Coral blackberry is a conditionally edible fungus and belongs to the third category. Macromycete is listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation. Its other name is gericium coral. This is a unique and very beautiful mushroom. Sometimes it parasitizes on trees. As you know, the name of mushrooms is most often chosen for a reason. In appearance, this macromycete is very similar to underwater coral or sea urchin. This mushroom is eaten boiled, stewed, fried, salted and pickled.
Description
Coral-shaped blackberries at a young age really look a lot like fragile snow-white coral. As it reaches maturity, it becomes creamy, and then dirty yellow. Its fruiting body has an irregular shape. It is bushy, branched, in diameter reaches 5-30 cm, in height - up to 30 cm. Coral-shaped blackberry has a fibrous, elastic, fleshy, white, slightly pinkish flesh with a pleasant mushroom aroma. When dried, it acquires an ocher color. From the touch, the flesh turns red, and later becomes hard.
The spores of the fungus are colorless or white, small, spherical, smooth. Repeatedly branched rounded hollow shoots are connected at the bottom into a short pseudopod (diameter - 1 cm). Over the entire length, they are covered with cylindrical spikes (0.5-1.5 cm), which are lowered downwards, which are responsible for the formation of spores. The mycelium of this macromycete is perennial, and the fruiting body is annual. It should be remembered that coral-shaped blackberries are edible only at a young age. A photo of this macromycete can be seen in this article. In its appearance, it resembles another edible mushroom, which is called Hericium alpine. It grows on fir.
Habitat
Coral-shaped blackberries grow in small clusters or singly on dead hardwood, stumps or woody substrates. An amazing picture is represented by rows of whitish or dirty yellow fruit bodies hanging from trees. You can not meet this mushroom often. It is widespread in the northern part of the temperate zone. On the territory of the Russian Federation, the fungus is found almost everywhere. Blackberry coral grows mainly on birches. Less often it can be found on lindens, alders, aspen, oaks. Occasionally found in coniferous forests. The fungus is an optional parasite and often grows in the hollows of living trees. It can be collected in July-September, and in regions with a mild and warm climate even in the winter-spring period. The reasons for the small number of this macromycete are not fully understood.
Blackberry coral: useful properties
In China, this macromycete is actively used for the prevention and treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, nervous and respiratory systems, as well as to increase immunity. Eating this mushroom stimulates blood formation and tones the body. It is used for the preparation of certain tinctures of various tinctures. If all conditions and proportions are observed, then you can get an effective medicine from this fungus. Infusions of a coral-shaped hedgehog were used by healers to remove people from protracted depressive states.
