Vaulted starfish (Geastrum fornicatum)
- Division: Basidiomycota (Basidiomycetes)
- Subdivision: Agaricomycotina (Agaricomycetes)
- Class: Agaricomycetes (Agaricomycetes)
- Subclass: Phallomycetidae (Velkovye)
- Order: Geastrales (Geastral)
- Family: Geastraceae (Geastraceae or Stars)
- Genus: Geastrum (Geastrum or Zvezdovik)
- Type: Geastrum fornicatum (Geastrum fornicatum)
Vaulted star, or A fornicating woman, is a fungus that is part of the genus Zvezdovik, the Zvezdovik family. As a useful mushroom, it rarely gets into use due to its small number. In folk medicine, it is used as a hemostatic and strong antiseptic. It has a number of biologically active substances useful for the human body. Mature spore mushroom mass is used as various powders and is used to prepare various tinctures. The young mushroom cut into strips is applied in the form of a plaster.
The fruiting body of the fungus is spherical in shape, yellow-brown in color and partially placed in the soil. As the fungus grows, its outer shell cracks and opens into several lobes that twist as the fungus grows. The inner gray part has a hole for ejection of spores, which are colored chocolate brown during the period of active fruiting. Light mushroom pulp with the growth of the fungus quickly coarsens. When ripe, the mushroom pulp almost completely turns into a dark brown mass of spores.
The distribution area of uXNUMXbuXNUMXbthe fungus captures the forests of the temperate zone. A favorite place for the settlement of the fungus are carbonate soils. The vaulted starfish grows in small groups, forming witch rings. Its active fruiting occurs at the beginning and end of autumn.
The mushroom is suitable for consumption at its youngest age, when it resembles a ball in shape. But in this form it is quite difficult to find, since the mushroom is almost completely submerged in the ground at this time. It can be used without preliminary boiling or frying.
Vaulted starfish, although rare, is well known to professional experienced mushroom pickers.