Contents
Collibia crowded – conditionally edible forest dweller. It grows on stumps and rotten coniferous wood. The caps of young mushrooms are used for food, since the flesh of old specimens is hard and fibrous. Since this species has inedible counterparts, it is important to familiarize yourself with the external description, study its photos and videos.
What does Collibia crowded look like?
Collibia crowded is assigned to the 4th group of edibility. In order not to be deceived during mushroom hunting and not to pick up poisonous specimens, you must first familiarize yourself with the external characteristics.
Cap Description
The hat is miniature, up to 4 cm in diameter. In young mushrooms, the shape is convex, straightens with age, leaving a small mound in the center. The matte surface is smooth, painted in dark brown. In dry weather, the skin becomes wrinkled, brightens and acquires a fawn color. The pulp is dense, watery, without a pronounced taste and smell.
The spore layer is formed by thin, numerous plates, which at a young age are connected to the stem, and then become free. The plates are painted in a light lemon color. This species reproduces by whitish, ovoid spores, which are located in a snow-white spore powder.
Description of the leg
A thin, long leg is covered with a thin, brown skin. It is cylindrical in shape with a slight narrowing towards the base.
Is the mushroom edible or not?
This representative belongs to conditionally edible species. Only the upper part of young specimens is suitable for cooking. Before cooking, the harvested crop is sorted, washed and boiled for 10-15 minutes. Further, mushrooms can be stewed, fried and canned.
Where and how to grow
Large mushroom families prefer to grow on stumps and rotting coniferous wood. They can be seen along paths, in parks and squares, on hillsides. It starts fruiting from July to October.
Twins and their differences
This species, like all inhabitants of the forest, has edible and inedible counterparts. These include:
- red-legged – an edible species with a red-brown cap and a thin, long stem, which is colored in the color of the cap. Prefers to grow on stumps among deciduous trees. It bears fruit throughout the warm period.
- Spindle-legged – an inedible representative who likes to grow on stumps and rotting wood. You can recognize it by its small size and spindle-shaped leg. It starts fruiting from July to September.
- oil – belongs to the 4th group of edibility, grows from July to October among spruce and deciduous trees. Small representatives have a dense, glossy surface. In rainy weather, it becomes shiny and covered with mucus. Pulp without pronounced taste and smell. In cooking, only young specimens are used.
Conclusion
Collibia crowded is a conditionally edible specimen of the Negniuchnikov family. It grows on stumps and fallen wood, bears fruit throughout the warm period. In cooking, only the upper part is used, which is pre-washed and boiled. Since the mushroom is very similar to toadstools, only an experienced mushroom picker should carry out their collection.