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Goat's cobweb is a representative of the genus Cobweb and belongs to the category of inedible and poisonous mushrooms. Known by several names: Cortinarius traganus, stinking spider or goat spider. Received the species identification due to its sharp, specific odor.
What does goat's web look like?
A rather large mushroom with a purple color at the beginning of growth; in more mature specimens the color becomes lighter and acquires a bluish tint. A distinctive feature is the presence of a purple, dense, web-like, general velum that completely covers young specimens.
Over time, the blanket breaks, forming rings on the stem and flakes along the edge of the cap.
Description of the cap
As it matures, the shape of the cap changes. In young specimens it is round with concave edges, tightly covered with a veil. Then the velum breaks, the shape becomes hemispherical, and in adult specimens it opens completely.
The photo shows the goat's web at the beginning of growth and during the ripening period, the description of the fruiting body is as follows:
- cap diameter – 3-10 cm;
- the surface is velvety, unevenly colored, the central part is darker, cracking is possible;
- the lamellar layer is lilac; as the spores mature, they become light brown;
- the plates are frequent, long, well attached to the lower part; along the edge of the cap there are shorter ones in the form of rudiments.
The pulp is dense, pale purple, thick.
People compare goat's web with the specific aroma of a goat of reproductive age.
Description of the leg
The leg of the goat's web is thick and whole. Near the mycelium there is a clearly defined tuberous thickening.
The shape is cylindrical. The surface is smooth with the remains of the bedspread. The color is a shade lighter than the cap; at the site of spore maturation, the areas acquire a dark yellow tint. Leg height – up to 10 cm.
Where and how does it grow
The fruiting period of goat's web is from early summer to October. Grows in mixed forests, where pine trees are found, in coniferous forests. Settles on moss litter in shaded, damp places. Distributed throughout Europe. In Russia it is found in the boreal climate zone. The main accumulation is in the Murmansk, Sverdlovsk, Yaroslavl regions, and is also found in the Leningrad region. Grows singly or in small groups.
Is the mushroom edible or not?
This representative belongs to the inedible poisonous mushrooms. Information about the toxicity of the chemical composition is conflicting. But in the case of this representative, assessment of the degree of toxicity does not play a role. The fruiting body has such a specific repulsive odor that consumption is simply impossible. Heat treatment only intensifies this.
Doubles and their differences
Camphor spiderwort is considered similar in appearance to the stinking spiderwort.
Externally, the species are absolutely identical, the time and place of fruiting are also the same. They differ only in smell; in the double it resembles camphor. Refers to inedible mushrooms.
The white-violet cobweb is lighter in color, the veil is completely white.
Rarely found in coniferous forests. Mainly grows under birch trees. The smell is unpleasant, but less pronounced. The mushroom is conditionally edible.
Conclusion
Goat's web is an inedible, poisonous species with an unpleasant chemical odor that intensifies during processing. Grows in temperate climates (from June to October) in mixed or coniferous forests. It settles in families mainly under pine trees on a moss cushion.
