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Pluteus ephebeus is an inedible mushroom of the Pluteus family, genus Pluteus. In the system of Wasser S.P. the species is assigned to the section Hispidoderma, in the system of E. Vellinga to the section Villosi. The genus name “Pluteus” is translated from Latin as “shield”. Other synonyms for the mushroom are juvenile and lepiotoid plutes. Not found too often in forests.The scaly weed grows mainly on dead, decaying wood and on soils rich in old woody debris.
What does Pluteus Squamosus look like?
The fruiting body of Plutea squamosus consists of a stem and a cap. It differs from other representatives of the genus in its smaller size and pronounced scaliness. The flesh of the mushroom is whitish in color, the spores are smooth - broadly ellipsoidal, ellipsoidal or ovoid in shape. Controversial pink powder. The plates are quite wide. Their arrangement is free and dense. The color is pinkish-gray at the beginning of growth. In a more mature stage it is pink, with whitish edges.
Description of the cap
The cap of Pluteus squamosus is fleshy, fibrous, rather thick, covered with radial cracks. The skin hyphae contain a brown enzyme. The color of the cap varies from grayish to brown. It separates from the leg quite easily.
The shape of the cap varies somewhat - it can be semi-circular or convex.
As it grows, it becomes prostrate, sometimes with the edges turned up, and with a clearly defined bulge in the middle. Small pressed scales are located in the center. Cap circumference – 30-100 mm.
Description of the leg
The leg is dense, brittle, smooth to the touch, with a characteristic shine. Cylindrical in shape, 40-100 mm high, 40-70 mm thick. It grows in the center of the cap, there are no remains of the spathe. A small tuber and fibrous grooves are clearly visible at the base. The color of the leg is gray or white.
Where and how does it grow
Mushroom pickers do not encounter the scaly sparrow very often.It can be found in the European part of Russia, in particular in the Rostov and Samara regions, as well as in the Far East and Primorsky Territory. It actively bears fruit from early August to mid-September in mixed deciduous plantings - plantings and forests. Pluteus scaly is often found within the city - in the forested area. Mushrooms choose a place for themselves on dead wood debris, old stumps, dead wood, or directly on the ground.
Is the mushroom edible or not?
Pluteus scaly belongs to the category of inedible mushrooms. The taste of the pulp of Plutea squamosus is astringent and tart. There is practically no smell.
Doubles and their differences
The counterpart of Pluteus squamosus is Xerula pudens or Gymnopus long-legged. This is a representative of the family Physalacriaceae (Physalacriaceae), genus Xerula (Xerula). The mushroom is edible.
Distinctive characteristics of the mushroom:
- long (up to 15 cm) and thin (less than 3 cm) leg;
- large hat (about 8-10 cm);
- plates adherent to the leg;
- color – dark gray or lemon brown;
- good taste;
- pleasant aroma.
Conclusion
Pluteus squamosum performs an important ecological function in the forest, namely, the destruction of dead wood. The mushroom does not have excellent taste characteristics and beneficial properties, so it has not found wide use either in cooking or in medicine. It is of interest only as a little-known and little-studied representative of the mushroom kingdom.
