Rhizopogon yellowish (Rhizopogon luteolus) photo and description

Rhizopogon yellowish (Rhizopogon obtectus)

• Rootstock yellowish
• Rhizopogon luteolus

Rhizopogon yellowish or Rootstock yellowish refers to fungi-saprophytes, is part of the rainfly fungus family. This is an excellent “conspirator”, since it is difficult to notice it – almost all of its fruiting body is underground and can only be seen slightly above the surface.

There were cases when various scammers tried to pass off this mushroom as a white truffle.

The fruit body is tuberous, underground, outwardly similar to young potatoes, with a diameter of 1 to 5 centimeters. Its surface is dry, in mature specimens the skin cracks, has a color from yellow-brown to brown (in old mushrooms); covered on top with branched brown-black filaments of mycelium. The peel has a specific garlic smell but is well removed under a stream of water with increased friction. The flesh is dense, thick, fleshy, at first white with an olive tint, later brown-green, almost black in mature individuals, without a pronounced taste and aroma. Spores are smooth, shiny, almost colorless, ellipsoid with slight asymmetry, 7-8 X 2-3 microns.

It grows from early July to late September on sandy and subsandy soils (eg on paths) in pine forests. Massively bears fruit at the end of the warm season. Mushroom little known to most mushroom pickers. Grows in soils rich in nitrogen. Prefers pine forests.

The yellowish root can be confused with the dubious melanogaster (Melanogaster ambiguus), although it is not common in our forests. Rhizopogon yellowish is similar to Rhizopogon pinkish (reddening truffle), from which it differs in skin color, and the flesh of the second quickly turns red when interacting with air, which justifies its name.

Taste qualities:

Rhizopogon yellowish belongs to the category of edible mushrooms, but is not eaten, as the taste is low.

The mushroom is little known, but edible. Although it does not have high taste qualities. Connoisseurs recommend eating fried only young specimens of rhizopogon, in which the flesh has a pleasant creamy color. Mushrooms with darkened flesh are not used for food. It can be boiled, but is usually consumed fried, then it tastes similar to raincoats. It is necessary to dry this mushroom at high temperatures, since this fungus tends to germinate if it is stored for a long time.