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Veined saucer (Disciotis venosa) is a representative of the Morel family. The spring mushroom has other names: disciotis or veiny discina. Although the nutritional value of the mushroom is low, there are amateurs who are ready to start a quiet hunt in early spring. Fruiting bodies are suitable for frying, drying, soups are cooked from them.
Where does the veiny saucer grow
The veiny saucer is a rare mushroom that can be found in the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere. s can pick these mushrooms in early spring, at the same time that morels appear. Fruiting continues from the second half of May and ends in the first decade of June.
The habitat is mixed, deciduous, coniferous forests. More found in beech, oak groves. The veiny saucer prefers damp floodplain places, sandy, clay soils. Rarely grows alone, often in small families.
It is best to look for saucers next to semi-free morels. More often they grow very close, that when cut, it seems as if they have a common mycelium. From plants prefers butterbur. The fungus is classified as a saprotroph, settles on the remains of dead plants in order to receive food for development.
What does a veiny saucer look like
The disc is veiny, an outwardly interesting mushroom. Many people, when they first see a saucer, admire the unusual shape or pass by, because they do not believe that it is a mushroom.
The fruiting body is the cap or apothecia. The average size is about 10 cm, but there are specimens that grow more than 20 cm. The caps of young saucers resemble a kidney, in which the edges are wrapped inward. Gradually, it becomes like a flat saucer. The surface of the cap is uneven, sinuous, the edges are gradually torn.
The inner part is represented by a thin spore layer. It is yellowish white with small dots. Outside, the mushroom is gray-pink or brown, often purple. This surface of the saucer is covered with scales, veins resembling human veins. Hence the name.
It is difficult to call the leg of the veiny saucer so much, it is so reduced. The length of the short, thick, wrinkled part of the fungus is from 0,2 to 1,5 cm. It is white in color, almost completely immersed in the soil.
The fruiting body is represented by a fragile pulp of gray or yellowish color. There is no mushroom taste, but the sharp smell of bleach is felt from a distance.
The size of smooth spores is 19-25 or 12-15 microns. They have the shape of a wide ellipse, there are no fat drops.
Is it possible to eat a veiny saucer
Dissiotis veinous is a conditionally edible mushroom. This means that it is suitable for cooking various dishes. In its raw form, it is categorically not recommended to use it, as problems with the intestines may occur.
The taste of the veiny saucer is inexpressive, but lovers still collect and cook it. But the smell of chlorine is very strong. It is easily removed by boiling. The washed saucers are placed in a container with cold water and boiled for a quarter of an hour. After that, you can fry or dry when the water has completely drained.
Similar species
Almost all mushrooms have twins that are somewhat similar in appearance. The veiny saucer is no exception. Although it has no similar species in terms of the chlorine smell, therefore it will not be possible to confuse. But according to external signs, it is somewhat similar to an ordinary line or a thyroid disc.
Line ordinary
This is a toxic marsupial. It is not recommended to use it raw and unprocessed, as you can get poisoned. It’s all about the toxin gyromitrin. It negatively affects the nervous system and liver. Nausea and vomiting are not so bad. In severe cases of poisoning, a person may fall into a coma.
Thyroid disc
The fruiting body of a young thyroid disc is bowl-shaped, the edges are bent inwards. In mature specimens, the cap twists into a weak spiral. The color can be different: light or black-brown on top. The lower part of the fruiting body is lighter.
Collection and consumption
Veiny saucers are rare mushrooms, and besides, not every visitor to the forest will dare to put them in his basket. He has a very unattractive appearance. Disciotis is harvested in Our Country, and in European countries it is considered poisonous.
Veined saucers are very fragile, so they are folded neatly in one layer in a basket or cardboard box, the bottom is covered with grass. It is better not to put other mushrooms, otherwise you will get a mess.
Collection rules:
- For quiet hunting, dry weather is chosen, and you need to go to the forest early in the morning, before the sun has time to heat the fruiting bodies. Mushroom pickers know that fruiting is short-term, only 2-2,5 weeks in May-June.
- For eating, take young specimens with small saucer hats. They have not yet had time to accumulate toxic substances.
- No need to look at the veiny saucers growing along the highway, railway. They contain a lot of heavy metals.
Conclusion
The veiny saucer contains various vitamins, minerals, and protein. After heat treatment, it can be safely eaten. Despite the benefits, the fungus has some contraindications. Fruiting bodies are not recommended for people with gastrointestinal and kidney problems. They are strictly prohibited to women during pregnancy, lactation, as well as to small children.
Mushrooms are an excellent fodder crop and a catalyst for alcoholic fermentation. These features of the veined saucer are still being studied.
