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Lion-yellow Pluteus (Pluteus leoninus) is a rare representative of the Pluteus genus of the Pluteaceae family. Also known as the lion's plover and the tufted plover. According to mycological classification, it belongs to the class Agaricomycetes, order Agariaceae. The lion's sparrow is not very well known among mushroom pickers, so many, due to inexperience, avoid it, considering it a toadstool.
What does a lion-yellow plute look like?
Pluteus lion-yellow is a small mushroom of bright color on a very thin stalk. The flesh is dense and can be salmon, golden or brown in color. The color of the inside depends on the age of the fruiting body and the location of the mycelium. Spore powder is light pink in color. The plates are frequent, free and wide. When young they are white-pinkish, when older they are pink.
Description of the cap
The cap of Pluteus lion-yellow in the initial stage of growth is bell-shaped. Then it becomes convex, and even later prostrate. The mushroom cap is quite thin, ribbed along the edges, with a diameter of about 20-60 mm. There may be a small bump in the center with a mesh pattern. The skin of the cap is matte, velvety, longitudinally striped, smooth to the touch. The color of the cap can be bright yellow, brownish, yellowish-brown and yellow-honey.
Description of the leg
The leg of the lion-yellow plutea is long and thin. Its thickness is about 5 mm, and its height is 50-80 mm. The leg is solid, fibrous, longitudinally striped, and has a cylindrical shape. It widens slightly towards the base, where sometimes a small tuber can form. It can be smooth, curved, and occasionally twisted.
Where and how does it grow
Pluteus lion-yellow is a saprophytic mushroom that grows on fallen trees, old decaying stumps, and on wood debris (bark, branches) in the soil. It is quite rare on living trees. These mushrooms grow mainly in the European part of Russia, in the Samara region, as well as in the Primorsky Territory, Eastern and Western Siberia.
Place of growth of lion-yellow plutea:
- deciduous forests (oak, beech, poplar, ash);
- mixed plantings (with a predominance of birch);
- coniferous forests (rare).
Fruiting lasts from mid-June to the end of October.The most massive growth is observed in July. They mostly grow alone, very rarely in small groups.
Is the mushroom edible or not?
The lion-yellow pluteus is a conditionally edible mushroom with low palatability. The smell of the pulp is quite pleasant. You can use lion's plume for preparing first and second courses, after boiling it for at least 10-15 minutes. Mushrooms can also be dried and pickled.
Doubles and their differences
Several types of pluteus are similar to the lion-yellow pluteus:
- Golden-colored (Pluteus chrysophaeus) – distinctive feature is its smaller size and the presence of brownish flowers.
- Orange-wrinkled (Pluteus aurantiorugosus) - distinguished by the presence of an orange spot in the center of the cap and a rudimentary ring on the stalk.
- Golden vein (Pluteus chrysophlebius) is a smaller mushroom, not velvety, with a different pattern in the center of the cap.
- Fenzl's Pluteus (Pluteus fenzlii) – a distinctive feature is the ring on the stem and the very bright color of the cap. The most yellow of all varieties of yellow plutei.
Conclusion
The lion-yellow pluteus is a little-known mushroom, so its chemical composition and characteristics have been practically unstudied. There is no reliably confirmed scientific data on the species. A few studies have not revealed any unique or beneficial properties that would make it possible to recommend this type of mushroom for consumption.
