Content
Plyutei umber is a conditionally edible forest inhabitant of the Plyutei family. Despite the bitter pulp, mushrooms are used fried and stewed. But since this representative has inedible doubles, it is necessary to familiarize yourself in detail with the external characteristics, view photos and videos.
What does the umber plume look like?
Pluteus umber is a very bright representative of the forest kingdom, as it has a beautiful pattern on the cap and a small velvet leg. But in order not to confuse it with its inedible counterparts, acquaintance with it must begin with a description of the fruiting body.
Description of the cap
The fleshy, strong cap reaches a diameter of 15 cm. In young specimens it is semicircular, straightens with age, leaving a small hill in the center.The surface is covered with chocolate velvety skin with a pronounced pattern. The edges of the cap have a jagged, coffee-colored fringe.
The spore layer consists of frequent wide plates of whitish color. With age, they become fragile and acquire a soft pink tint. The fungus reproduces by microscopic elongated spores that are found in pink powder.
Description of the leg
The oblong leg widens at the base. The surface is covered with brown or dark gray, thin, velvety skin with numerous small scales. The light gray pulp is dense, fibrous, and does not darken when cut.
Where and how does it grow
This representative is a forest orderly. Prefers to grow on dry, rotten deciduous wood or in woody substrate. The mushroom is widespread in Russia and bears fruit all summer until frost. Peak fruiting occurs in August.
Is the mushroom edible or not?
Umber plume belongs to the 4th group of edibility. The pulp of this species is bitter, with a pronounced rare aroma. Despite this, the caps of young representatives are tasty fried and stewed.
Doubles and their differences
Like any forest dweller, the umber plume has edible and inedible counterparts. These include:
- Deer - an edible, tasty species that grows in damp places, on dry, rotten wood. Found in forests from May until the first frost. You can recognize it by its bell-shaped shape and long, fleshy leg. The whitish pulp is not bitter and exudes a pleasant rare aroma.
- Mudfoot - a rare, inedible specimen. Grows on rotting deciduous wood.Distinctive features of the species: surface with radial strokes and light pink plates. The pulp is dense, snow-white, bitter in taste, without a pronounced mushroom smell.
Conclusion
Pluteus umber is a conditionally edible species. Grows on dead, deciduous wood throughout the warm period. The species has inedible counterparts, so you need to be able to distinguish them by their external description, since otherwise, if you eat them, you can get mild food poisoning. Experienced mushroom pickers advise passing by unfamiliar species.
