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Cystoderma granulosa belongs to the class Agaricomycetes, the Champignon family, the genus Cystoderma. This species was first described in 1783 by the German biologist A. Beach.
What does granular cystoderm look like?
This is a small fragile agaric mushroom with a rounded convex cap, which straightens during growth, keeping a slight elevation in the middle.
Cap Description
The cap of the granular cystoderm is egg-shaped, it is convex, tucked inward, its surface is warty, covered with flakes, with a fringe along the edges. In old specimens, it is flat-convex or flat with a bulge in the center, covered with dry fine-grained skin, sometimes with scales, wrinkles or cracks.
The color is ocher or reddish-brown, sometimes with an orange tinge. The caps are small, ranging in diameter from 1 to 5 cm. The plates are frequent, wide, free, yellowish or creamy white.
The flesh is light (yellowish or whitish), soft, thin, odorless.
Description of the leg
The stem is 2-8 cm high and 0,5-0,9 cm in diameter. It has a cylindrical shape, can expand towards the base. The leg is hollow, with a matte dry surface, smooth above, with scales below. The color is like a hat, only lighter, or purple. On the leg there is a ring of reddish color with a granular structure, which disappears over time.
Is the mushroom edible or not?
It is considered a conditionally edible mushroom.
Where and how to grow
Cystoderma granular is common in North America, Eurasia, and North Africa. Grows in colonies or singly. It occurs on mosses and soil, mainly in broad-leaved forests. Sometimes comes across in coniferous and mixed. Prefers to settle on paths, outskirts of forests, pastures overgrown with shrubs. The fruiting season is from August to October.
Twins and their differences
The closest relative is cinnabar red cystoderm. Differs in larger sizes and beautiful coloring. The hat in diameter can reach 8 cm. It is bright, cinnabar-red, darker towards the center, with granular-mealy skin, white flakes along the edges. At first it is convex, with an edge wrapped inward, with growth it becomes prostrate-convex, tuberculate, with a fringe along the edge. The plates are pure white, slightly adherent, thin, frequent, in mature specimens they are cream.
The leg is 3-5 cm long, reaches 1 cm in diameter. It is hollow, thickened at the base, fibrous. The ring is red or light, granular, narrow, most often disappears with growth. Above the ring, the leg is light, naked, below it is reddish, granular-scaly, lighter than the cap.
The flesh is whitish, thin, reddish under the skin. It has a mushroomy smell.
It grows mainly in coniferous forests with pines, occurs in groups or singly. The fruiting season is July-October.
Cystoderma cinnabar red – refers to rare edible mushrooms. It is recommended to use fresh after boiling for 15 minutes.
Conclusion
Cystoderma granulosa is a little-known conditionally edible mushroom. It is most common in North America, but is also quite rare there.