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In early spring, after the snow cover has melted and the top layer of the earth begins to warm up, the mushroom mycelium is activated. There are a number of early spring mushrooms characterized by rapid maturation of fruiting bodies. These include edible strobelurus. Fruiting of these mushrooms begins in mid-April and continues until hot weather sets in. This variety does not tolerate scorching sun. Under the influence of its rays they dry out and wrinkle.But as soon as the heat subsides, the growth of representatives of this species continues with the same activity. The second stage of fruiting begins in mid-September and continues until frost.
Where does Strobilurus edible grow?
Edible strobilurus can be found exclusively in spruce forests. It settles in close proximity to fallen fir cones buried in damp litter. Strobilurus edible is a saprotroph - an organism that uses dead organic tissue for food. Strobilurus love moist areas of spruce litter, well lit by sunlight. Only a small fruiting body is visible above the ground, and most of the fruiting body is hidden from prying eyes. It is a long and fluffy micellar thread that extends several tens of centimeters into the soil - to where the half-decomposed fir cone lies.
What do strobilurus edibles look like?
Strobilurus edible is a very small representative of the Physalacriaceae family with a lamellar hymenophore. The cap in adult specimens is no more than 3 cm in diameter, while in young specimens it is less than a centimeter. At first it is hemispherical and convex. Later it becomes prostrate: its edges open, leaving a central tubercle. The dry, velvety skin becomes sticky after rain. The color of the cap can be different: cream, grayish or brown. The hymenophore is more brightly colored. It consists of frequent, slightly branched plates of medium thickness, sometimes visible through the thin skin of the cap.
The stalk of Strobilurus edible is thin and long. Its above-ground part reaches 4 cm, and the root-like micellar base goes deep into the soil and originates from a spruce cone.The leg is rigid in structure, hollow inside and therefore cannot be eaten. White or yellowish at the top, it darkens slightly at the bottom.
The flesh of Strobilurus is dense and white. Almost all of it is contained in a thin cap. It tastes almost neutral, but has a pleasant mushroom smell.
Is it possible to eat Strobilurus edible?
Strobilurus edibles can be eaten, as the name suggests. The pulp of the caps is pre-boiled and then subjected to various types of culinary processing. Due to its small size, this mushroom species is of no economic importance. In order to feed at least one person, you will need to collect a significant number of fruiting bodies.
Taste qualities of mushroom
Strobilurus edible is not distinguished by valuable culinary properties. According to the classifier, it belongs to the fourth category, which includes low-value varieties with low taste, as well as little-known and rarely collected varieties. The pulp of the mushrooms is very aromatic, but can be bitter, so it is pre-boiled.
Benefits and harm to the body
Like all edible varieties, strobilurus are rich in valuable plant protein, contain carbohydrates - mushroom sugars (mycosis and glycogen), useful amino acids. They have a diverse microelementary composition (phosphorus, sulfur, magnesium, potassium, calcium, chlorine) and vitamins (A, group B, C, D, PP).
False doubles
Strobilurus edible has several related species. It is necessary to be able to distinguish them, since among the edible and conditionally edible varieties there are also poisonous ones.
In pine forests, root (twine-footed) and cutting (astringent) strobilurus grow. These species settle only on pine cones, finding them at a depth of up to 30 cm:
- Strobilurus cuttings classified as conditionally edible species. Its cap, up to 2 cm in diameter, is convex-spread, matte. Its leg is thin, 0.2 cm in diameter, long, yellow with an orange tint. The flesh of representatives of this species is thin, white, in older specimens it is astringent, bitter and has an unpleasant herring odor.
- Strobilurus lacepodus edible It has white, pleasant-tasting and aromatic pulp. Its cap is convex, thin, brown to dark brown, up to 1.8 cm in diameter. Ocher or reddish stem - up to 0.4 cm. The crop bears fruit from mid-April until the first frost, and sometimes occurs during a thaw.
- Mycena cone-loving - another species related to Strobilurus edible, feeding on spruce cones. It bears fruit in April-May. Its representatives have a brown cap, which is larger than that of Strobilurus and has a bell shape. Its leg is brittle and slightly pubescent. The main distinguishing feature of the pulp is a pungent ammonia smell.
- Spring entoloma, Fruiting at the end of April, it is a poisonous mushroom. Its gray-brown cap fades over time. The main feature that distinguishes representatives of this species from Strobilurus is a dark brown leg.
- Beospora mousetail has a hygrophanic (liquid-absorbing) pale brown cap up to 2 cm in diameter and a yellow-brown hollow stalk. It bears fruit in the fall and can grow on both spruce and pine cones.
Collection rules
Strobilurus edible is very small in size.When collecting it, you need to walk through the forest slowly, carefully examining every piece of spruce litter. Having found a mushroom, you should carefully unscrew it from the ground or cut off the stem to the very root with a sharp knife. The remaining hole must be carefully sprinkled, and the found specimen must be cleaned of any remaining soil and placed in a basket. It is recommended to take only adult specimens with larger caps, since after boiling they significantly decrease in size.
Use
Strobilurus edible is most often consumed fried. For food, take only the mushroom caps, cutting off the hard stem. Before frying, the caps are boiled whole for 10 minutes, after which they are placed in a frying pan.
Marasmic acid contained in mushrooms is a powerful antibacterial agent. In folk medicine, strobilurus powder and alcohol infusion are used to treat bacterial infections. These mushrooms are also used as an anti-inflammatory agent in Chinese medicine.
The fungus's counterpart, Strobilurus cherenkov, has high fungitoxic activity. It secretes substances that inhibit the growth of other fungi that are its nutritional competitors. A substance, a fungicide of organic origin, was isolated from this variety of Strobilurus. This is strobirulin A, which is also a natural antibiotic. On its basis, scientists synthesized an artificial drug - Azoxystrobin, in which the disadvantages of the organic fungicide (sensitivity to light) were eliminated.
Conclusion
Strobilurus edible is a small, inconspicuous mushroom, but its significance is great.Together with other forest inhabitants, he is part of the forest community. All the plants and animals in it are interconnected with each other, thanks to which the forest is a coherently functioning organism. Organs ensure its vital functions, and, therefore, are equally important and necessary. Thanks to their rich enzyme apparatus, forest mushrooms actively decompose organic residues and contribute to the formation of a fertile soil layer.
