Content
The Plyuteev family has several hundred different species. Many of them are poorly studied. Pluteus tuberous (club-legged) is a little-known mushroom of the genus Pluteus. It is popularly called club-footed, semi-bulbous, or thick-legged.
What does Pluteus tuberous look like?
Like many other fruiting bodies of the genus Plutea, the tuberous species is very small. It is distinguished by the proportional sizes of the cap and stem, as can be seen in the photo:
Description of the cap
The cap is small, thin, 2-3 cm in diameter. In young mushrooms it is bell-shaped, and later becomes prostrate. The pale pink, sometimes yellowish surface is slightly wrinkled, with a small bump in the middle. Radial fibers, similar to grooves, extend from it. White, eventually slightly pink plates on the inside are located freely.
Description of the leg
The leg is low, only 2-3 cm, and has the shape of a cylinder.In some mushrooms it is curved. It is covered with flake-like fibers. At the base the stalk thickens, forming a small tuber. Sometimes mycelium is visible on it. The flesh of the stem and cap is white, odorless and tasteless.
Where and how does it grow
Like other Plutheas, this saprotroph is found on rotten foliage, decaying tree trunks, and sometimes simply on open ground in mixed and deciduous forests. Its geography is wide.
Pluteus tuberous grows from August to October:
- in Europe, except the Iberian Peninsula;
- in North Africa;
- in Asian countries, for example, Azerbaijan and Armenia, China and Japan.
In Russia, this fruiting body was noticed in Primorye, in the territory of Yakutia. In the western part of Russia it was found in the Samara region, in the area of the Zhigulevsky Nature Reserve.
Is the mushroom edible or not?
The mushroom is considered inedible: due to its small size and lack of any taste, it has no value. Scientists do not talk about its toxicity.
Doubles and their differences
Some mushroom pickers confuse Pluteum tuberum with Pluteum velvety-footed. But this species is twice as large as the tuberous one. The surface of the cap is also different: it is velvety, and small scales gradually appear on it. The color of the cap is amber, sandy-brown, even brown. It is found in the same areas as the tuber plum.
One of the edible plutei - deer:
Conclusion
Pluteus tuberous is poorly studied. Therefore, mushroom pickers need to be careful and not allow this species to end up in the basket. Many members of the species can have hallucinogenic effects.
