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White mushroom (Leucoagaricus leucothites) is an edible mushroom of the Champignon family. In 1948, the German mycologist Rolf Singer singled out the genus Leucoagaricus as a separate group. Red-lamellar white champignon is also called:
- umbrella blushing;
- white champignon nut;
- walnut lepiota;
- red-lamellar lepiota.
Where does the red-lamellar white champignon grow?
White champignon red-lamellar has a wide distribution. It can be found in almost any climate zone, excluding Antarctica. The fungus settles in mixed forests and outside the forest belt, prefers glades, edges, pastures. Often grows along roads, in parks, gardens and orchards. White champignon ruddy loves open, well-lit areas overgrown with thick grass.
The species is a soil saprotroph and takes nutrients from dead plant residues. The mushroom picker is located in the humus layer. In the course of life, the red-lamellar white mushroom decomposes decaying organic matter into simpler compounds, improving the structure and chemical composition of forest soil.
Fruiting from mid-July to October. Peak fruiting occurs at the end of summer. It grows singly and in small groups of 2-3 pieces.
What does red-lamellar white champignon look like?
This type of champignon looks beautiful and elegant. On a thin slender leg, girded with a whitish ring, a prostrate hat rises 6-10 cm in diameter. In young mushrooms, it looks like a bell, but later it takes on a broadly convex shape with a small tubercle in the center. On the edges of the hat, you can see the remains of the bedspread. In most cases, the cap is thick-fleshy; thin-fleshed specimens are rare.
The color of the cap is almost white, in the central part – a delicate pinkish-cream. As the fungus grows, the skin on the cap cracks. In the region of the tubercle, gray-beige scales appear on a smooth, matte, slightly velvety surface. The flesh of the cap is elastic and dense, painted white. When broken or cut, the shade of the pulp does not change.
The spore-bearing layer is represented by even white free plates, which darken over time, acquiring a dirty pink hue. In young white mushrooms, the plates are hidden under a thin film of cover to create favorable conditions for the maturation of spores. Spore powder is whitish or cream in color, smooth ovoid spores are white or pinkish.
The stem of the mushroom can reach 1,5 cm in diameter and 5-10 cm in height. It has a club-shaped shape, noticeably expands at the base, turning into a root underground outgrowth. Inside the leg is hollow, its surface is smooth, sometimes covered with small scales. The color of the legs is whitish or grayish. The flesh is white, fibrous, with a pleasant fruity aroma. Young mushrooms on the stem have a thin ring – a trace from the cover that protects the fruiting body at the very beginning of growth. Over time, in some mushrooms, it completely disappears.
Is it possible to eat red-lamellar white champignon
White champignon red-lamellar can be eaten. It is considered an edible mushroom, although little known. The species is collected by experienced mushroom pickers who can distinguish it from false twins. It is better for beginners of quiet hunting to refrain from collecting, since there are a lot of similar poisonous mushrooms. The yellowing form of the red-lamellar white champignon is inedible.
Similar species
Red-lamellar white champignon can be confused with a meadow inedible and poisonous mushroom – Morgan’s chlorophyllum (Chlorophyllum molybdites). The period of fruiting and places of growth are similar. The two species can be distinguished by the color of the plates. In chlorophyllum, the underside of the cap is pale green; in mature mushrooms, it becomes greenish-olive.
The white mushroom is often confused with its closest relative, the field mushroom (Agaricus arvensis). It is an edible mushroom with excellent taste. It grows from May to November in pastures, forest lawns, next to stables, for which it received the popular name “horse mushroom”. You can distinguish meadow champignon by the size of the cap (it reaches 15 cm), the color of the pulp (it quickly turns yellow on the cut) and the pink plates on the bottom of the cap.
Edible crooked mushroom (Agaricus abruptibulbus) can also be mistaken for red-lamellar white mushroom. This variety has thinner flesh that turns yellow when pressed and exudes a strong anise or almond flavor. In mature mushrooms, the plates acquire a black-brown hue. Most often, the species is found in spruce forests, growing on the litter from June to autumn, sometimes creating numerous groups of up to 30 pcs. at one place.
The red-lamellar white mushroom bears a dangerous resemblance to the pale grebe (Amanita phalloides). The deadly poisonous double is changeable: its hat can be painted in almost white, yellowish or grayish color. It is light specimens that are difficult to distinguish from red-lamellar white champignon. An essential feature of the toadstool is the snow-white color of the plates.
The red-lamellar lepiota is similar to the white toadstool or smelly fly agaric (Amanita virosa). You can distinguish it by the chlorine smell of the pulp and the slimy sticky hat.
Collection and consumption
White champignon red-lamellar is most often found at the end of August. It can be eaten raw as an ingredient in salads or side dishes, as well as:
- fry;
- cook;
- marinate;
- dry.
In dried form, red-lamellar white mushrooms acquire a pale pink color.
Conclusion
Red-lamellar white champignon is a beautiful and tasty mushroom. Its little known among mushroom pickers can be explained by its resemblance to grebes – people simply bypass it without even cutting it off and not examining it properly.
