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Black float is a conditionally edible mushroom of the Amanitaceae family, genus Amanita, subgenus Float. In the literature it is known as Amanita pachycolea and black pusher. On the Pacific coast of North America, where it has been studied by mycologists, it is called western grisette.
What does a black float look like?
The species is distributed on different continents; its representatives emerge from the ground under a blanket, a volva. In an adult mushroom it is visible as a shapeless bag enveloping the base of the stem. The fruiting body breaks the cover with a convex oval cap with smooth, shiny skin, it looks like an egg.
Description of the cap
As the cap grows, it reaches 7-20 cm, becomes flat, with a small tubercle in the center. The skin of young specimens is sticky and dark brown in color.At the beginning of growth it appears black, then gradually becomes lighter, especially the edges, which are clearly distinguished by thick parallel scars. This is how the plates are visible through the thin pulp.
The skin is black, smooth, glossy, occasionally with white flakes and the remains of a covering. The plates are free at the bottom, not attached to the stem, are located very often, white or white-gray in color. Old mushrooms have brown spots. The mass of spores is whitish.
The pulp is fragile and thin. The original color remains on the cut; on the edge there may be a change in color to gray. The smell is almost unnoticeable.
Description of the leg
The cap rises on a hollow or solid stem up to 10-20 cm in height, thickness from 1.5 to 3 cm. The stem is smooth, straight, slightly narrows towards the top, there is no thickening at the bottom, like other fly agarics. The surface is smooth or slightly covered with small white scales, then becomes grayish or brown as it matures. The ring is missing. At the base of the leg there is a bag-like lower part of the bedspread.
Where and how does it grow
At this time, the black species has been found only on the west coast of North America - in Canada and the USA. Although mycologists believe that the fungus may spread to other places over time.
The black fly agaric creates mycorrhiza with coniferous trees and is found in mixed and deciduous forests. The species was described in the 80s of the last century. The fruiting bodies grow singly or in small families and ripen from October to early winter.
Is the mushroom edible or not?
Since all representatives of the subgenus are considered conditionally edible and belong to the fourth category in terms of nutritional properties, they are rarely collected.Even gray floats, which are common in Russia, are not often taken: the fruiting bodies are very fragile, and once at the bottom of the basket they turn into dust.
Doubles and their differences
The black species is similar to species common in European countries:
- gray float or pusher;
- pale grebe.
Considering that the black floater has now been studied as an endemic to the North American continent, the mushrooms found in Russia are somewhat different.
Vivid differences between the black float and other types:
- dark color of the skin on the cap;
- the color of the pulp at the break does not change under the influence of air;
- the cap is framed with scars;
- on the North American continent it bears fruit in the fall.
Features of twins:
- the gray pusher has a light gray skin on the cap;
- found in the forests of Russia from mid-summer to September;
- the pale grebe has a whitish-yellow cap;
- there is a ring on the leg.
Conclusion
The black float can hardly be found in Russian forests. Still, it is better to find out the signs of the fungus in advance so as not to confuse it with its toxic counterparts.
