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The bulbous white web is a rare mushroom found in only a few regions of Our Country. The only representative of the genus Leucocortinarius is famous for its good taste.
What does the bulbous white web look like
Bulbous white web (Leucocortinarius bulbiger) or tuberous is one of the most recognizable mushrooms of the Ryadovkovye family. Also called white cobweb. It is difficult to confuse it with representatives of another species, since the height of the fruiting body reaches 8-10 cm. This specimen can also be recognized by its characteristic distinguishing features.
Representative of the genus Leucocortinarius is distinguished by its impressive size
Cap Description
The hat is very large and can reach 10 cm in diameter. In young specimens, it has a spherical shape with concave edges. In mature ones, the top of the fruiting body becomes more convex, and its edges become wavy. The color is cream, brown-orange, dark red with light growths characteristic of this species.
On the hat there are white flakes characteristic of this species – the remains of a private bedspread
Under the hat are frequent, narrow plates of cream or light brown hymenophore. With age, they darken and acquire a reddish-brown hue.
Description of the leg
The stem of the fruiting body is solid cylindrical. The color is whitish, with age it can darken to dark cream or brown. The length of the leg reaches 8-10 cm, and its thickness is 2 cm.
The pulp of the fruiting body is juicy, tasteless and odorless, white or light gray in color (leg).
A characteristic feature is the presence of a thickening and a white cobweb ring at the base of the leg.
Where and how to grow
This is a rather rare representative – you can meet him infrequently. It grows in groups in coniferous (spruce, pine) and mixed forests in Western and Eastern Siberia, the Far East, and some regions of the European part of Our Country. The collection period is from August to October.
Is the mushroom edible or not?
It is considered conditionally edible. In its raw form, this product cannot be consumed – only after boiling for half an hour, followed by frying, stewing or canning the product. You should not buy a bulbous cobweb from private hands, since even an edible specimen, for example, collected near a highway, can be poisonous. Also, do not eat old copies.
Twins and their differences
Tuberous cobweb is the only one in the genus Leucocortinarius. However, there are several specimens similar to it in appearance.
Cobweb light ocher (Cortinarius claricolor) – inedible and poisonous twin, does not have a characteristic tuberous thickening, the color of the cap is warmer with a reddish tinge.
More common in sandy soils
red fly agaric (Amanita muscaria) – inedible and hallucinogenic. You can distinguish a double by a thin leg, cream plates, a cobweb ring with sharp edges. During the period of drought, these signs are not so pronounced, so it is worth picking fruits only in rainy weather and together with an experienced mushroom picker.
Amanita muscaria with a faded hat looks very similar to the bulbous white cobweb
Conclusion
The bulbous white web is a little-known mushroom that is extremely rare in the coniferous forests of Our Country. The representative of the Ryadovkovye family is not famous for its high taste. However, experienced mushroom pickers appreciate this representative, first of all, for its impressive size. It is important not to confuse the white cobweb with similar-looking counterparts, so each mushroom picker must be able to distinguish and recognize this specimen.
