Content
The semi-hairy cobweb belongs to the family Arachnovidaceae, genus Cortinarius. Its Latin name is Cortinarius hemitrichus.
Description of the semi-hairy web
Studying the characteristic features of the semi-hairy web allows us to distinguish it from other mushrooms. This representative of the forest kingdom is poisonous, so it should not be collected.
Description of the cap
The diameter of the cap is 3-4 cm. At first it has a conical shape, with a whitish tint. On its surface there are hairy scales and a whitish cover.
As the fruiting body grows, it becomes more convex, then prostrate, with drooping edges.
The color scheme varies depending on the maturity of the specimen: thanks to the villi, it is first bluish-whitish, gradually changing color to brown or bluish-brown if it gets exposed to rain. In dry weather, the cap becomes whitish again.
The plates are wide, but quite sparse, have attached teeth, which are initially grayish-brown, but later the color becomes more saturated: brown-brown. White cobwebby blanket.
Spore powder on the fruiting bodies is rusty-brown in color.
Description of the leg
The length of the lower part is from 4 to 8 cm, the diameter is up to 1 cm. The shape is cylindrical, smooth, but there are samples with an expanded base. Silky-fibrous to the touch. The leg is hollow inside. Its color is whitish at first, but gradually it turns brown and turns brown.
Brown fibers and remnants of the bedspread remain on the leg
Where and how does it grow
The fruiting period of the mushroom lasts from mid-August to September. Fruiting bodies grow in mixed plantings, preferring leaf litter under birch and spruce trees. Small groups of specimens are found in damp places.
Is the mushroom edible or not?
The hairy cobweb is absolutely inedible and poisonous, so it is prohibited to eat it. Its pulp is thin, without any special aroma, and has a brown tint.
Doubles and their differences
The species is similar to the membranous cobweb, the flesh of which is thin, hard in the stem, with a slight aroma of geranium. The double's cap is in the shape of a dark brown bell with villi and has a sharp mastoid tubercle.
Unlike the semi-hairy web, the double is smaller in size, but with distinct scales, grows on moss, preferring marshy areas.
Conclusion
The semi-hairy cobweb belongs to the category of inedible fruiting bodies. Grows in mixed plantings. It occurs from August to September.
