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Mushroom picking is an ideal way to spend your free time, but it is not an activity for people who are unfamiliar with mushroom species, which are very numerous and may differ from each other in a small detail. An inseparable item on a trip to the forest should be a guide or an album of all mushrooms found in Polish forests.
The alder mushroom is also called rolled krowiak, unfortunately it is a poisonous mushroom. It belongs to the family of cow mushrooms, the order is boletus, the class of mushroom, the type is basidiomycetes, the domain of eukaryotes. For a long time, the alder mushroom, due to its unique taste, was considered an edible species, as a large group of people believe that cooking it eliminates all the toxins contained in the fungus. An interesting fact is that the alder mushroom is not a poisonous fungus in every case, as it does not cause undesirable effects in some people.
Alder mushroom – appearance
The alder mushroom was considered a non-poisonous species for a long time, it was believed that after boiling it a few times, after pouring water, the fungus ceased to be poisonous, which is obviously a wrong theory. Such information was found in encyclopedias, albums with mushrooms in 1984. The latest information confirms that the alder mushroom is an inedible species, despite its very good taste. Eating the mushroom for an extended period of time can break down red blood cells and eventually die. The alder mushroom bears fruit from July to mid-November, it can be found in moist deciduous forests, but it can also be found in coniferous forests and peat bogs. It happens that alder grows in parks exactly under alder or birch.
The diameter of the hat reaches 10 cm, it is round, convex at first, and then concave. A characteristic feature is that young mushrooms have very strongly folded edges of the hat, additionally they are covered with thick hairs called the cuticle. In older specimens, the hat is also rolled up, but not so much. The alder mushroom can have different colors of the cap, from yellow, beige, and sometimes gray-brown or olive green. Under the cap there are gills that converge down a short, cylindrical, stocky and tapered at the base of the shaft. The alder mushroom has a flesh with colors similar to the colors of the hat. It is also interesting that the mushroom is hard at first and then softens.
Alder mushroom – symptoms of poisoning
The alder mushroom is the most poisonous in its raw state, the older ones that are already very soggy are very dangerous. No cooking will eliminate the toxins contained in the fungus, even if the decoction is poured several times. Alder mushroom contains a toxin called muscarinic, which not only affects the human immune system, but also disrupts the work of the nervous system. What are the symptoms of poisoning with this toxin?
- slow heart rate
- sweats
- salivation
- tearing
- breathing disorder
- constriction of the pupils
Muscarinic poisoning causes symptoms of poisoning very quickly, because the first symptoms may appear two hours after the consumption of the mushroom. The second toxin that the fungus alder contains is involutin, which causes disorders of the entire digestive system. Symptoms that are mainly caused by:
- nausea
- vomiting
- stomach ache
- diarrhea
This toxin breaks down red blood cells, which gives a picture similar to leukemia. The toxin can also attack the kidneys and liver. What is characteristic, the breakdown of blood cells can take place even several years after consuming the fungus, because the toxin slowly accumulates in the body and poisons the body.
Read also:
- It is not digested by humans. Who Shouldn’t Eat Mushrooms?
- There is no antidote to it. The salvation is a liver transplant
- They have a lot of amateurs. Note, do not mix these mushrooms with alcohol
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