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The white float belongs to the genus Amanita, but is considered edible and even useful. However, the mushroom is similar in appearance to its poisonous counterparts, which is why it is not very popular among mushroom pickers.
What does a white float mushroom look like?
There are several varieties of floaters, and white and snow-white are different mushrooms, but both are conditionally edible. The white float belongs to the department Basidiomycota, the genus Amanita and has several names:
- edible fly agaric;
- pusher;
- white shape of gray float;
- Agaricus vaginatus var. albus
- of the obsolete ones - Amanita alba, Amanitopsis albida and Amanitopsis vaginata var. alba.
The white relative of the poisonous red fly agaric is born from a protective sac - the vulva, which, when ruptured, does not disappear anywhere, remaining at the base of the mushroom's stem throughout its life.
Description of the cap
Like all floats, a young albino has at first an ovoid cap, then in the form of a bell, turning into a semicircular or outstretched one as it grows, sometimes with a tubercle in the center. Reaches a diameter of 10-12 cm.
The edges are ribbed and grooves are characteristic of all edible representatives of the genus. Sometimes white flakes can be seen at the edges - these flaps are the remains of the vulva.
The surface of the white float cap is dry or slightly sticky. In hot weather it is bright white or ocher, in rainy weather it is dirty gray.
The plates are wide and light, like the spore powder.
The pulp is white, fragile, and does not change color when cut. Mushroom aroma, barely noticeable. The taste is weak.
Description of the leg
The white float grows up to 20 cm, but most often the height is 6-10 cm. The leg has a cylindrical or club-shaped shape, with a thickening at the base. The color is white, the structure is fibrous, the surface is smooth or scaly-fluffy, diameter is 1-2 cm.
In young mushrooms the stem is dense, then becomes hollow and very fragile. The ring on the stalk is absent at any age; a large white vulva is visible at the base, immersed in the ground.
Where and how does it grow
The float prefers solitude, is rare, does not grow in a permanent place, bears fruit once every 2-3 years. There is a greater chance of finding the fungus in a birch grove, because it forms mycorrhiza with this tree. But it is found in coniferous and mixed forests, in grass or among shrubs.Prefers loamy fertile soils in Russia, northern and western Europe, including the entire territory of Ukraine and Belarus. Finding one on the Karelian Peninsula is a great success; in 7 years only a few pieces have been discovered.
Fruiting occurs from mid-July to the end of September.
Is the mushroom edible or not?
There are disputes among mushroom pickers about the taste of white floats, but scientists have no doubt about the usefulness and edibility of the pushers. This type contains useful microelements and vitamins, among which group B predominates. They also contain betaine, which has a beneficial effect on metabolism.
In many countries, float is eaten fried and boiled.
Before use, they are thoroughly cleaned and washed from dirt, boiled for at least 30 minutes in salted water, the broth is drained and various dishes are prepared with white floats, including winter preparations (salted and pickled).
If cooking rules are not followed, inflammatory symptoms occur in the stomach and small intestine; this is due to the presence of resin-like substances in mushrooms.
The presence of betaine in pushers has led to the fact that mushrooms are used in medicine to treat diseases of the liver, gall bladder and kidneys, as well as breast cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and prostate adenoma.
Doubles and their differences
The white float does not have many poisonous counterparts, but each is deadly:
- White (spring) fly agaric in terms of the composition of poisons it is equivalent to the white (not pale) grebe. Extremely dangerous. It grows only from late April to mid-June.
- Amanita stinking (White grebe) is the most dangerous twin of the white float. Extremely poisonous, small doses are fatal. It grows during the same period when the bearberry appears. Has an unpleasant odor.
Inedible lookalikes can be recognized by several characteristics:
- there is a ring on the leg (the white float does not have one);
- no scars on the edges of the cap;
- the vulva is not visible at the base.
But these differences do not guarantee that it was the float that was found. In adult poisonous mushrooms, the ring may be destroyed and absent, and from the “embryo” that has not yet emerged from the vulva, it is difficult to determine the edibility of the species.
Some pushers are also similar to each other, but all double floats can be eaten:
- At the snow-white float in the center of the cap there are gray-brown or ocher spots. Conditionally edible.
- Gray pusher may come in white color. The albino is practically indistinguishable in appearance from the white float, but it is also rare. Conditionally edible.
The float is distinguished from other vulva brethren: the gray float is also greyish, the saffron float is yellowish, and the brown float has reddish spots.
Conclusion
White floats are not recommended to be collected and eaten because these rare mushrooms can be easily confused with poisonous mushrooms that are dangerous to life and health. Only industrial cultivation of floats guarantees safety. If, after all, the “float” was eaten and signs of poisoning appeared, you should immediately call an ambulance.
