Gall mushroom: description, places of growth. Difference from porcini mushrooms

Sometimes in common people or in everyday life you can hear a whole collection of names - bitter, bitter, hare mushroom, false white or false boletus - but this does not mean that friends talk about several completely different mushrooms, but vice versa.

Its official name is gall mushroom (lat. tylopilus felleus), known for its belonging to the boletaceae family. Mainly distributed in regional areas middle zone Russia and is not popular among foresters due to its dubious reputation, because even if you have numerous recipes for processing at hand, you cannot eat gall fungus.

Gall mushroom. Description of appearance

And yet, the object of our attention received the name false white for a reason. Possessing the most similar appearance, bitterberry has a massive and strong leg, the diameter of which often reaches 7 cm, and even more in length - up to 9 cm.

The base is expanded, on the outside there is a characteristic fibrous mesh layer, predominantly brown or brown in color. At the fracture sites, the color palette instantly changes, acquiring all the shades of the pink palette.

As for the cap, it is many times larger than the stem itself and takes the shape of a hemisphere, colored in a light brown color.

But with age, the gall fungus changes its shade to chestnut, and the cap becomes elongated and convex even more.

How more mushroom years, the more the hemisphere is subject to cracks and breaks, reminiscent of a pillow. Changes also affect color - the older the gall fungus, the brighter the yellow-brown hue.

A distinctive feature is also considered to be the amazing inviolability of the false boletus - not a single chip or dent. This is due to the fact that insects purposefully avoid the mushroom, not daring to taste it. Which is not recommended for humans either.

Attention! Do not forget to check the appearance with the foresters of your region, due to the wide variety of color palettes - representatives of the species may have a “headdress” of both reddish and gray shades.

Where and when does gall fungus grow?

See the collection in the forest gall mushrooms possible from August until the cold days of October, especially low temperatures significantly shorten the period until September. In most cases, the false boletus prefers exclusively coniferous soils, which are abundant among the growth of fir trees and pine trees.

Sometimes you can see a representative of the species under a birch tree, which happens extremely rarely. But the bitterbush does not like to grow in the wilderness, choosing the outskirts and clinging to the roots of trees (especially many near rotten trunks and stumps).

Most often, a single representative or a group in modest numbers is found in one place; it is not possible to see the concentration of bile copies in one sector.

It is for this reason that the gall fungus often ends up in the basket along with the others; only an experienced specialist can distinguish the substitution.

Gall mushroom. Difference between gall fungus and boletus

And the most important thing to mention is accommodation healthy mushrooms noticeably different from the preferences of bitterling; the same boletus cannot be found near a rotten tree, rhizome or stump.

The similarity between porcini and gall mushrooms is undeniable, but there are some nuances here too. For example, pay attention to color scheme“headdresses” - the cap of the porcini mushroom is dark on top and greenish-yellow on the inside, while the false white is known for its pink interior.

The leg should also be of interest to an avid forester - in the porcini mushroom it is of a distinct light shade than in the bitterling. A distinctive feature is the dullness of the mesh on the original representatives; the bitterbush cannot boast of this.

And, as mentioned earlier, gall fungus is never eaten by insects, which cannot be said about boletus or White mushroom. As can be observed, even such an exact identity has differences.

But in order to avoid mistakes in choosing, a specialist is advised to take a look at the photo of the gall fungus before going hunting. This will make it much easier to distinguish the substitution and choose useful product for future dishes.

Gall mushroom. Edible or not? Taste qualities

A representative of the species fully lives up to its name - just lick the cap of the mushroom, after which you will instantly feel bitterness, and as a result, a burning sensation.

The bitterness produced by the gall fungus is not destroyed by exposure to high temperatures, neither boiling nor frying will help - all this only increases the amount of bitter substance. Moreover, one piece of gall mushroom is enough to “infect” the entire dish.

Marinade or vinegar has a softening effect, which makes it possible not to notice bitterness in food. But it is still not recommended to use it to avoid further health problems.

Photo of gall fungus

The gall mushroom, a photo and description of which you can find on this page, is itself non-poisonous, but even prolonged heat treatment does not relieve its bitterness. Therefore, if you are worried about the question of whether the gall fungus is poisonous or not, you don’t have to worry - it is impossible to get poisoned by it. True, you won’t be able to eat this mushroom either because of its unsatisfactory taste.

