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The common puffball is a fungus-gasterocymet. This is one of the few representatives of this taxon that are not recommended for consumption. It got its name from its resemblance to edible puffball mushrooms. Widely distributed throughout Our Country. They are practically not used in cooking, but its medicinal properties are used in folk medicine.
What do ordinary false raincoats look like
The fruit body of the common raincoat is difficult to confuse with some other species. It has a rounded or tuberous shape. Sometimes there are pear-shaped specimens. The diameter of the “tuber” can reach 5-6 cm. Near the ground itself, the body quickly narrows and a small bundle of mycelium fibers sticks out of it. The mushroom has a shell up to 4 mm thick.
Over the entire surface area, the common raincoat is covered with a characteristic scaly shell of a dark yellow or brown hue. The color of the “scales” is darker, so it seems that there is a layer of dirt on the fruiting bodies. Sometimes they can be concentrated in the apex, and its sides are almost smooth.
In some cases, the lower part of the common puffball is wrinkled. The upper part of the fruiting body has thickenings in the form of warts, which often crack. In young mushrooms, cracks quickly heal, but the body takes on a characteristic appearance.
The pulp of the common raincoat at a young age is white. The time of ripening of fruiting bodies falls on the period from early August to late September. In the process of ripening, the color of the pulp changes. At first it turns purple-black. At this stage, thin white fibers can be distinguished inside it.
In older specimens, its color becomes brown, and the consistency is powdery. The smell of the pulp in this state is reminiscent of raw potatoes. The finally ripened false raincoat ordinary bursts in the area of uXNUMXbuXNUMXbthe “top”. At the same time, its spores are scattered.
The spores of the common raincoat are spherical, having spikes on their surface. Their color is black-brown. The spore size is from 7 to 15 microns.
The mushroom has several counterparts. One of them is spotted false raincoat. It has a predominantly pear-shaped body, often lying on its side. Unlike the common variety, this subspecies is smaller (1-5 cm) and has a less thick shell. Usually, it does not exceed 1 mm in thickness.
Another difference lies in the color and appearance of the skin. The color of the spotted subspecies is predominantly light yellow, and the scales cover the surface more evenly.
Another variety is called warty puffball. It is somewhat larger than the spotted one, but still a little smaller than the ordinary one. The diameter of its fruiting body is 2-5 cm.
Its surface is covered by a relatively hard, cork-like shell. The pulp at all stages of the formation of the fruiting body is solid. Because of this, young mushrooms are inedible, although they have a pleasant taste and smell.
Similar to the common variety of false puffball, the flesh of the warty one often cracks. Color – brown or light brown.
Where do common raincoats grow
This type of raincoat is very widespread. Like most representatives of its kingdom, it prefers temperate zones, where it is found even in the north up to the 70th latitude. The huge range of the fungus covers almost the entire Eurasia – from Western Europe to the Far East. Large colonies of mushrooms can be found in the Caucasus.
Common false raincoat grows in both coniferous and deciduous forests. Likes sunny areas. Most often found along the edges and along the roads. In moist forests, it is adjacent to moss. Enters into mycorrhiza mainly with hardwood trees of various species.
Is it possible to eat ordinary false raincoats
Puffballs are inedible mushrooms, but they can be eaten in small quantities. They are used as a seasoning for meat dishes. Usually, a few mushroom cloves are added to the meat to give the food a slight truffle flavor.
Mushrooms are recommended to be used while their flesh is white. Fruiting bodies do not require too long processing. Usually you just need to rinse the raincoats, peel them and fry them in a pan for a few minutes.
Medicinal properties
The fruiting bodies of mushrooms contain many bioactive components. Among them are:
- dimethylphenylalanine;
- palmitic and oleic fatty acids;
- ergosterol peroxide.
Also, the pulp of the false raincoat, in addition to a large number of protein compounds, contains fumaric acid and calvacin. The latter is a natural antiblastic agent that has been successfully used to inhibit the growth of cancer cells. Modern studies have shown a reduction in the size of malignant tumors in animals with cancer and sarcoma, which were administered drugs based on calvacin.
In folk medicine, the medicinal properties of fruiting bodies are used in the treatment and prevention of:
- oncological diseases;
- inflammatory processes;
- swelling of soft tissues;
- skin diseases (including psoriasis).
One of the uses of the body of the common puffball is to stop bleeding. Particularly well active substances contained in the false raincoat cope with capillary bleeding.
Mostly in folk medicine in China and Our Country, fresh mushrooms with white flesh are used externally. Sometimes a decoction is also used for oral administration.
Conclusion
The common puffball is an inedible fungus that grows in both deciduous and coniferous temperate forests. The round balls of the fruiting bodies of this fungus can be easily confused with its counterparts, which have slight differences. This mushroom has a highly specialized culinary use as a spice that adds a truffle flavor to meat dishes. In folk medicine, the false raincoat is used to prevent and treat skin diseases, inflammation, and certain types of oncology.
