Contents
Bubble pepper (Peziza vesiculosa) is a member of the Pezizaceae (Petsitsevy) family, the genus Peziza (Pezitsy). The mushroom is very unusual in appearance, thanks to which it got its name.
What does bubble pepper look like
Bubbly pepper is a medium-sized mushroom, reaching from 2 to 10 cm in diameter. A young specimen looks like a bubble, but has a hole in the upper part. As the fruiting body grows, it opens, acquiring a cup-shaped shape. The old mushroom has jagged torn edges. There is a false leg, inconspicuous, small in size.
The outer side is sticky, waxy to the touch, pale ocher. It is darker inside, in the center in adult specimens one can observe the presence of peculiar formations in the form of bubbles.
The flesh is brownish in color, dense, relatively thick for its size. The texture is waxy. In high humidity, the flesh is translucent. The smell is absent, as is the taste.
The spore powder is white in color, the spores themselves under the microscope have an elliptical shape with a smooth surface.
Where and how to grow
Bubble pepper is common. It grows throughout Europe and also in North America. In Our Country, it can be found in all regions with a temperate climate.
Prefers nutrient-rich soils, found on rotten hardwoods, litter, sawdust, and manure. It grows in different forests, forest plantations and beyond.
Fruiting is long, the period is from late May to October. Fruiting bodies are arranged in groups, often large.
Is the mushroom edible or not?
The bubbly pepper has no nutritional value due to the lack of taste. But the mushroom still belongs to a number of conditionally edible.
Twins and their differences
Bubble pepper can only be confused with similar species, namely:
- brown pepper – is conditionally edible, differs in smaller size and more even edges without breaks, the color is much darker;
- changeable pepper – refers to inedible species, has practically no external differences, but upon careful examination on the outside, you can notice the presence of small hairs.
Conclusion
Bubble pepper is a conditionally edible mushroom, but due to its thin and tasteless pulp, it is of no culinary value. But it is worth noting that the mushroom itself is widely used in Chinese medicine, as an assistant to strengthen the immune system, as well as in the treatment of tumor diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
