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Champignons look different and there are many varieties. To recognize an edible mushroom in the forest, you need to understand what they are like and what their external features are.
What champignon mushrooms look like
Lamellar mushrooms can be very small or large in size - from 3 to 25 cm in cap diameter. The champignon cap itself is always massive, round and ovoid at a young age, but then straightens and flattens. Its surface is smooth or slightly scaly, the color of the fruiting bodies of different species varies from white to brown and brown.
All varieties of champignons have common features
On the lower surface of the cap there are plates that are white when young, turning pink and darkening as they mature.The stem of mushrooms is dense and smooth, sometimes loose and hollow, with a single-layer or double-layer ring and remnants of a covering.
When broken, the fruiting bodies are white and have a pronounced anise or mushroom aroma. When exposed to air, the pulp often takes on a reddish or yellowish tint.
Types of champignons
It is customary to distinguish several varieties of champignons. Although all mushrooms belong to the same genus, they can differ quite greatly in appearance and size.
Ordinary
The most common type is a mushroom with a dense stalk up to 9 cm in height and a convex or flattened cap of white or grayish color. The cap reaches 15 cm in diameter, the skin on it is dry, and can be easily removed for cleaning.
The common type is the most common
The flesh of the mushroom is dense and white, turning pink when cut. The common species is completely edible and suitable for any food use, and usually grows on fertile soil in open areas.
Field
The mushroom grows mainly in pastures and lawns, as well as in forest clearings. The cap of the champignon in adulthood is spread out, up to 15 cm wide and silky to the touch. The color of the mushroom is whitish or grayish, it rises 12 cm above the ground. There are pinkish plates on the underside of the cap.
The field species grows mainly in lawns and pastures
The field species has white flesh that turns yellow when cut and has a pleasant taste and smell. The mushroom grows from May until the first frost; it can be consumed in any form.
Forest
Unlike most champignons, forest champignons grow not in open areas, but in the forest. The mushroom can mainly be found in spruce forests, sometimes in mixed plantings. Its height is 5-10 cm, the width of the cap is on average 10 cm. The cap of the forest champignon in adulthood is brownish-brown, with large dark scales.
Woodland champignon is darker than many related species
A distinctive feature of the forest species is that its light flesh quickly turns red when cut. The mushroom is completely edible.
Augustovsky
This species is one of the largest in size of all champignons. In adult fruiting bodies, the diameter of the cap can reach 20 cm. The species grows in coniferous and mixed forests. It is not found often, but is easy to recognize by its light yellow or dark orange outstretched cap with brown scales.
The August species is one of the largest
The color of the pulp of the August mushroom is white, it smells slightly of almonds and is edible. Grows in forests from August to mid-autumn.
Bernard's champignon
The mushroom is classified as rare and grows mainly in Central Asia, on desert soils. The caps of the fruiting bodies are prostrate in adulthood and convex at a young age, relatively small - up to 10 cm. The height of the mushroom rises by 6-8 cm.
Bernard's champignon grows mainly in the steppes
The skin color of the fruiting bodies is usually white with a pinkish or brown tint. The flesh is white when cut, but quickly turns pink when exposed to air. The fruiting bodies are suitable for consumption.
Champignon Benes
In nature, the species is rare, but it can be found in forests, both coniferous and deciduous. The mushroom has a fleshy, outstretched brownish cap with a blunt tubercle, reaching 10 cm in diameter.The plates of the fruiting bodies are initially pinkish, turning brown with age, the stem is white and cylindrical in shape.
Benes champignon turns red when exposed to air
The edible Benes champignon is white when cut, but later turns red. You can also eat mushrooms raw.
Garden
This species is mainly grown industrially, but sometimes it is found in natural conditions - in gardens, fields and compost heaps. The diameter of the mushroom usually does not exceed 8 cm; on the stem it rises to 10 cm. The cap of the fruiting body can be white or brown, smooth in the center and along the edges.
A garden species may accidentally grow in a summer cottage
The flesh of the mushroom is juicy and turns pink when cut. Edible qualities are rated very highly.
Elegant
Quite a rare species, growing in meadows and clearings. The diameter of the cap does not exceed 3.5 cm, and the height is only 3 cm. The miniature fruiting bodies have a gray-yellow color with a pinkish tint, their caps are dry and matte. The plates of young mushroom fruits are pink, and those of adults are red-brown.
Sleek appearance with miniature size
The mushroom can be recognized by its pungent anise smell; after processing it is very tasty and is actively used for culinary purposes.
Large-spored
A fairly common species grows mainly in meadows on fertile soils. It can reach 10 cm in height, the cap sometimes grows up to 25 cm in width. The surface of the cap is dry, covered with wide scales, the skin is whitish in color.
Large-spored species - very large, light in color
If you break a large-spore champignon, its flesh will turn out to be white, but in the air it will quickly turn red. The pulp emits an almond-ammonia characteristic odor.
Pereleskovy
The species is relatively small - up to 10 cm in width, but can also rise up to 10 cm in height. The cap of the coppice champignon is white or cream, spread-convex and almost without scales. The dense, thin pulp has an aniseed odor and turns yellow-orange when exposed to air.
