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In the spring, at the same time as morels, lines (Gyromitra) appear in the forests: these mushrooms can also be considered primordially , since in other countries they are practically not common or not popular. But in Our Country, Gyromitra has been revered since ancient times: in the harvest season, when winter supplies ran out, few tables could do without these mushrooms.
Be very careful! Among the lines there are both edible and poisonous species. Giant lines are surprisingly tender and tasty mushrooms, and ordinary lines are poisonous. It is very easy to distinguish them: poisonous ordinary lines have a dark brown-chestnut or brownish curly hat and an even and long stem, and edible giant lines have a very wide tuberous leg, which is why they got such a name, and they are much lighter in color – yellowish. As you can see, stitch mushrooms look different, so it’s hard to make a mistake when collecting them.
Description of the line of the giant
Habitats of giant strings (Gyromitra gigas): in deciduous and birch-mixed forests, on humus-rich soil, they grow in small groups or singly.
Season: April May.
The hat has a height of 4-8 cm, and the entire mushroom has a height of up to 15 cm, and an even greater thickness – up to 30 cm.
As you can see in the photo, the color of the cap of this mushroom line is light brown, the cap is attached to the stem:
The leg has a height of 3-7 cm, and the thickness is greater – 6-10 cm. The leg is oval in cross section, its color is off-white.
Pulp: white or grayish, without much taste and smell.
Records. The leg in the upper part immediately turns into a hat, so there are no plates as such.
Variability. The color of the cap changes from light brown, later to dark brown and reddish brown.
Similar types. The edible giant line is very vaguely reminiscent of the inedible and stomach-ache-causing ordinary line (Gyromitra esculenta), which is notable for its not so massive stem and brown-chestnut hat.
Edibility: pre-boil for at least 25 minutes, after which they are fried, boiled, canned.
Edible, 3rd and 4th category.
These photos show what giant line mushrooms look like:
What does a normal line look like?
Habitats of common lines (Gyromitra esculenta): on sandy soil in mixed forests, among grass and next to decaying wood, grow in small groups or singly.
Season: April May.
The hat has a diameter of 3-10 cm, spherical in shape. A distinctive feature of the species is a shapeless brain-folded hat of dark chestnut or brown-brown color. Hat, in some places grown with a leg.
The leg is short, thick, has a height of 2-6 cm, a thickness of 15-30 mm, furrowed or folded, hollow, first white, later ivory, has longitudinal grooves.
Pulp: whitish, hard, without much taste and smell.
Records. The leg in the upper part immediately turns into a hat, so there are no plates as such.
Variability. The color of the cap varies from brown-chestnut to pink-chestnut and brown-brown.
Similar types. The inedible ordinary line differs in description from the edible line of the giant (Gyromitra gigas). The giant has a massive oval or irregular stalk with a cross section greater than the height of the mushroom.
Poisonous, toxic.
Here you can see photos of mushrooms of both types of lines, the description of which is presented above:
The main useful properties of lines
How amazing are the vagaries and surprises of nature! Ordinary lines have excellent healing properties, despite the fact that they are poisonous. The benefits of giant lines are also great.
The main healing properties of the lines are:
- Lines have analgesic properties and relieve pain.
- Line tinctures are used to treat and relieve pain in joint diseases, arthritis, radiculitis, rheumatism, polyarthritis, osteochondrosis, foot spurs.
- Treatment of overgrown bones.
- Treatment of pancreatitis and pancreas.
- Treatment of oncological diseases up to the late stages, when pain relief is required.
- The tincture is made from chopped mushrooms (about 10 grams), they are poured into 150 g of good vodka, stirred and infused in the refrigerator for 2 weeks. Next, rub the tincture into the sore spots and cover the body with a warm woolen scarf.
