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Simocybe patchwork (Simocybe centunculus) is a very common agaric fungus belonging to the Crepidote family. Like all representatives of the genus, it is a saprotroph. That is, you can find it on rotting tree trunks, stumps, as well as meadows where sedge grows.
What does a patchwork simocybe look like
This species was first found and described in Finland by the famous mycologist, professor of botany Peter Adolf Karsten back in 1879.
Simocybe patchwork is a small mushroom: the diameter of the cap is from 1 to 2,5 cm. Moreover, the shape of a convex hemisphere with edges directed inward is typical only for young specimens. As it matures, it straightens and becomes flatter.
Coloring can, although slightly, vary: in different representatives of the Simocybe genus, it ranges from greenish-brown to brownish and dirty gray. In the center of the cap of an adult mushroom, the colors lose their intensity, thickening towards the edges.
This species is distinguished from other saprotrophs by small plates adhering to the stem with teeth. They are white along the edges, and darker at the base. But this contrasting effect can only be observed in young specimens. With age, all scales acquire a single brownish tint.
The surface is smooth and dryish, sometimes velvety. In a young patchwork simocybe, you can notice a slight pubescence. The leg of adult representatives of this species is curved and thin, no more than half a centimeter in thickness. But its length can reach 4 cm.
Where does simocybe patchwork grow?
The range of all tree saprotrophs (necrotrophs) coincides with those areas where there are forests and meadows with sedge. It grows and bears fruit on rotten trunks and stumps of trees, as well as on old straw throughout the season.
Is it possible to eat patchwork simocybe
This mushroom is inedible. There are those who consider it unequivocally poisonous and even hallucinogenic. However, so far there is no reliable confirmation of this fact. However, collecting and eating simocybe patchwork is still not recommended.
It is not so easy for even an experienced mushroom picker to determine what kind of saprotroph got in his way. After all, only the genus Simocybe has about a hundred species – sometimes only microscopic studies can accurately distinguish them. Yes, and the similarity of this representative can be traced with many others growing on decaying wood.
Such, for example, is psatirella (another name for khruplyanka). This, like the simocybe, is a patchwork, small, woody saprotroph with a curved leg.
In the old days, most of them were considered poisonous, but today it is known that these mushrooms can be eaten, however, only after a long heat treatment (boiling). Therefore, psatirrellas are classified as conditionally edible.
Conclusion
Simocybe patchwork is a common mushroom that lives where there is a favorable environment for it in the form of wood remains and old straw. Its role in wildlife cannot be overestimated: like other saprotrophs, it contributes to the formation of humus, which is necessary for the growth of all higher plants.
