Motley umbrella mushroom: photo and description, cooking recipes

The motley umbrella mushroom belongs to the Champignon family. Often it is called differently: big, tall, royal champignon. And in some areas – a chicken coop, because it, cooked in butter, resembles the taste of chicken meat.

Mushrooms are very noticeable in size

Where does the umbrella mushroom grow

The variegated umbrella, or macrolepiota procera in Latin, is common on all continents. On the territory of Our Country, it is also found everywhere – on rich in organic residues, fertile soil with a light structural composition. Mushrooms of the species are saprotrophs, they feed on decaying organic matter. Fruiting bodies of variegated umbrellas prefer to grow in open spaces of forest edges, clearings, meadows, city parks and squares. They are easy to meet on the site of clearings, along roads, in unplowed fields, pastures and in gardens. Grow singly or in groups. At the same time, the mycelium is often located on a spacious territory, creating rows or so-called “witch circles”, where from 15 to 30 fruiting bodies are formed. The variegated species bears fruit from mid-June to late September.

What does an umbrella mushroom look like

Young mushrooms are variegated umbrellas, as in the photo – ovoid, from afar they seem fluffy. The leg with a rounded top begins to rise first, and then the hat opens. Because of this characteristic feature in Italy, the species is called “drumsticks”. The open cap is wide-conical, among the largest: adult fruiting bodies reach a diameter of 15-24 to 32-35 cm. There is a tubercle in the middle of the fibrous gray-beige cap, the skin tone is darker – brownish, without scales. Sometimes it is whitish-gray, sometimes with brown tints. On the entire surface, except for the central part, light brown triangular small scales always remain, which are easily separated. The edges of the cap are slightly bent down, pubescent with scales.

The white plates of young mushrooms are whitish or light beige, turning brown in old ones, densely arranged. Near the leg, a mass of plates forms a cartilaginous seal. White, friable pulp becomes denser with age, the color remains on the cut. A mushroom or sweetish nutty aroma comes from the fruiting body. A feature of the species is that the cap is easily separated from the stem, as well as the plates are freely torn off from the base of the cap. The mass of spores is white or slightly creamy.

Ring on the leg moves

In young representatives of the species, the leg is light brown, turns brown with age, and frequent, dark scales form on the surface. Sometimes the whole is covered with alternating dark and light stripes. The height of the leg of a motley umbrella is from 15 to 40 cm. Mushroom pickers claim that they have met umbrellas 60 cm high. The diameter of a thin leg is 3 cm, rarely 4 cm. It is hollow in structure, with hard fibers. High under the cap is a membranous ring, usually wide, it is a remnant of the original cover in which the young mushroom emerges from the ground. Umbrella mushrooms, like champignons, do not have a bag-shaped volva. A thickening is noticeable near the ground.

The species has a variegated hat and leg

Edible or not umbel variegated mushroom

Kind of edible. According to nutritional value, they are classified in the 4th category. Many mushroom pickers consider dishes from umbrella hats to be the most delicious.

Useful properties of the mushroom umbrella large

The composition of the fruiting bodies of variegated umbrellas contains a lot of water and fiber, proteins, a balanced amount of carbohydrates and fats. The pulp is valuable for the presence of minerals, B vitamins, as well as C and E at a low calorie content. Since the caps are also consumed raw, mushrooms are considered an ideal dietary product, suitable for weight loss and diabetes, valuable for vegetarians, because it:

• quickly saturates;
• stimulates digestion;
• removes cholesterol;
• alleviates the condition of cancer patients;
• promotes rejuvenation of the body;
• maintains the tone of the nervous system and brain activity.

Adepts of traditional medicine treat gastric diseases, gout, rheumatism, and purulent wounds with prepared raw materials.

False twins of the mushroom parasol motley

The fruit bodies of variegated umbrella mushrooms, judging by the photo, are similar to edible and poisonous ones of some species of the Champignon and Amanite families. Of these, edible umbrellas:

• reddening, which is distinguished by a change in air from whitish pulp to reddish;

  

• graceful, which is much smaller in size.

  

From the photo it is easy to confuse the species in question and the poisonous rare dark brown chlorophyllum, which is found in North America and the forests of the Western Carpathians.

Chlorophyllum is a dangerous mushroom, but it is not found in Our Country

Often inexperienced mushroom pickers mistake a motley umbrella for poisonous:

fly agaric panther;

The panther fly agaric has a reddish top

pale bastard.

The pale grebe is noticeable by the greenish-yellow shade of the cap

The motley species differs from the poisonous ones in such signs:

• the ring on the leg moves easily;
• near the ground on the leg there is no bag left from the bedspread, like a fly agaric and a pale grebe;
• scales on the cap are numerous, merged in the center, while on fly agarics they are small and sparse;
• a distinctive feature of the pale grebe, except for the Volvo, is a greenish-olive top;
• the umbels of poisonous species are distinguished by being very small compared to the size of large and tall variegated ones.

Rules for collecting a large motley umbrella

Delicious mushrooms are harvested only when the different species are well identified. If in doubt, it is best to leave them in the forest. You can not take known species in polluted places:

• near industrial areas;
• in the vicinity of large cities;
• along busy roads.

How to cook mushroom umbrella motley

Hats are used more often for eating, they are:

• fried whole or sliced;
• dried;
• marinate;
• frozen boiled or fried;
• eaten raw.

The legs are tough, so they are usually dried and then ground into mushroom powder, which is used to season soups.

Instant recipes for a motley umbrella are the most artless – omelettes, scrambled eggs, salted raw hat along with vegetables.

Cultivation of variegated umbrella mushrooms

Today they buy mycelium in specialized stores or bring ripe mushrooms and scatter spores in shady, damp places from February to May. The site is treated, the turf is not taken out, but the mycelium or spore mass is sprinkled with a layer of humus. Fruiting begins after 3-5 months, it lasts up to 5-6 years.

Conclusion

The motley umbrella mushroom is considered tasty, its lovers not only collect, but also grow the species. On a quiet hunt, the main thing is an unshakable rule: bypass unknown myceliums.