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The mushroom kingdom is very diverse. In the forest you can find mushrooms that look like barrels, flowers, corals, and there are those that are very similar to graceful ballerinas. Among mushroom representatives, interesting specimens often come across. Xerula root looks very original, thanks to a thin, long stem and a miniature hat. Very often, mushroom pickers do not collect this species, not knowing that the mushroom is edible and contains a large amount of nutrients.
What does Xerula Root look like?
Xerula root, or Collibia tailed, attracts the eye with an interesting appearance. A small, miniature hat sits on a very thin, long stem. Root Xerula resembles a carnation driven into the ground.
Cap Description
Due to the long thin stem, the cap seems small, despite the fact that it reaches a diameter of 2-8 cm. In young specimens, it is hemispherical in shape, straightens with age, becomes flat, while maintaining a small tubercle in the center.
The wrinkled surface is covered with mucus and is colored olive, dirty lemon or dark gray. The lower part has even, rare plates painted in snow-white or cream color.
Description of the leg
Xerula root has a long thin stem, which reaches a length of up to 20 cm, a thickness of about 1 cm. It is buried 15 cm deep in the ground, often intertwined and has a specific rhizome. The fibrous pulp is covered with numerous scales, which are painted snow-white at the base and gray-brown closer to the soil surface.
Is the mushroom edible or not?
Xerula root is an edible species that has medicinal properties.
Beneficial features:
- The culture fluid contains the substance udenone, which is involved in the metabolic process, lowers blood pressure, so the mushroom culture is recommended to be used by hypertensive patients. The species is very popular in China, Chinese doctors use it in folk medicine to get rid of hypertension.
- The pulp has antibacterial properties, udemansin-X actively fights yeast and mold fungi.
- The mycelium contains polysaccharides that stop the growth of cancer cells.
Features of use
The flesh of Xerula is root, light, watery, odorless and tasteless. The mushroom can be consumed fried or pickled. Before cooking, the mushroom crop is thoroughly washed and boiled. Spices and spices are added to add flavor to dishes.
Where and how to grow
Xerula root prefers to grow in coniferous and deciduous forests. Often it can be found on stumps, rotten wood, in half-rotted damp dust. Mushrooms can grow singly and in groups, fruiting begins in mid-July and lasts until the end of September.
Twins and their differences
Xerula Root has 2 twins:
- Edible – Xerula long-legged. This species has a thin long leg and a velvety grayish hat.
- Poisonous – Scaly whip. According to external characteristics, they are very similar, but they have a difference – the lamellar layer of the false twin does not reach the stem.
Conclusion
Xerula root is an elegant, useful mushroom that grows throughout Our Country. Due to the medicinal properties of Xerula root, it is widely used in folk medicine. Despite the watery pulp and lack of taste, the mushroom is used to prepare many dishes.
