Going to the forest mushrooms, a person must be well prepared. He must know which varieties can be eaten. Otherwise, the mushroom picker risks his life. In our climatic latitudes, many edible and inedible, very toxic species grow.
One of the mushrooms that can be found in the forests of our country is ordinary flake. This is an interesting plant, which is not familiar to all residents of Russia. What is this mushroom, will be discussed later.
general description
Common flake (from lat. Pholiota squarrosa) is a fairly common fungus in almost any forest. It grows in large groups. Many people, going to the forest, collect only those species that they know for sure. This is the correct position. In this case, to bring home a poisonous specimen becomes almost impossible.
However, many lovers of this type of recreation were faced with such an unpleasant phenomenon as the absence of mushrooms in the area adjacent to the private house. The fact is that a lot of people can gather. Therefore, in some cases, the mushroom picker returns home with an empty basket. To avoid this, you need to expand your horizons.
If you know what previously unknown mushrooms can be collected in the forest, the chances of coming home with a full basket are significantly increased. It is to such varieties that the flake belongs. There are many varieties of this mushroom. Almost all of them are edible. This class has no poisonous doubles. Therefore, you can not be afraid to collect them almost everywhere.
Hat appearance
The common squamous fungus belongs to the stropharia family (class of agaricomycetes). There are many varieties of it. The most common species in our area is a flake fleecy or ordinary. Such a mushroom is also called dry, scaly. It has a number of characteristic features.
The hat is yellow in color. Its size is 5-15 cm. The shape of the hat is convex. In its center there is a tubercle. A small amount of bedspread remains around the edge. The surface is dry to the touch. It is covered with concentric flakes that are tan.
The plates under the hat are tightly located relative to each other. They are grown. The color of the plates changes over time from light gray to brown-red. The spores of this fungus are brown.
The hat has a pleasant taste with proper preparation. By its characteristic external features, one can distinguish this type of flake from other similar mushrooms.
Mushroom description
Coming to the forest for mushrooms, it is necessary to consider the description of common scales. It differs (in addition to the characteristics listed above) by a large, high leg. It has a yellow color and a cylindrical shape. The height of the legs reaches 16 cm. In this case, the diameter can be about 1.8-2 cm.
The leg also has dark scales on the surface. At the base, it has a dark brown color. On it you can see a somewhat sagging fibrous ring. The leg that is above it has a light shade of the surface, and below it is dark. Inside, it can be hollow.
The mushroom pulp is quite hard. It has a light yellow color. The smell is not pronounced, it is quite difficult to determine it. It resembles a little aroma of radish. The taste of the pulp is also not pronounced. The taste of this variety can differ significantly from other types of flakes.
Spread
Many mushroom pickers are interested in the question of where the common flake grows. She likes to grow in a temperate climate, in a humid environment. In our country, it can be found almost everywhere.
The presented mushroom grows in North America, Western Europe, Karelia, and the Far East. He prefers the climate of the temperate continental zone. It can often be found on dead tree trunks. Most often it is found in deciduous and coniferous forests on the roots. Also, mushrooms of this species grow on stumps or in hollows.
They feel best in quiet, dull places. This may be a poorly lit forest, forest areas with dense vegetation. In rare cases, mushrooms of this species can be found in bright places. They love the shadow. Therefore, in such places you should look for the presented species.
Under favorable weather conditions (in rainy weather), the presented species of mushrooms can also be found on illuminated lawns. They most often abundantly spread over dead or rotting wood.
Growth Features
The flake often bears fruit abundantly from July to September. Under comfortable climate conditions, there are cases when the mushroom began to be harvested in May. In terms of color and appearance, honey agarics and common flakes have distant similarities. Some mushroom pickers confuse them. Honey mushrooms in the autumn period become like a flake.
The difference between these two fungi manifests itself in the absence of scales on honey agarics. Also, their flesh is not hard. This property of the fungus must be observed when harvesting. Also, the flake does not have toxic imitators. You can not be afraid that a mushroom brought in a basket, suitable for its description, will be poisonous.
Flake is a parasite fungus. It is introduced by its roots under the bark, drawing vital juices from the plant. Over time, the tree begins to die. With the development of mycelium, it crashes more and more into the trunk. Most often, the flake chooses weak trees for growth, not able to resist its destructive effects. It is in such places that you can collect a large number of mushrooms. Since a flake of this type grows abundantly on a selected tree or stump, collecting it will not be difficult.
Taste qualities
Many mushroom pickers are interested in the question of how to cook, how to clean the ordinary flake. After all, this mushroom has a specific taste. It is attributed to conditionally edible mushrooms. According to its taste characteristics, the flake receives the 4th category.
Some mushroom pickers believe that the presented mushroom should not be eaten. However, this is not the case. It is important to properly process and assemble it. For food, only hats are used in old mushrooms. If the specimen is young, his hat has not yet opened, you can cut it together with the leg. Due to the abundant growth of mushrooms in one section of the tree, many hats can be collected in a short time. This is one of the advantages of the presented variety of flakes.
The pulp is quite tough. It has a bitter taste. To get rid of it, you need to boil the flake for about 25 minutes. After that, it can be used to make pies, pickles. It is fried, soups are boiled, etc. This mushroom is especially tasty in a marinade with spices.
Golden scale
Edible ordinary flake has several similar relatives. They have a number of characteristic features and differences. One of these species is golden flake. It corresponds in size to the examined fungus. The color of the hat is different. In a golden flake, it has a bright yellow or even orange hue. The pulp is lighter than the surface of the cap. It has a white or slightly yellowish tint.
In wet weather, the surface of the fungus becomes sticky. The leg also has a characteristic red or rusty hue. Taste quality of the presented mushroom is higher than that of ordinary flake. It begins to grow from mid-August. This is a later mushroom.
The smell and taste of golden scales resembles bitter almonds. This variety is often used in the preparation of second courses. Eat only hats. They are boiled for 15 minutes. This allows you to remove the bitterness.
Boron flake
The common flake mushroom has many similar species. Almost all of them are edible. One of the most common species is flake boron. It has a smaller hat size, which rarely exceeds 10 cm. Its average size is about 5-7 cm.
The hat has a yellow tint. It may also be orange or even brown. Young mushrooms have a hemispherical hat. Over time, it becomes flatter. The surface is quite sticky to the touch.
The leg of this mushroom also has a smaller size than the ordinary variety. It does not grow more than 9 cm. Its average size is about 7 cm. The tint of the leg is reddish or even rusty. Inside the leg of this variety of flakes is necessarily hollow.
This mushroom is most often found in pine forests. It is eaten. It will be necessary to pre-heat the mushroom. It is not dried. In this form, the mushroom is bitter. In taste, this species is inferior to the previous variety.
It is borne mushroom mushrooms that are most often confused with open-air mushrooms in the summer. These species differ in their place of growth. Also, the plates under the hat have a different color.
