Little-known plate mushroom cap

The mushroom got its name for a kind of bulging bonnet. This species belongs to the Pautinnikov family. This fungus has other names: forest mushroom, chicken, turk, white sand. Its appearance is deceptive, at first glance it is difficult to determine whether it is edible or poisonous.

Fungus cap capulate (Rozites caperatus) grows in mossy pine forests, sometimes in mixed, much less often in oak groves and blueberries. It occurs in Europe, Russia, Belarus. In the northern regions of Russia it can be found under dwarf birches. Favorite places - on acid humid soils, often live in the mountains, at an altitude of up to 2000 meters. Fruiting season: from the middle of July to the end of September. Bright and very noticeable mushrooms always cause mistrust, for this reason mushroom pickers do not collect Rozites caperatus, taking it for poisonous.

Fungus cap has a dome-shaped hat yellow-ocher color. Over time, it grows quite large, up to 10-12 cm in diameter, while not losing its correct outlines. Initially, the hat is completely closed, resembling a onion, spreads as it grows, but it is never flat. In hot dry weather, the edges crack, the bonnet becomes "torn" with multiple cracks and wrinkles. The pulp is dirty yellow, dense, fleshy, with a weak mushroom flavor. The surface is dry, covered with small scales, similar to mealy plaque. In dry weather, noticeable wrinkles form on the bonnet. Fruit bodies grow both in groups and singly.

The young mushroom cap has a fused cap with a leg, which, as it grows, breaks off, leaving a torn yellowish noticeable ring on the leg. Because of this, his rings are often confused with poisonous mushrooms, including a pale toadstool. In addition, a tall leg, up to 12 cm in length, makes this fungus externally similar to fly agaric. But there are a number of differences that give an edible and very tasty mushroom cap.

His plates are white at first, then they turn brown, they darken at pressing, and in the pale toadstool they are always white. A powdery plaque on the bonnet, which is characteristic of the ringed cap, is absent in both the toadstool and the fly agaric. By the color of the plates it is possible to determine the age of the fruit body, the yellowish hue indicates that the fungus is aging. In addition, the cap quickly hardens the leg. It has a dense surface, and inside a small cavity. Hard legs are usually cut off so as not to spoil the taste of the cooked dish.

Various sources claim that mushrooms caps (photo on the right and above) are suitable for frying, pickles, marinades and cooking soups. However, one should be careful with old overgrown mushrooms, hard old legs should be mercilessly discarded. Due to the fact that the mushroom cap is little known among mushroom pickers, it is not so difficult to find it in the forest. In Russia, it is not very popular due to its dubious appearance. But in European countries it is considered a delicacy, especially in the price of young strong mushrooms, which they gladly consume in stew and fried form. Unlike other cobweb cobwebs, the annulate has a pleasant, light aroma.