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The gray-blue cobweb is a representative of the family and genus of the same name. The fungus is also called blue cobweb, goluby and watery blue. This species is rare.
Description of the gray-blue cobweb
This is a large-sized mushroom with a cap, stem and hymenophore, the flesh of which has an unpleasant odor, has a gray-blue color and an insipid aftertaste. The surface of the almond-shaped spores is dotted with warts.
On the fruiting body, traces of the residual veil can be seen
Cap Description
Young specimens have a hemispherical cap, which gradually acquires a flat and convex shape. When dry, the surface becomes fibrous and slimy to the touch. In young bluish-blue cobwebs, the hat is bluish, with age it becomes lightish-ocher. The color does not change along the edges.
Hymenophore has a lamellar type of structure
The hymenophore is formed by flat elements – plates that have grown to the stem with the help of a notch. In young specimens, they are bluish in color, soon turning into dark brown.
Description of the leg
The bluish-blue cobweb has a stem up to 4-7 cm high with a thickness of up to 2,5 cm. Closer to the base, a tuberous thickening can be seen.
The stem of the mushroom is painted to match the cap.
The color of the legs is bluish, the lower part is an ocher-yellow hue.
You can learn more about the features of the mushroom from the video:
Where and how to grow
The habitat of the bluish-blue cobweb is the regions of North America, as well as the European continent. The mycelium spreads in the form of groups and colonies in mixed and broad-leaved forests, forming mycosis with deciduous trees. In Our Country, the species can be collected in areas of Primorsky Krai.
Is the mushroom edible or not?
The gray-blue cobweb is not easy to find. This rare mushroom belongs to the edible varieties of the 4th category. When cooked, it is most often served fried, subjecting it to pre-boiling (25 minutes). When dried and pickled, the fruiting bodies turn black.
Twins and their differences
The mushroom has several false twins. These include:
- Cobweb anomalous: a representative of the same family, inedible. Has a smooth, dry and silky surface. Its shade is grayish-brown with purple. Cylindrical whitish-purple leg reaches a height of up to 7-10 cm. Mushrooms spread in the form of small groups, as well as singly. More often they can be found in the ground or on leafy litter. Fruiting time begins in August and lasts until the end of September. The area of growth is Norway, Bulgaria, France, Germany, as well as some parts of the USA.
The species can be distinguished by a convex hat, which turns into a flat one as it grows.
- Cobweb white-purple: classified as conditionally edible. With age, the shape of the surface becomes convex-prostrate. Shiny and silky to the touch, the hat has a yellow-brown color, fading to off-white with time. The length of the leg is 8-10 cm. Its lower part is more slippery, with a lilac color. The fruiting period lasts from August to the end of September. The variety is distributed in the territory of deciduous and coniferous forests, grows near oak and birch in small groups, prefers moist soil. Occurs rarely.
The hat is round-bell-shaped and reaches 4-8 cm.
Conclusion
Blue-gray cobweb is a rare edible mushroom common in coniferous and deciduous forests. Instances can be distinguished by a bluish color that changes to light ocher with age. The variety has several false twins, which are easily recognizable by the color of the surface and the shape of the cap.