Contents
The spider web is excellent – a conditionally edible representative of the Spider web family. The mushroom catches the eye infrequently, is listed in the Red Book. In order to replenish the population of the species, it is necessary, when a specimen is found, to pass by or carefully cut it off, trying not to damage the mycelium.
Description of the cobweb excellent
Acquaintance with the excellent cobweb must begin with a description of the external characteristics. The fungus has a coffee mucous surface, and a thin cobweb covers the spore layer. In order not to confuse it with inedible specimens, you need to view photos and videos.
The mushroom is listed in the Red Book
Cap Description
The cap, 15-20 cm in diameter, has a convex shape, with maturity it straightens and becomes depressed with wrinkled edges by full maturity. The color of young specimens is purple, then it changes to red, at the end of maturation it becomes brown. The surface is velvety, matte, in wet weather it becomes covered with a mucous layer.
The lower layer is formed by notched-fused plates. Depending on age, they are painted in gray or dark coffee color. In young representatives, the plates are covered with a thin, light cobweb-like film, as it grows, it breaks through and descends on the leg in the form of a skirt.
Reproduction occurs by oblong, large spores, which are located in a rusty-brown powder.
The pulp is dense, fleshy, with a pleasant taste and smell.
Description of the leg
The dense leg reaches a height of up to 15 cm. The surface is covered with snow-white-lilac skin, with age it becomes light chocolate. The snow-white-bluish flesh is dense, fleshy, upon contact with alkali it becomes dark red. When cut, a pleasant mushroom aroma is captured.
The fungus is found only in the Bashkir forests
Where and how to grow
The cobweb is an excellent rare guest of deciduous forests. Due to the decline in the population, it was listed in the Red Book. In Our Country, it can only be found in the forests of Bashkiria. This species forms a mycelium next to a beech. It grows in large families, bears fruit from May to mid-October.
Is the mushroom edible or not?
Spider web excellent belongs to the 4th group of edibility. Due to the pleasant mushroom taste, it is widely used for cooking a variety of dishes. It can be fried, boiled, stewed. But the most delicious are salted and pickled mushrooms. It is also dried. Dried mushrooms are stored in paper or linen bags in a dark, dry place.
Twins and their differences
The excellent cobweb, like any forest dweller, has similar counterparts. These include:
- Watery blue – has a hemispherical hat of light sky color. The surface is glossy, mucous. The stem is dense, bluish-violet in color, closer to the base, the color changes to ocher-yellow. The flesh is gray-blue. Despite the insipid taste and unpleasant aroma, this representative of the mushroom kingdom belongs to the edible category. They settle in large families in the broad-leaved forests of Primorsky Krai.
The mushroom is edible, used in salted and pickled form for food.
- Terpsichore webbed – has a rich purple hat with radial stains. In mature specimens, the color becomes red-yellow. The leg is dense, fleshy, tasteless and odorless. The species belongs to inedible species. It grows in deciduous forests, is rare.
Due to the lack of taste and smell, the mushroom is not used in cooking.
Conclusion
The cobweb is excellent – a conditionally edible red book mushroom. It grows in mixed forests from May to mid-autumn. Due to its pleasant aroma and good mushroom taste, it is used to prepare winter preservation. In order not to confuse this representative with inedible species, you need to know the external description and view the photo.