Ear-shaped lentinellus (Lentinellus cochleatus)
- Division: Basidiomycota (Basidiomycetes)
- Subdivision: Agaricomycotina (Agaricomycetes)
- Class: Agaricomycetes (Agaricomycetes)
- Subclass: Incertae sedis (of uncertain position)
- Order: Russulales (Russulovye)
- Family: Auriscalpiaceae (Auriscalpiaceae)
- Genus: Lentinellus (Lentinellus)
- Type: Lentinellus cochleatus (Lentinellus ear-shaped)
Ear-shaped lentinellus (Lentinellus cochleatus) is a mushroom of the Auriscalpiaceae family, genus Lentinellus. A synonym for the name Lentinellus auricularis is Lentinellus shell-shaped.
The cap of Lentinellus shell-shaped has a diameter of 3-10 cm, with lobes, deeply funnel-shaped, shell-shaped or ear-shaped in shape. The edge of the cap is wavy and slightly curved. The color of the cap is mostly deep red or red-brown, sometimes it can be watery. The pulp of the mushroom does not have a rich taste, but has a persistent aroma of anise. Its color is reddish. The hymenophore is represented by plates that have a slightly serrated edge and descend down the stem. Their color is white and red. Mushroom spores are white in color and have a spherical shape.
The length of the stem of the mushroom varies between 3-9 cm, and its thickness is from 0.5 to 1.5 cm. Its color is dark red, in the lower part of the stem it is slightly darker than in the upper. The stem is characterized by high density, mostly eccentric, but sometimes it can be central.
Lentinellus shell-shaped (Lentinellus cochleatus) grows near young and dead maple trees, on wood of rotten stumps, near oaks. The habitat of mushrooms of this species is limited to broad-leaved forests. The fruiting period begins in August and ends in October. Mushrooms grow in large groups, and their main distinguishing feature is the legs fused near the base. The flesh of Lentinellus auricularis has a white color and great rigidity. The pungent smell of anise, exuded by the pulp of lentinellus, is heard at a distance of several meters from the plant.
Lentinellus shell-shaped (Lentinellus cochleatus) belongs to the number of edible mushrooms of the fourth category. It is recommended to use it in a pickled, dried form, but it did not receive wide demand among lovers of mushrooms due to excessive hardness and a sharp anise flavor.
The fungus Lentinellus cochleatus is unlike any other type of fungus because it is the only one with a strong anise smell that can be easily distinguished from other mushrooms.