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Mushroom battarreya veselkovy or veskovidnaya (Battarrea phalloides) is a rare, belonging to the family Agaricaceae (Champignon), genus Battarrea. It belongs to the relics of the Cretaceous period. It is considered common, but quite rare. According to a similar appearance in the egg stage, it was previously assigned to the genus Raincoat. A young specimen in the period of the endoperidium that has not yet ruptured resembles cap mushrooms.
Where does veselkovaya battarreya grow
Battarrea veselkovaya is considered a rather rare species due to the characteristics of the soil where it grows. Listed in the Red Book of the Rostov and Volgograd regions.
Its distribution area is the countries of Central Asia (Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia), on the territory of the Federation it can be found in the Arkhangelsk, Volgograd, Novosibirsk regions, Minusinsk, as well as in the Caucasus and the Altai Republics. In addition, the fungus is common in countries such as:
- England;
- Germany;
- Ukraine;
- Poland;
- Algeria;
- Tunisia;
- Israel.
And also in some states of North and South America, even in the Sahara desert.
Prefers dry sandy-clay soils. Usually lives in semi-desert areas, desert steppes, loams, rarely in sandy deserts.
It grows in small groups, where only a few fruiting bodies are located nearby. It does not form mycorrhiza with tree roots due to the fact that trees do not grow in their habitat.
Fruits twice a year:
- in the spring – from March to May;
- in autumn – from September to October.
What does a veselkovy battarreya look like
The young battarreya veselkovy mushroom has a fruiting body of a spherical or ovoid shape up to 5 cm in transverse length, located underground. As it grows, the cap differentiates, the stem becomes well developed, the mature mushroom grows up to 17-20 cm in length.
The exoperidium of battarrea veselkova is rather thick, two-layered. The top layer has a leathery surface, the inner one is smoother. As it grows, the outer part cracks, forming a Volvo in the form of a bowl from below near the stem. The endoperidium is white, its shape is spherical. There are some kind of gaps along the circular line. The upper, separated hemispherical part, on which the gleba is located, is preserved on the stem. The spores themselves remain uncovered, which allows them to be easily scattered by the wind.
The flesh of the cap on the cut has transparent fibers and a large amount of spore mass. Due to the movement of fibers (capillions) under the influence of the wind, and changes in air humidity, spores are scattered. In a mature battarrea, the veselkovy pulp becomes dusty and remains in this state for a long time.
Spores under the microscope are spherical or slightly angular, often with a ribbed protrusion. Their shell is three-layered, where the outer layer is colorless, finely warty, the second one is brown, and the last one is also transparent, colorless. The spore powder itself is dark, rusty or brown.
The leg of a young specimen is inconspicuous, in a mature mushroom it is fully developed. At the base and under the cap, it is narrower, more swollen in the middle. Rarely, its shape can be cylindrical. The surface is covered with yellowish or brown scales. In height, the leg can reach up to 15-20 cm, and in thickness – only up to 1-3 cm. Inside it is hollow and with a bunch of shiny, white, silky, parallel hyphae. The flesh is fibrous and woody.
In the embryonic stage of the battarreya, the veselkovskaya outwardly resembles some representatives of the Raincoats, namely meadow and brown, which are conditionally edible. It was due to this similarity that it was originally assigned to this genus.
Is it possible to eat veselkovy battarreya
Battarrea veselkovaya belongs to a number of inedible, because of the hard woody fruiting body, it is not eaten.
In the egg stage, buttarreya veselkovaya can still be used to prepare some dishes. But since the fungus is quite rare and grows only in certain conditions, it is very difficult to find young specimens. They have no special nutritional value. Gastronomic qualities are very low, but the smell is rather unpleasant, reminiscent of a dog mushroom.
Battarreya veselkovaya does not accumulate toxic substances, therefore, they do not bring much harm to a person, as well as benefit.
Conclusion
Veselkovy Battarreya has an unusual appearance, it can reach a significant size in height. It is thanks to the long stem that carries the spore-bearing gleba to a more significant height above the earth’s surface that the battarrea has a high degree of dispersion of spore powder in open spaces of semi-deserts and steppes.
