Lion-yellow slug (Pluteus leoninus) is a rare representative of the genus Plyutey of the Pluteev family. Also known as the lion’s whip and the bunched whip. According to mycological classification, it belongs to the class Agaricomycetes, the order Agaric. The lion’s whip is not very well known among mushroom pickers, so many, out of inexperience, bypass it, considering it a toadstool.

Plyutey lion-yellow (lion, bunched): photo and description

What does a lion-yellow whip look like

Plyutey lion-yellow – a small mushroom of bright color on a very thin stem. The pulp is dense, it is salmon, golden or brown. The color of the inner part depends on the age of the fruiting body and the place where the mycelium grows. Spore powder light pink. The plates are frequent, free and wide. At a young age they are white-pinkish, at a more mature age – pink.

Plyutey lion-yellow (lion, bunched): photo and description

Cap Description

The hat of the lion-yellow spit in the initial stage of growth has a bell-shaped shape. Then it becomes convex, and even later prostrate. The cap of the mushroom is rather thin, ribbed along the edges, with a diameter of about 20-60 mm. In the center there may be a small tubercle with a pattern in the form of a mesh. The skin of the cap is matte, velvety, longitudinally striped, smooth to the touch. The color of the cap is bright yellow, brownish, yellowish brown and honey yellow.

Plyutey lion-yellow (lion, bunched): photo and description

Description of the leg

The leg of the lion-yellow spice is long and thin. Its thickness is about 5 mm, and its height is 50-80 mm. The leg is continuous, fibrous, longitudinally striped, has a cylindrical shape. It expands slightly towards the base, where a small tuber can sometimes form. It is smooth, curved, occasionally twisted.

Plyutey lion-yellow (lion, bunched): photo and description

Where and how to grow

Lion-yellow whip is a saprophyte mushroom that grows on fallen trees, old decaying stumps, on woody residues (bark, branches) in the soil. Rarely found on living trees. These mushrooms grow mainly in the European part of Our Country, in the Samara region, as well as in the Primorsky Territory, Eastern and Western Siberia.

Place of growth of the lion-yellow spice:

  • deciduous forests (oak, beech, poplar, ash);
  • mixed stands (with a predominance of birch);
  • coniferous forests (rare).

Fruiting lasts from mid-June to late October. The most massive growth is observed in July. They mostly grow singly, very rarely in small groups.

Plyutey lion-yellow (lion, bunched): photo and description

Is the mushroom edible or not?

Plyutei lion-yellow is a conditionally edible mushroom with low taste. The smell of the pulp is quite pleasant. You can use lion’s whip for cooking first and second courses, after boiling for at least 10-15 minutes. Mushrooms can also be dried and salted.

Comment! Sometimes the pronounced smell and taste of the lion’s spit is practically absent.
Rare edible mushroom – Pluteus lion-yellow Pluteus leoninus

Twins and their differences

Similar to the lion-yellow blubber are several types of blubber:

  1. golden colored (Pluteus chrysophaeus) – a distinctive feature is the smaller size and the presence of brownish flowers.

    Plyutey lion-yellow (lion, bunched): photo and description

  2. orange wrinkled (Pluteus aurantiorugosus) – distinguished by the presence of an orange spot in the center of the cap and a rudimentary ring on the stem.

    Plyutey lion-yellow (lion, bunched): photo and description

  3. golden vein (Pluteus chrysophlebius) – a smaller mushroom, not velvety, with a different pattern in the center of the cap.

    Plyutey lion-yellow (lion, bunched): photo and description

  4. Plyutey Fenzl (Pluteus fenzlii) – a distinctive feature is the ring on the leg and the very bright color of the cap. The most yellow spit of all varieties of yellow spit.

    Plyutey lion-yellow (lion, bunched): photo and description

Attention! The species has some similarities with such inedible mushrooms as decorated and sulfur-yellow rowing. You can distinguish them by carefully examining the plates.

Plyutey lion-yellow (lion, bunched): photo and description

Conclusion

The lion-yellow whip is a little-known mushroom, so its chemical composition and characteristics are practically not studied. There are no reliable scientific data on the species. In the course of a few studies, no unique and beneficial properties have been identified, which would make it possible to recommend this type of mushroom for eating.

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