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Xerula modest (collibia) is a type of lamellar hat-and-leg mushrooms that are members of the Physalacrium family. They are so rare in the forests that most even seasoned “quiet hunters” have never found them, and the descriptions of this representative of the mushroom kingdom are rather brief. For an avid mushroom picker, this species may be of some interest.
What does a modest xerula look like
The modest Xerula looks unusual: on a thin long stem there is a large flat hat, richly covered with villi from below. Young specimens resemble a nail. Due to their unusual appearance, many people consider them poisonous.
The pulp of the fruiting body is thin, brittle. Like all varieties of xerulas, this representative has a white spore powder.
Cap Description
The hat has the shape of a dome, which, over time, opens more and more outward and takes on the shape of a bowl. Differs in wide, thin, rarely located plates. In adult specimens, the plates are clearly visible. Color – brown, on the reverse side – light, almost white.
Description of the leg
The stem is thin, slightly tapering at the top, dark brown, contrasting with the light plates on the back of the cap. Grows vertically upwards.
Is the mushroom edible or not?
It belongs to conditionally edible, but it has neither a bright taste nor a pronounced aroma, therefore it is not of great culinary value.
Where and how to grow
This is a very rare species with a relatively short fruiting period. You can meet him in coniferous-deciduous forests, where he grows in groups right on the ground. The season starts in the second half of summer and lasts until the end of September.
Twins and their differences
You can confuse this mushroom with the edible xerula long-legged, which is also quite rare in forests and has a long thin leg. You can distinguish them by the following features:
- xerula modest grows on the ground, and its counterpart grows on stumps, branches and tree roots;
- the cap of the xerula is modest, larger in diameter and curved outward, while in the long-legged one its edges are directed downward, forming a dome.
Conclusion
Xerula modest is little known to lovers of “silent hunting”. Although it does not have outstanding taste, finding and identifying it in the forest is a great success.
