the leg
The stalk of the sawfoil is short and strong, reaching 2 cm in thickness. Its height is no more than 5 cm. At the base, the stalk is narrowed, in relation to the cap it is located almost in a lateral position.
Where and how does it grow
The main habitat of Panus auriculata is deciduous forests, mainly on aspen and birch trees. Most often it is found on fallen dead trees, where it grows in voluminous mycelium. The fruiting period lasts during the summer and autumn months.
Is the mushroom edible or not?
Panus auricularis is conditionally edible; it is not poisonous, so it will not cause harm to the mushroom picker who eats it. Sawfoil can be consumed pickled or fresh. It is also used in cheese making in Georgia.
Young specimens with a lilac color should be collected for food: adult ear-shaped sawfoils are brown in color and very bitter. Their flesh is thin, leathery and has no pronounced smell or taste. Mushroom pickers prefer to use the harvest for preparing soups and main courses.
A sharp knife should be used to collect fruiting bodies.
Doubles and their differences
In the forests, a mushroom can be confused with oyster mushroom. It differs from Panus auricularis in color; depending on age, the cap changes color from white to gray-ochre. The leg of the double is clearly defined and reaches a length of 8 cm. Oyster mushroom is suitable for eating.The harvested crop can be consumed fresh or pickled.
Has an external resemblance to Pannus eariform and oyster mushroom. It is distinguished by a large cap, reaching 15 cm in diameter, of a light, whitish-gray hue. As the oyster mushroom grows, its color changes to yellowish. The shape of the cap is fan-shaped, the edges are directed upward. The fruit body is edible and grows in deciduous forests.
Panus ear-shaped is similar in appearance to oyster mushroom (headed). The hat, with a diameter of 5 to 15 cm, is funnel-shaped, with rolled edges. The shade of this representative is the most varied: in the forests there are specimens of light ash, gray and yellowish shades. The mycelium is located on dead trees and looks like a multi-tiered structure. The mushroom is often cultivated for industrial purposes.
Conclusion
Panus auriculata is an edible mushroom that grows in deciduous forests. It can be collected in the summer and autumn months. Saw leaf is suitable for pickling and fresh consumption.
