Content
Simocybe centunculus is a very common lamellar mushroom belonging to the Crepidotaceae family. Like all representatives of the genus it is a saprotroph. That is, you can find it on rotting tree trunks, stumps, as well as meadows where sedge grows.
What does shimocybe patchwork look like?
This species was first found and described in Finland by the famous mycologist, professor of botany Peter Adolf Karsten back in 1879.
Shimocybe patchwork is a small mushroom: the diameter of the cap is from 1 to 2.5 cm. Moreover, the shape of a convex hemisphere with edges directed inward is characteristic only of young specimens. As it matures, it straightens and becomes flatter.
The color may, although slightly, vary: in different representatives of the Shimotsibe genus it ranges from greenish-brown to brownish and dirty gray. In the center of the cap of an adult mushroom, the colors lose intensity, thickening towards the edges.
This species is distinguished from other saprotrophs by small plates attached to the stem with denticles. They are white at the edges and darker at the base. But this contrasting effect can only be observed in young specimens. With age, all scales acquire a single brownish tint.
The surface is smooth and dry, sometimes velvety. In young Simocybe patchy, slight hairiness can be seen. The leg of adult representatives of this species is curved and thin, no more than half a centimeter in thickness. But its length can reach 4 cm.
Where does Shimocybe patchwork grow?
The range of all woody saprotrophs (necrotrophs) coincides with those areas where there are forests and meadows with sedge. It grows and bears fruit on rotten tree trunks and stumps, as well as on old straw throughout the season.
Is it possible to eat shimocybe patchwork
This mushroom is inedible. There are those who consider it clearly poisonous and even hallucinogenic. However, so far there is no reliable evidence of this fact. However, collecting and eating shimocybe patchwork is still not recommended.
Even an experienced mushroom picker is not so easy to determine what type of saprotroph he came across. After all, the Shimotsibe genus alone has about a hundred species; sometimes only microscopic studies can accurately distinguish them. And the similarity of this representative can be traced with many others growing on decaying wood.
This is, for example, psatirella (another name for fragile). This, like Shimocybe patchy, is a small woody saprotroph with a curved stalk.
In the old days, most of them were considered poisonous, but today it is known that these mushrooms can be eaten, however, only after prolonged heat treatment (boiling). Therefore, psatirells are classified as conditionally edible.
Conclusion
Shimocybe patchwork is a common mushroom that lives where there is a favorable environment for it in the form of woody remains and old straw.Its role in living nature cannot be overestimated: like other saprotrophs, it contributes to the formation of humus, necessary for the growth of all higher plants.
