With the beginning of autumn, our forests are filled with amateurs of mushroom picking.Edible mushroomsare a highly valued ingredient in many dishes in our country and there are plenty of gourmets who can conjure up excellent dishes from them. Nevertheless, many mushrooms can cause us unpleasant surprises in the form of he alth problems. To make life easier for collectors, mushroom exhibitions are organized in many places in the country, where mushroom picking enthusiasts have the opportunity to see various species closely and get to knowinteresting edible and inedible mushroomsSuch an exhibition also took place in Łódź on 16-18.09.2011
One of the well-liked and well-known mushrooms is the boletus, also called boletus. Unfortunately, it is easy to confuse him with the poisonous Satan (bitter bile).
In one of the buildings belonging to the Lodz Botanical Garden, over 60 species of mushrooms, both known and less known, are shown. It was not a large exhibition, but the organizers mainly wanted to compareedible mushroomswith poisonous mushrooms similar to them, and this important goal has been achieved. Also shown here areinteresting mushrooms , which we usually do not notice because they are generally inedible.
Anyone who wanted to learn something more than the descriptions next to the exhibits could contact the specialist present on the spot and receive comprehensive information on the subject of interest. Much emphasis was placed on presenting the differences between the biggest perpetrator of severe poisoning, i.e.toadstool(amanita phalloides) and the edible species confused with it: greenish geese, cabbage rolls, mushrooms or kites.Half of the cases of poisoning with this fungus are fatal, among other things because the first symptoms appear only two or three days after consumption.Stinkhorn contains several extremely strong toxins, e.g. amanitin or phalloin, which are very resistant to drying or cooking. Let me mention that the main feature that distinguishes this poisonous mushroom from edible ones is the fact that only it has a stem embedded in a tuber surrounded by a protruding vagina. Moreover, in contrast to the kite, it has no dots on the cap, and unlike mushrooms, it always has white gills (they turn brown quickly in mushrooms) and does not darken after cutting. However, all these features are visible rather in older specimens, so the easiest way to confuse these mushrooms is to collect quite young fruiting bodies.
As it turns out,poisonous or inedible mushroom , it does not always have to be bitter in taste, like e.g. Satan (boletus - Tylopilus felleus) confused with boletus (boletus - Boletus edulis).One of the most dangerous mushrooms, the mentioned stinkhorn, is simply tasty, but an amateur can cost his life.
There is also the controversialolszówka(rolled krowiak - Paxillus involutus). Some people consider this mushroom to be edible after long cooking. However, recent studies prove that he is a covert killer. It has toxins that accumulate in the human body and even after a few years can cause serious damage to, for example, kidneys, and often lead to death.
There were also many varieties at the exhibitionpigeons and geese, only part of which is edible. It was an opportunity to take a close look at them and compare them with each other. Although mushroom picking was just beginning, the exhibition also featured a beautiful specimen of a mushroom picker's dream,boletusIt looked great on green moss. It was also easy to compare it with the gentian (Satan) lying nearby. (Lycoperdon perlatum).It is a tasty mushroom and it is quite numerous in our forests. Young specimens, still white in cross-section, can be eaten. The puffball is easy to confuse with the inedible stoutskin, but after cutting it, the difference is immediately visible. The crowskin is dark inside.
One of the well-liked and well-known mushrooms is the boletus, also called boletus. Unfortunately, it is easy to confuse him with the poisonous Satan (bitter bile).
The exhibition also featurededible toadstoolse.g. the toadstool, called the young lady (Amanita vaginata), and the not very popular edible mushroom - the spider moth (Coprinus comatus). However, only young specimens are suitable for consumption, because the fungus quickly turns into a black mass after maturing. It should be remembered that at the same time, you must not drink alcohol, because the compounds contained in the fungus inhibit its disintegration.
Unpopular edible mushroom - Coprinus comatus. However, only young specimens are suitable for consumption, because when ripe, the fungus quickly transforms into a black mass.
Probably many visitors at the exhibition had the first time to see (albeit in a dried state) a very tasty, but extremely rare mushroom -conical morel(Morchella conica). Other curiosities of the exhibition included two stars: the tassel (Geastrum sessile) and the crowned (Geastrum coronatum) and the squamous cone (Strobilomyces strobilaceus). All of these are unique and are strictly protected in Poland.
Many visitors at the exhibition had the opportunity to see for the first time a very tasty, but extremely rare conical morel (Morchella conica).
Geastrum sessile was another curiosity presented at the exhibition.
Visitors were also provided with microscopes and enlargers, under which you could see hymenophores (lamellar, tubular and labyrinthine) up close andinteresting mushroomfunnel-shaped - ribbed cup (Cyathus stratus). There are also many interesting fungi growing on branches or dead stumps, such as grimaceae, skinworms, hubiak and others. Some of them are colorful and have interesting shapes. Of the lichens, perhaps the most beautiful representative was golden algae (Xanthoria parietina), with a beautiful golden-yellow color. There was also a very interestingfungus species- Xylaria polymorpha. Although it is inedible and inconspicuous, scientists have started to look at the substances it produces - lectins. They can probably prove very helpful in treating difficult diseases in the early stages, including some cancers. These substances were also found in hubiak and red toadstool.
Of the lichens, perhaps the most beautiful representative was golden algae (Xanthoria parietina), with a beautiful golden-yellow color.
To sum up, such exhibitions are a very valuable source of knowledge about mushrooms and they certainly contribute to increasing our safety during mushroom picking. In conclusion, I would like to remind you to be as careful as possible when picking mushrooms. Even a hint of uncertainty should be explained against the mushroom and left in the forest. We can also check the collected mushrooms free of charge with specialists on duty at sanitary and epidemiological stations. This little effort to understand the contents of the mushroom basket can save us a lot of he alth problems.Related Topics:
Katarzyna Józefowicz
