Content
Lovers of quiet hunting know about 20 species of edible mushrooms. In fact, there are many more species suitable for cooking. Among them are many edible and conditionally edible varieties. These include Stropharia blacksporus.
Not everyone knows what signs to distinguish a mushroom from among its many relatives. This species is found quite often, like other representatives of the strophariaceae family, which are very similar to each other.
What does black-spored stropharia look like?
Stropharia black-spore or black-seeded is a lamellar mushroom with dense, fleshy pulp. It has a cap from pale yellow to bright yellow.It grows in groups and is most often found in late summer and autumn.
Opinions are divided regarding the taste qualities of this conditionally edible species. Some mushroom pickers believe that black-seeded stropharia does not have a distinct mushroom aroma. The mushroom is not poisonous and does not contain hallucinogens.
Externally, black-spored stropharia is similar to a champignon. The main difference is that during the heat treatment the plates lose their specific color.
Description of the cap
The mushroom has a white cap with a slight yellowish tint, or a rich yellow (lemon) color in the center. The edges are white. The coloring is uneven and the cap fades as it grows.
In diameter it reaches 8 cm, young specimens - from 2 cm. The shape is cushion-shaped, opening with age, turning into a prostrate one. Along the edges of the cap you can find flakes - the remains of the bedspread. In rainy and damp weather the cap becomes oily.
The plates are located moderately often, interspersed, and adherent to the stem with a tooth. At the beginning of growth, the spores are grayish; as they mature, the spores acquire a rich color from gray-gray to black-violet.
Description of the leg
The leg of the black-spored stropharia is almost smooth, 1 cm in diameter. The height reaches up to 10 cm. In the upper part of the leg there is a neat, even ring, which becomes dark as it matures.
The lower part of the leg is covered with white flakes. The shape is cylindrical with a thickening at the bottom. On top of the break it is solid, below it is hollow. May have rare yellowish spots on the surface.
Where and how does stropharia blacksporus grow?
Prefers meadows, fields, pastures. Grows in grass, often among wormwood. Loves sandy and manured soils.It is less common in forests; it prefers deciduous trees. Frequent visitor to the gardens.
Black-seeded stropharia grows in groups or singly, usually in a clump of 2-3 mushrooms. Distributed in the south of the country, active growth begins in early summer and continues until the end of autumn. During dry periods it stops growing.
Is the mushroom edible or not?
Stropharia black-spored is classified as a conditionally edible mushroom. The mushroom does not contain poisonous components and is not hallucinogenic.
When broken, it has a sweetish odor. During heat treatment, the color of the plates loses. Dishes prepared from black-spored stropharia do not have a strong mushroom taste or aroma. Therefore, this type of mushroom is not popular among mushroom pickers.
Doubles and their differences
Stropharia blacksporus has twins that are quite easy to distinguish upon careful examination:
- Champignon coppice or thin - edible non-poisonous mushroom. A characteristic difference is that the champignon has a different shape and color of the plates, a larger ring, and cream-colored spores;
- Early field grass (early vole, early agrocybe) looks like black-seeded stropharia. It is also edible, unlike stropharia it has a pronounced mushroom aroma. Fruits in the first months of summer. The flesh at the break is brown, the stem is cream-colored.
Conclusion
Stropharia blacksporus is a conditionally edible mushroom that prefers meadows, fields and gardens. Rarely found in forests, it stops growth and fruiting during drought. Unfamiliar to mushroom pickers, it can be used in cooking if properly processed. Having carefully studied the features of its structure and color, it is difficult to confuse it with poisonous specimens.
