Contents
Amethyst horn (Clavulina amethystina, amethyst clavulina) in appearance is completely different from standard mushrooms. The unusual beauty of the coral body is simply amazing. A representative of wildlife lacks hats and legs, and the fruiting body is represented by branched tubules. Surprisingly, the closest relatives are chanterelles.
Where do amethyst horns grow
Mushrooms with an amazing name are common in temperate climates. Grow in moist broad-leaved and coniferous forests. But most often found in birch pegs. They prefer rotten tree fragments, bark, damp moss, or clearings where lingonberries grow.
Clavulina is located singly or forms colonies in the form of a braid. Therefore, it is not difficult to harvest, from one small clearing you can fill a whole basket.
Fruiting begins at the end of August and continues until October, when other mushrooms are already departing.
What do amethyst horns look like
This representative belongs to conditionally edible mushrooms of the Clavulina genus. To learn how to distinguish it, you need to read the description.
The fruiting body is represented by branches similar to horns, hence the name. Height – 2-7 cm, width – about 4 cm. Vertical branches go to the base, so from afar it seems that coral bushes have blossomed on the ground.
The color palette of clavula is varied. There are lilac or brownish-lilac specimens. Young fruiting bodies are distinguished by smooth cylindrical branches. In a mature mushroom, they are wrinkled (longitudinal grooves appear), with teeth or rounded tops.
Among the amethyst horns there are representatives with and without legs. They are so short that it seems as if the fruiting bodies are sessile. The dense base of the stem is lighter in color than the fruiting body.
The mushroom attracts with dense, fleshy, sometimes crispy flesh. At the very beginning of development, it is white, but gradually changes color. In an old mushroom, it is exactly the same as the surface. Fruiting bodies do not differ in organoleptic features. In other words, they do not have a specific aroma that is perceived by the human senses.
The spore powder is white in color, has the shape of a wide ellipse, a ball. The surface is smooth. Dried spores acquire a purple hue, do not differ in smell and taste.
Is it possible to eat amethyst horns
Amethyst horns of an unusual shape and color, but quite edible, they belong to the fourth category. But few s risk eating such a forest product. But the Bulgarians, Czechs and Germans are very fond of amethyst horns, they can even eat them raw.
You can eat young fruiting bodies while they are still smooth, without wrinkles.
Taste qualities of the amethyst horned mushroom
As a rule, forest representatives of the mushroom kingdom are often found by a specific smell. The amethyst horn does not differ in taste or aroma. Such fruiting bodies are not for everybody. They are slightly bitter in taste.
False doubles
Like any mushroom, the amethyst horn has its counterparts. And some of them are harmless.
One of them is a pale brown clavaria. They are similar in shape and appearance, but you can distinguish the double due to the pungent smell, reminiscent of a radish. In addition, clavaria grows only in moss, inedible.
Inexperienced mushroom pickers can also confuse a beautiful ramaria with an amethyst horn. You need to be careful, because this variety is inedible and poisonous. The use of straws can lead to intestinal upset.
Collection rules
From August to October, mushroom pickers begin a quiet hunt for the last autumn mushrooms, similar to amethyst coral bushes. Cylindrical twigs are very fragile, so they must be collected carefully. Stack separately. Use a sharp knife to cut.
Use
Oddly enough, the amethyst horn is little known to s, although it grows in many regions. They simply do not pay attention, despite the fact that the horns are conditionally edible. Most often, fruiting bodies are dried, boiled and sometimes stewed. Separately do not use, but add little by little to other types. The mushroom soup is very tasty.
Conclusion
The amethyst horn is a mushroom of an unusual shape and color. The fruiting purple body is quite edible, but without a specific mushroom aroma and taste, for an amateur. Apparently, therefore, they do not pay attention to amethyst mushrooms, preferring the well-known boletus, boletus, boletus, milk mushrooms and other fruiting bodies.
