Horned mushrooms: photo and description

The kingdom of mushrooms is extremely vast, and among this multitude there are truly amazing species that ordinary mushroom pickers often simply do not pay attention to. Meanwhile, many of these specimens are not only amazingly beautiful, but also edible. These species include horned mushrooms, the colonies of which are very reminiscent of sea corals.

Features of horned mushrooms

For most mushroom pickers, horned mushrooms are known as “deer horns” or “hedgehogs”. Some call them forest corals for their similar appearance. In general, horns bear little resemblance to mushrooms in their traditional form. They lack a hat and stem, the fruiting body is a single outgrowth in the form of a bush or separate processes.

Hornworms are pronounced saprophytes, they live on old rotten wood or forest floor. Some types of these mushrooms are edible and quite palatable, but the vast majority of mushroom pickers are suspicious of them and do not consider them as an object of quiet hunting.

Types of horned mushrooms

According to various classifications, about 120 different species are included in the Hornet mushroom family (lat. Clavariaceae). Here is a photo and description of some of the brightest representatives of horned mushrooms:

1. Alloclavaria purpurea (Clavaria purpurea). The fungus is a single elongated cylindrical fruit body, up to 10-15 cm high, with pointed or rounded tips. Their color is light purple, becoming light brown with age, sometimes ocher, clay or beige. Usually grow in dense groups, each of which can contain up to 20 pieces. Clavaria purple grows mainly in coniferous forests. According to some sources, it forms mycorrhiza with the roots of coniferous trees and mosses. The main area of ​​​​growth is North America, but it is found in the temperate zone of Our Country and Europe, as well as in China and Scandinavia. There is no data on the edibility of the mushroom, however, as well as on its toxicity.

   

2. Clavulina coralline (horn comb). Forms a bushy fruiting body with many small shoots. The height of the bush can reach 10 cm. The tops of the fruiting bodies are flat, comb-shaped, pointed. The color of the mushroom is white, milky, sometimes slightly yellowish or creamy, the flesh is brittle, white. Grows from July to October in mixed or coniferous forests, on soil or bedding of fallen forest debris. It can grow both pointwise and in large groups. The mushroom is not poisonous, but it is usually not eaten due to its bitter taste. However, this does not prevent some lovers of culinary experiments from trying it, as evidenced by the available reviews.

   

3. Ramaria yellow (Yellow horns, Deer horns). This is a rather large mushroom, it can reach a height of 20 cm, while its diameter can reach up to 16 cm. The fruiting body is a massive central white part, resembling a cabbage stalk, from which numerous processes grow in different directions, slightly similar to branching deer antlers (hence the name – deer horns). Their color is yellow, lighter closer to the base, becomes brighter on the periphery. When pressed, the color of the mushroom changes to cognac. It grows in mixed and coniferous forests, the peak of growth is observed in late summer and early autumn. Widely distributed in the forests of Karelia, found in the Caucasus, Western and Central Europe. It belongs to edible mushrooms, however, yellow horned mushrooms are harvested only at a young age, since adult specimens begin to be very bitter. Before you start cooking yellow ramaria, the fruiting bodies of the fungus must be subjected to soaking and heat treatment.

   

4. Ramaria is beautiful (Rogatik is beautiful). In shape, it resembles a dense bush with a height and diameter of up to 20 cm. It consists of a massive leg of bright pink color, which turns white with age, as well as numerous yellow branches with yellow-pink tips. It turns red when pressed. With age, the fruiting bodies lose their brightness and turn brown. Found in deciduous forests, grows on soil or old rotted foliage. It is not used for food, because if it enters the body, it can cause severe intestinal disorders.

   

5. Amethyst Clavulina (Amethyst Horn). It has elongated branching fruiting bodies fused at the base of a very unusual purple color. The flesh is white with a purple tinge. The mushroom bush can reach a height of 5-7 cm. It grows mostly in deciduous forests, the peak of growth occurs in September. Often found in large colonies. Amethyst horn, despite the unusual “chemical” color, is quite edible, but it is not recommended to fry it because of its peculiar taste. It is best used for drying, boiling or making mushroom sauce.

   

A short video about how hornbills grow in the wild:

Edibility of horned mushrooms

As noted above, there are no poisonous species among the hornbills. Nevertheless, mushroom pickers are wary of this family, its representatives are too unusual. Among them, a fairly large number of edible mushrooms, according to the all- classification of mushrooms by nutritional value, they belong to IV, the last group, which includes, for example, mushrooms and oyster mushrooms. The table shows the main types of hornets by edibility:

The inedibility of horned beetles is determined by their bitter taste or acrid aftertaste. Some species have a strong unpleasant odor. All edible species can be eaten after heat treatment.

Hornworm colonies are usually quite large in size, so you can fill a basket of these mushrooms literally on the spot. Another absolute advantage is that they are difficult to confuse with something, they do not have poisonous counterparts. A big plus of these mushrooms is that they are never wormy. All this opens up wide possibilities for their use in cooking.

The benefits and harms of horned mushrooms

Caterpillars do not have a special nutritional value, but they can be used for medical purposes. This is due to the natural substances of the tryptamine group that are part of the fruiting body. There is evidence that with the help of extracts from the horns successfully treating diseases such as Crocker’s sarcoma and Ehrlich’s carcinoma.

Harm from the use of hornets inside can only be associated with indigestion or with unpleasant taste sensations. There is no information about serious poisoning with these mushrooms, which led to serious consequences for the body.

Collection rules

When collecting horns for eating, you need to remember that it is worth taking only young specimens, the older the mushroom, the more bitter it is. In addition, it is worth adhering to the general rules for all lovers of “silent hunting”:

1. Mushrooms are capable of accumulating heavy metals and radionuclides. Therefore, it is impossible to take specimens growing along the railway, busy highways, growing on the territory of abandoned military facilities or industrial zones.
2. If there is no 100% confidence in the edibility of the mushroom, then you should not take it.

How to cook horn mushrooms

Due to the structural features of the fungus, quite a lot of dirt and debris accumulate between the fruiting bodies. Therefore, before cooking, they need to be washed for a long time and thoroughly in running water. After that, the horns are boiled for half an hour in water with the addition of salt. The water is drained, the mushrooms are washed and re-boiled in salt water for another 15-20 minutes. Then the water is drained.

Now they can be eaten. Usually they are fried with vegetables, sometimes used as an ingredient in mushroom soup or sauce.

Conclusion

Horned mushrooms are very interesting representatives of the mushroom kingdom. Despite the edibility of some species, they are not popular among mushroom pickers. However, numerous positive reviews about these mushrooms indicate that the situation may change, and very soon dishes from horned ones will take their rightful place in cookbooks.