Content
The bracelet or red spider web is listed in biological reference books under the Latin name Cortinarius armillatus. Species from the Cobweb family.
What does the bracelet web look like?
The bracelet spider is above average in size, with a striking appearance. Grows up to 20 cm. Hat-footed, lamellar, with a cover similar in structure to a cobweb, hence the specific name. With a wide, brightly colored cap, the diameter of which in adult specimens is between 12-15 cm.
The color of the upper part of the fruiting body is dark orange or brown with a red tint.
Description of the cap
The external characteristics of the bracelet web cap are as follows:
- At the beginning of the growing season, the shape is spherical with concave edges and a convex center.
- As the mushroom matures, the cap takes on a cushion-like shape, then straightens to a flat-convex shape with sloping edges, and the tubercle becomes less noticeable.
- When the cover is torn, fragments of uneven length remain in the form of a cobweb along the edge of the cap.
- The surface is dry, hygrophanous in wet weather, the middle is covered with small scales, and the edges are fibrous.
- The plates of the hymenophore are sparsely arranged, attached to the stem with teeth.
- The color of the spore-bearing layer is brown in young specimens, with a rusty tint in mature ones.
The pulp is dense, thick, light brown with a musty odor.
The color of the central part is darker than the edges
Description of the leg
The leg grows up to 14 cm in length, 2-2.5 cm in thickness. The fibrous structure appears on the surface in the form of scattered dark longitudinal lines of different sizes. The places where the bedspread is attached form obvious brick-colored bracelets; there may be several or one rings. The base is clavate in shape, the cylindrical leg tapers slightly towards the top. The surface is light with a gray tint, silky.
The peculiarity of the species is the bright cortina located on the stem, the remains of a bedspread
Where and how does it grow
The climatic zone for the growth of bracelet webs does not play a role. Necessary conditions for growing season are high humidity, acidic soil and shaded areas. It forms mycorrhiza with birch and possibly pine. Found in all types of forests where these trees grow. Can be found along the edge of swamps on hummocks and moss litter. Fruiting is unstable; in the dry season, the yield of spiderwort drops sharply.The first specimens appear at the end of August before the temperature drops. Available in 2 pieces. or singly, cover large areas.
Is the mushroom edible or not?
The fruit bodies have no taste, with a specific odor, but without toxic compounds. The mushroom is classified as conditionally edible. But the bracelet web is not popular among mushroom pickers due to its coarse pulp and lack of taste.
Doubles and their differences
The bracelet spider has no official poisonous counterparts; there are several similar species in its family, but they can be easily distinguished, especially since they all have the same nutritional value. The only mushroom that is remotely similar is the beautiful cobweb. But it bears fruit in early spring and is located only in coniferous forests. The cap is smaller in size, the flesh is thinner with a clear bulge in the center, the color is uniform dark brown.
Leg of equal diameter along its entire length, often curved
Conclusion
Bracelet web forms mycorrhizae with birch and grows in all types of forests where this tree species is found. The fruit body is tasteless with a musty odor; the species is classified as a conditionally edible mushroom. Fruiting is autumn, unstable.