Photos of mushrooms allowing correct identification by class and species. Unique color photos taken in the forest. The coppice species has almost no scales on the cap
The stem of the mushroom fruit is thin and hollow, usually retaining a noticeable white ring. The edible species grows mainly in forests.
How champignons grow in the forest
Champignons of all types feel most comfortable at moderate temperatures. Mushrooms grow most readily at 20-23 °C. And if during the process the weather changes and the temperature drops to about 14 ° C, the mushrooms turn out especially beautiful and strong.
Like most mushrooms, champignons prefer high humidity. You can find them in forests and fields soon after heavy rains, since humidity of 75-95% creates ideal conditions for them to grow.
Since the mushroom mycelium is located shallow underground, natural moisture reaches it very quickly, and the mushroom fruits begin to grow. It should be taken into account that it is long rains that create the appropriate conditions for growth. A short shower or light drizzle will not contribute to the germination of mushrooms, since they will not have time to saturate the soil with moisture.
For the growth of mushroom bodies, a moderately warm temperature without sudden changes is important.
How long do champignons grow?
On average, the growth of fruiting bodies takes about 3-6 days, which is how long it takes champignons to reach medium size. 12 days after appearing above the surface of the earth, the fruiting bodies reach their maximum size. Growth occurs most rapidly in the first days, up to 1.5 cm per day, after which the speed decreases slightly. An adult champignon can weigh on average about 200 g.
Interestingly, in warm and dry weather, mushrooms age much faster; it is better to collect them in the middle of their life cycle. But in the fall, with the onset of rain and cold weather, the fruiting bodies retain their elasticity and freshness longer. Therefore, the largest specimens suitable for food consumption can be found in the autumn.
Where do champignons grow in nature?
Champignon is a very common mushroom all over the world. You can meet it throughout Europe, in England and the Scandinavian countries, on the American continent. Mushrooms grow in the southern regions - in Central Asia, in the Crimea, in steppe and even desert regions.
You can find mushroom bodies throughout Russia on rich soils
You can find edible mushrooms almost everywhere in well-fertilized soil rich in organic compounds. Mushroom fruits grow in vegetable gardens and pastures, in swamps and along roads. Sometimes you can even see them within the city limits, although in this case they are unsuitable for collection; in the city the pulp absorbs too many toxins.
Where do champignons grow in Russia?
In Russia you can find champignons almost everywhere; the mushroom is not at all rare. In particular, we can name the following productive places that are very popular among mushroom pickers:
- A forest near the village of Saburovo near Opalikha, and a forest near Nakhabino station in the Moscow region. These places are of particular interest to mushroom pickers, since every season you can collect a huge amount of champignons here.
- Sverdlovsk region in the Urals. According to experienced mushroom pickers, many types of edible champignons grow in the local swampy forests, and you can collect whole baskets of them.
- In the middle zone, good champignon harvests are observed in the Astrakhan and Volgograd regions. If you go for mushrooms in the meadows and mixed forests in these areas, you can collect a lot of edible fruiting bodies during the peak fruiting season.
- Champignons also grow in Siberia. In particular, they can be collected in the Barnaul region and in the Krasnoyarsk Territory; productive places are also found near Novosibirsk.
Almost all regions have places with good champignon harvests
When do champignons grow?
The champignon season begins in late spring - the first mushrooms of early species appear in May. However, in spring and early summer the fruiting bodies do not grow too abundantly. The mass fruiting season begins in July and August, after which mushrooms can be collected in large quantities until November.
When can you pick champignons?
It is best to go for champignons in forests and meadows during the second wave of fruiting - from July to August. It is recommended to choose days about a week after heavy rains.During this time, the fruiting bodies have time to ripen properly, but do not yet become too old and darkened.
It is better to collect mushroom bodies in the second wave, at the end of summer
The collection of champignons continues until October. You can find edible mushrooms later, before the first frost and snow. But such a late discovery will be the exception rather than the rule; it is better to purposefully go on a search in warm autumn weather.
How to properly collect champignons
Champignons are very popular due to the fact that most species are absolutely edible. They can be safely consumed even in their raw form. But this is precisely why when collecting fruiting bodies you need to choose places that are as clean as possible from an environmental point of view. Like any mushrooms, champignons easily accumulate toxins from soil and sediment during their growth process. If contaminated mushrooms are collected, they can lead to poisoning after minimal processing.
Collection rules:
- It is recommended to directly collect champignons with great care. Miniature rudiments of young mushrooms usually grow next to the adult fruiting body.
- If you pull the champignon out of the ground carelessly, you can damage the mycelium, which will lead to the death of the germinating mushrooms.
- To remove the fruiting body from the ground according to the rules, you need to carefully grab it by the stem and start turning it clockwise or counterclockwise. The champignon is thus unscrewed from the mycelium, and the mycelium itself remains intact.
According to the rules, mushroom fruits need to be twisted out of the ground with slow movements.
Mushroom pickers often use a sharp knife to quickly cut the fruiting body from the stem without damaging the mycelium.However, in the case of champignons, you cannot do this; the remaining “stumps” will prevent the growth of small mushrooms.
Conclusion
Champignons do not always look the same, but there are common features in their structure. It is quite easy to recognize these mushrooms if you know the places for collection and the time of main fruiting.
