False oyster mushrooms: photo and description, differences

Oyster mushrooms are large mushrooms with shell-shaped caps. There are several varieties of them, among which there are also false ones. It is important to distinguish the latter from edible ones, because you can seriously harm your health. Poisonous false oyster mushrooms are found only in Australia. In Our Country, you can find conditionally edible and inedible twins.

Are there false oyster mushrooms

Forest false oyster mushrooms exist. Determining their appearance is not so difficult if you pay attention to the color. They have a brighter color. But this is not the only sign. The differences will depend on the family of edible and non-edible twins.

Poisonous oyster mushroom from Australia is shown in the photo below.

Poison twin only grows in Australia

What mushrooms look like oyster mushrooms

There are many doubles. Among them are edible and inedible. There are three true twins – orange, late and wolf sawfly.

Bald sawfly

It lives in places with a cool climate. In Our Country, it can be found in mixed forests and areas dominated by plains.

Its growth is observed from the end of June to the middle of October.

Distinctive features:

1. The cap is brown or red-yellow, outwardly it may resemble a tongue. The size is about 5-9 cm. It has a matte skin with scales and bumps. The edges are rounded from below, they are heterogeneous, sometimes serrated.
2. On the inside of the cap, you can see red-colored plates with white small spores.
3. The leg can be different shades of red, more often – burgundy-brown. She almost does not look out from under the hat and only attaches the plant to the carrier.
4. The pulp is hard, bitter, has a deceptive aroma characteristic of mushrooms.

Often you can see how the caps grow together. In this form, they already bear little resemblance to a mushroom.

The wolf sawfly is highly modified when the hats grow together

Orange

The name is fully consistent with the appearance. Color bright yellow, orange. It grows on deciduous trees, prefers birch, hazel, aspen, linden. A temperate climate is ideal for orange oyster mushrooms.

Ripens in autumn. In the southern cities it can be observed all winter. There is an orange false oyster mushroom less often than other members of the family.

Instances growing in winter gradually fade, the color becomes less saturated.

False orange oyster mushroom has a bright color

Distinctive features:

• the leg is absent, a cap fastening is characteristic;
• the hat resembles a fan, it is small;
• the outer surface is velvet;
• on the inside of the plate is brighter, there are quite a lot of them;
• the flesh is orange, but its color is dimmer;
• the aroma of the mushroom resembles melon, and overripe gives the smell of spoiled vegetables.

This representative of the species is inedible. It is used by gardeners to decorate the territory.

Late

False late fungus begins to grow from wood with the onset of spring. It can bear fruit until the first frost. It is more common on deciduous trees, but also exists with conifers. Late oyster mushroom is most common in Caucasian cities.

Later specimens have an unusual color that allows them to be identified.

Distinctive features:

• the hat can grow up to 15 cm in diameter, it has a velvety surface, during showers it becomes glossy, slippery;
• the leg is massive, but short;
• under the hat, white-green plates are formed, the spores have a lilac color;
• the pulp is very bitter, fibrous;
• in conditions of high humidity, they rot, emitting a characteristic smell.

Representatives of this species are very bitter (even after prolonged boiling).

How to distinguish false forest oyster mushrooms

To distinguish inedible oyster mushrooms, you need to study ordinary or oyster representatives well. They are edible and valued for their low calorie content.

How to identify the real oyster mushroom:

1. The hat is soft, rounded, reminiscent of an oyster. From the outside, glossy, smooth, sometimes fibrous. The color is gray, sometimes with shades of purple, brown, cream, yellow. The cap can be up to 25 cm in diameter.
2. The stem is short, expanding towards the cap. Has a cream color. Toward the base becomes hard and fleecy.
3. The pulp is juicy and soft, with aging it becomes tougher due to the appearance of new fibers.

Real oyster mushroom is popular. There are a lot of cooking options. It can be stewed, dried, canned, fried, marinated, frozen. It is common in the countries of the former Soviet Union. Prefers low temperatures, so it begins to grow in autumn. In summer it appears in cold weather.

Photos and descriptions will help you find out false oyster mushrooms:

1. Brighter coloration.
2. Lack of legs, hat mount (not all).
3. No characteristic mushroom odor.
4. Very bitter taste.
5. The fusion of caps and legs, the formation of a single “organism”.

In Our Country, oyster mushroom twins are less common than ordinary ones. They are not poisonous, but are not popular. Experienced mushroom pickers do not pay attention to them.

Conclusion

False oyster mushrooms (with the exception of Australian ones) are edible, but they cannot be eaten due to their bitterness in taste. Orange specimens are perfect for decorating the garden, while other representatives serve as forest orderlies. Steppe, horn-shaped, royal, lung species are used for food, which taste good, like other edible mushrooms. False mushrooms, similar to oyster mushrooms, can be identified from the photo.