Content
There are up to 300 different species in the Pluteaceae mushroom family. Of these, only about 50 varieties have been studied. Pluteus podospileus belongs to the species Pluteus podospileus of the genus Pluteus and is one of the poorly studied fruiting bodies.
What does Pluteus Mudfoot look like?
This is a rather small mushroom, up to 4 cm high, very similar to meadow mushrooms. It is important to know the distinctive features so that the inedible plume does not end up among the other fruiting bodies.
Description of the cap
The cap reaches a diameter of 4 cm. At the beginning of ripening, it is convex, bell-shaped, then gradually becomes flat, with a small tubercle in the middle.The color varies from brown to dark brown. The surface is covered with small sharp scales. The edges are ribbed with invisible transparent stripes. White, slightly pinkish radial plates run along the inner side. The white pulp has a faint odor.
Description of the leg
The short, but dense, light-gray legs of Pluteum mudpod are only 0.3 cm in diameter. Towards the base they thicken a little and darken. Dark fibers become noticeable. Their flesh is grayish, without a distinct odor.
Where and how does it grow
This species loves mixed and deciduous forests and settles on stumps, wood debris, and old foliage. Sometimes found in parks, plantings, and gardens. Noticed by mushroom pickers in Europe, certain Asian countries, for example, Israel, Turkmenistan. It was also seen in North America. In Russia, it grows in the Krasnodar Territory, is found in the Samara and Rostov regions, and on the territory of the West Siberian Plain. The ripening period is from June to the end of October.
Is the mushroom edible or not?
In the Plyuteev family, the majority are inedible mushrooms. This is also the case with the mud-footed spittle. It has a bitter taste and is not suitable for food. But nothing is known about its toxicity.
Doubles and their differences
Pluteus mudpod is similar to some related mushrooms of its family:
- Pluteus dwarf has the same dimensions as the mud-legged one. The hat is also dark brown, but with a chestnut or olive tint. On the velvety surface, covered with a dust coating, radial wrinkled lines are barely visible. On the inside there are longitudinal plates. It is inedible, although it has a pleasant smell.
- Similar to him veiny spittle. It differs only in its amber-brown cap, covered with a network of longitudinal and transverse wrinkles, and an unpleasant odor. It is found in the same latitudes as its relatives. It is considered inedible due to its small size and repulsive odor.
- Another mushroom of the Pluteaceae family, similar to the Mudfoot species, is Pluteus gray-brown with a gray-brown cap, on which wrinkles are almost invisible. They are distinguished by light brown plates and fibrous, grayish legs, expanding at the base to 0.7 cm.
It is considered an edible but little known fruiting body.
Attention! Many mushrooms of the Pluteaceae family are not eaten. But there are also edible species. Among them are the Pluteus deer with a pinkish cap covered with longitudinal wrinkles and a long and thin stalk.
Conclusion
The mudfoot has no nutritional value. But it is a saprotroph, which is an indispensable link in the ecological chain.
