Content
Rhizopogon yellowish is a rare saprophytic mushroom, a relative of puffballs. Belongs to the class Agaricomycetes, family Rhizopogonaceae, genus Rhizopogon. Another name for the mushroom is yellowish root, in Latin - Rhizopogon luteolus.
Where do yellowish rhizopogons grow?
Rhizopogon luteolus is found throughout temperate and northern latitudes of Eurasia. It grows in small groups mainly in pine forests on sandy and sub-sandy soils. It forms mycorrhiza with coniferous trees, most often with pine trees. Can be found in wooded summer cottages and parks. Loves loose soils with a high nitrogen content.The fruiting body of the mushroom is almost completely hidden underground or under a layer of fallen leaves, so it is not easy to find.
What do yellowish rhizopogons look like?
Rhizopogon luteolus has a rather strange appearance for a mushroom. It is missing a cap and a stem. The division of the fruiting body into upper and lower parts is very conditional. Outwardly, it resembles a young potato tuber. It has a size from 1 to 5 cm.
Young specimens are whitish-olive or light brown in color, mature specimens are brown or brown. The surface of the fruit body is dry. As it grows, its skin gradually cracks. The fruiting body is entangled in gray-black threads of the mycelium. Mature specimens have a pronounced garlic odor.
The pulp of Rhizopogon is dense and fleshy, whitish-yellow in color, which is how the mushroom got its name. When the spores ripen and disperse into the pulp, it gradually changes color to yellow-olive, greenish, greenish-brown and almost black in the old specimen.
The spores are ellipsoidal, slightly asymmetrical, shiny, smooth, transparent. Spore size is approximately 8 x 3 microns.
Is it possible to eat yellowish rhizopogony?
Rhizopogon is an edible species, but it is eaten extremely rarely.
Taste qualities of the mushroom Rhizopogon yellowish
Rhizopogon luteolus has low palatability. Despite the fact that it is considered edible.
Fried rhizopogon tastes like raincoat.
Benefits and harm to the body
Rhizopogon luteolus belongs to the fourth taste category. It contains nutrients, but if used and prepared incorrectly, it is dangerous and can cause harm to the body.
False doubles
Yellowish rhizopogon is similar in appearance to its relative, pinkish rhizopogon (Rhizopogon roseolus), another name for which is blushing truffle or pinking truffle. This mushroom has a yellowish skin; if you break it or cut it, the flesh turns pink. The fruit body of the pinkish truffle has a tuberous or irregular round shape. Most of it is underground. The wall of the fruiting body is whitish or yellowish, and becomes pinkish when pressed. Rhizopogon pinkish is edible, suitable for consumption only at a young age.
Another relative of the yellowish rhizopogon is the common rhizopogon (Rhizopogon vulgaris). Its fruiting body is shaped like a raw potato tuber, up to 5 cm in diameter. It is partially or completely hidden in the ground. The skin of a young mushroom is velvety, but of a mature one it becomes smooth and slightly cracks. Grows in spruce and pine forests, sometimes found in deciduous ones. The collection season is from June to October. Never grows alone.
The yellowish rhizopogon is similar to Melanogaster ambiguus. This is a very rare edible mushroom that grows singly in deciduous forests from May to October. Young specimens have a felt-like rough surface of a brownish-grayish color. During the growth process, the surface of the fruiting body darkens, becoming almost black, and becomes smooth. The flesh of the mushroom is purple-black, thick, fleshy, with a slight smell of garlic. Taste qualities are low.
Collection rules
The collection season is from July to September. It is best to harvest Rhizopogon luteolus at the end of the season when it produces the largest yields.
Use
For consumption, it is necessary to choose young specimens with flesh of a pleasant creamy color (old dark mushrooms cannot be used).
They must first be washed under running water, thoroughly scrubbing each specimen to remove the garlic taste and smell, then peel the thin skin.
Rhizopogon luteolus is prepared in the same way as puffballs, which are their closest relatives. All types of culinary processing are suitable for cooking - boiling, frying, stewing, baking, but they taste best when fried.
Conclusion
Yellowish rhizopogon is a little-known species even among mushroom pickers. It can easily be confused with a white truffle, which scammers take advantage of by selling it at a high price.
