Content
In addition to the usual mushrooms, there are species in nature that are not quite similar to them either in external features or in their lifestyle and purpose. These include felt stereo.
It grows on trees and is a parasitic fungus that attacks diseased and dead or living, healthy trees, feeding on them and causing wood diseases. But at the same time, it is not without useful properties, which are worth knowing about, as well as about the distribution area, appearance and similar types of tomentose stereum.
Where does Stereum tomentosa grow?
On the territory of the Russian Federation, annual tomentose stereum is distributed throughout the entire forest zone. Most often it can be found on the wood of dead trees, but the fungus is also found on living deciduous trees (birch, oak, aspen, alder, willow). Of the coniferous species, Stereum chooses pine trunks for life. Its usual habitat is on stumps, dead wood, and branches. Mushrooms arrange their fruiting bodies in large groups in the form of tiles.Their fruiting period occurs in summer and autumn, until December. In regions with mild climates, growth continues all year round.
What does felt stereo look like?
At the beginning of growth, the fruiting bodies look like a yellow or brown crust, spread over the surface of a tree or other substrate. Later, its edge bends and a cap is formed. It is thin, attached to the side or sessile. It is attached almost at one point, where there is a small tubercle. The thickness of the cap is about 2 mm, its shape is in the form of a shell with a wavy or simply bent edge. The diameter of the cap of the felt stereum reaches 7 cm.
The fruiting bodies are arranged in rows in large groups. Later they grow together with the sides of the caps, which together form intricate long “frills”.
The upper side of the stereoum cap has a velvety surface, similar to felt. The edge is clearly defined, it is lighter than the rest and has concentric rings. Over time, it darkens and becomes covered with green epiphytic algae.
The color of mushrooms depends on their age, climatic and weather conditions, and place of growth. Shades of tomentose stereum vary from gray-orange to red-brown and even bright lingonberry.
The bottom of the cap is smooth and matte, while in older fruiting bodies it is wrinkled and faded gray or brownish in color. There are concentric circles, but they are weakly expressed in dry weather and much stronger in rainy weather.
The flesh of representatives of the species is dense, very hard, and has practically no smell or taste.
Is it possible to eat felt stereoum?
In addition to edible and poisonous mushrooms, there are inedible ones. These are species that humans do not eat for various reasons. They are not poisonous. They can become inedible due to poor taste, unpleasant odor, the presence of spines or scales on the fruiting bodies or their very small size. One of the reasons for inedibility is the rarity of the species or the unusual habitat of the mushrooms.
Stereum felt belongs to the inedible category due to its hardness.
Similar species
Species close to felt are considered to be Stereum coarse-haired, rugose and Trametes versicolor.
Coarse-haired
Its fruiting bodies are brighter in color and have a woolly surface. The zones of the lower part of the caps are somewhat less pronounced than those of the tomentose stereoum and have very bright colors. After the onset of winter and frost, this species changes its color to gray-brown with a lightened edge.
Wrinkly
The stereoum of this variety has perennial fruiting bodies that merge with each other and form stripes and spots on the surface of the substrate. The hymenophore of such representatives is tuberous, brownish with a gray coating, and becomes red after damage.
Trametes multicolored
The mushroom belongs to the tinder fungus. Its fruiting body is perennial and fan-shaped. It is attached to the wood sideways. Its base is narrowed and silky to the touch. The color is very bright, multi-colored, consisting of white, blue, red, silver, and black areas on the cap. It is extremely difficult to confuse such a specimen with other species.
Application
Despite the inedibility of the species, tomentose stereum has a number of medicinal qualities, which are associated with the fact that substances with antitumor and antimicrobial properties were discovered and isolated in its fruiting bodies.
The mushroom extract has high antibacterial activity against rod-shaped bacteria, which is the causative agent of a rare form of pneumonia.
Substances obtained from fresh fruiting bodies are able to fight Koch's bacillus and trigger necrotic processes in cancer cells.
Conclusion
Stereum tomentosa is inedible, mushroom pickers do not harvest it, but it is another representative of living nature, combining the characteristics of plants and animals - the kingdom of mushrooms. Knowledge of the characteristics of the growth of a culture helps in understanding nature and provides the basis for the study of mycology.
