Contents
A fungus from the genus Basiomycetes, melanoleuca straight-legged, or melanoleuk, belongs to the genus of the same name, the family Ryadovkovye. The Latin name of the species is Melanoleuca strictipes. A young mushroom is often confused with champignons, but they have several differences.
What do melanoleuks look like?
The hat is flat, in young specimens it is slightly convex, there is a small tubercle in the center. Its diameter does not exceed 10 cm. The color of the cap of melanoleuca is straight-legged white, with a slight gray tint, in the central part there is a dark spot. The surface is velvety, dry, smooth.
The lower part of the cap is lamellar. Frequent, pale pink plates adhere to the stem.
A thin, long leg of a straight-legged melanoleyka is located clearly in the center, slightly expanded towards the bottom. Its diameter does not exceed 2 cm, length – 10 cm. The color is white or pale gray.
The pulp of the straight-legged melanoleuk is white, dense, with a characteristic, barely perceptible flour smell.
Spores are thin-walled, colorless, odorless, oblong in shape. On their surface are small warts. The spore powder of melanoleuca straight-legged is pale yellow or cream.
Where do melanoleucs grow?
Most often they can be found in mountainous areas, less often – at the foot of the mountains in deciduous forests, in meadows. They prefer humus-rich soil or decaying wood and are saprotrophs.
Melanoleuca straight-legged bears fruit abundantly from June to October. This species is found on all continents.
Is it possible to eat melanoleucs straight-legged
It is an edible mushroom that is eaten without fear. Before serving, heat treatment of melanoleuca straight-legged is required.
False doubles
Inexperienced mushroom pickers often confuse melanoleuca straight-legged with champignons. It is important to remember that the first mushroom is almost never found in the forest, its habitat is mountainous. While champignon is a resident of coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests on the plain.
The champignon has whitish rings near the cap, the leg is thick. Its plates are gray-pink, in old mushrooms they are black. In melanoleuca rectipoda, the plates are white.
Also, the straight-legged melanoleuk is similar to some representatives of the genus Ryadovkovye, for example, with the melanoleuk striped or short-legged. The latter mushrooms are distinguished by a darker color, the surface of their caps is smooth and glossy.
Pale grebe is a poisonous, deadly to humans counterpart of melanoleuca straight-legged. The main difference between the inedible species is the presence of a dense bag at the base of the leg in the form of an egg.
The cap of the toadstool is not pure white, but with a yellowish or greenish tint. At first it is bell-shaped, later it becomes prostrate. In the upper part of the thick stem, almost under the cap, there is a film ring.
Collection rules
It is better to collect mushrooms in wet weather, after a long rain. Melanoleuca straight-legged can be found in mountainous areas or pastures, in the soil or on the plant remains of trees.
Melanoleuca grows in large families: if you see one mushroom, then there are others nearby.
The mushroom leg of melanoleuca straight-legged can be twisted or cut, this does not affect the fruiting of the mycelium.
For fragile straight-legged fruiting bodies, wicker willow baskets are suitable, in which the flesh does not crumble, aroma and freshness are preserved.
Old, rotten, darkened specimens of melanoleuca straight-legged are not recommended to be cut. It is better to eat small, white, dense mushrooms.
A straight-legged melanoleuca is placed in the basket only if there is complete confidence in its edibility. At the slightest doubt, it is better to refuse an incomprehensible copy.
Use
After collection, straight-legged melanoleuca is not stored for more than 3 hours. Upon arrival home, they immediately begin to process it. After cleaning, the fruits are poured with cold, slightly salted water, allowed to stand for half an hour. This manipulation will make it possible to better clean the straight-legged melanoleuca and bring the worms out if a specimen eaten by them gets into the basket.
Melanoleuca straight-legged is prepared by heat treatment. Peeled and washed mushrooms are boiled in clean water for 15-20 minutes, the first broth is drained. Then the fruiting body is boiled again, fried or stewed.
You can harvest melanoleuca straight-legged for the winter. It is pickled and rolled into jars of vinegar. It can also be simply dried, later added to soups or roasts.
Meloanoleuca straight-legged is suitable for cooking any mushroom dishes: casseroles, sauces, goulash, stuffing for pies, meatballs, zrazy and dumplings. Pairs well with sour cream sauce. In dried, crushed form, the straight-legged fruiting body is used as a mushroom seasoning.
Conclusion
Meloanoleuca straight-legged – an inhabitant of any part of the globe. The fungus prefers highlands and loose fertile soil. It is almost never found in the forest on the plain. Refers to edible species, absolutely safe for humans. Suitable for cooking any mushroom dishes. It is important to carefully read the description of the twins of melanoleuk straight-legged so that there is no poisonous twin in the basket.