It is because of the bitterness that the second name of the gall fungus is bitterness. The unpleasant taste does not prevent this gift of the forest from being hunted by various animals. For example, squirrels happily drag bitterlings into their hollows, and hares do not disdain gall fungus.

Below you will find out what the gall fungus looks like in the photo, get information about where it grows and how it is used in folk medicine.

Gall mushroom cap (Tylopilus felleus) (diameter 5-15 cm): cushion-shaped, brown, brown, yellow and chestnut in color. It feels velvety to the touch with a little fluff and is dry. After rain and in humid environments it becomes a little sticky.

Leg (height 4-13 cm): cream, ocher, brown or gray. It has a cylindrical shape, slightly inflated at the bottom. At the base there is an unexpressed mesh pattern. It may turn slightly pink or red when cut.

Look at the photo of the gall fungus: the flesh of its cap is white, and the color of the flesh of the stem changes when exposed to air. Without a pronounced odor.

Tubular layer: pinkish in color, the pores are small and round in shape.

How to distinguish gall fungus from doubles

The counterparts of the gall fungus (gorchak) are boletus and boletus. If you don’t know how to distinguish a gall mushroom from similar ones, pay attention to the stem and scales. Unlike boletus mushrooms, bitterling does not have small scales on the skin, and boletus mushrooms have a lighter color of the mesh on the stem.

Where is it growing and its application?

When it grows: from late June to mid-October in Europe and Asia.

It is quite common in the middle latitudes of our country, it is called gall fungus, but people also have another name for it - mustard.

Experienced mushroom pickers probably know what it is and what this mushroom looks like, but amateurs should be careful, because bitterling is often confused with porcini mushrooms, boletus and boletus. There are many controversial versions about whether this mushroom is dangerous. But the question of whether gall mushroom is edible can be answered unequivocally: no, since it has terrible bitterness and even a small piece of it can ruin the taste of the entire dish. Probably because of this property it was called bitter.

(gorchak): description

This mushroom can be found in any region of our country from June to October. Gall fungus can grow both in groups and singly, most often found around coniferous forests, where there are sparse trees and a lot of fallen pine needles. There is an opinion about the mustard mushroom that it is a double

And this is actually true, because in appearance it is very similar to him: a thick, strong and fleshy leg, on top it is fibrous, dark brown or brown in color. Its cap on the inside is like a sponge, covered with a dense porous layer on top. The spongy part has a pinkish tint and is very bitter in taste. The outside of the mushroom cap is covered with a thin film, it is dense and as the mushroom grows it can change its color from pale to dark brown.

How to distinguish from mustard?

What kind of mushroom is this and what it looks like, we’ve already figured it out, now let’s try to find out distinctive features bitterweed How not to confuse it with a white mushroom or boletus? Perhaps the most important difference between the gall fungus is the color of its cap on the inside. It is spongy and has pink tint. If such a mushroom is cut, the stem will quickly darken and acquire a brown color. Another one important feature What the gall fungus has is that no insects ever harm it. For beginner mushroom pickers and hobbyists, this makes mustard mushrooms very attractive.

The photos presented here confirm this. The gall mushroom is really beautiful, but you should not take it. After all, as already mentioned, even a small piece of bittersweet can ruin the entire dish.

Is it possible to get poisoned by mustard?

Scientists have differing opinions about the mustard mushroom. Russian biologists believe that it is inedible, but not. In their opinion, eating gall fungus is impossible only because of its bitter taste. Foreign scientists believe that the pulp of this mushroom contains toxic substances which have a detrimental effect on liver cells. If, after all, this fungus enters the human body, it can cause another sign of poisoning to appear in a few weeks - the release of bile. It is believed that after eating gall fungus, it is even possible to develop cirrhosis of the liver. If you come across this mushroom, consider whether you should take it and risk your health. Despite the fact that it is beautiful and looks just like a real porcini mushroom, even insects and animals are in no hurry to feast on bitterling, and probably for good reason.

Inexperienced mushroom pickers often confuse gall mushrooms with boletus mushrooms or porcini mushrooms. The result of this may be spoiled products that will acquire a disgusting bitter taste. To know how to distinguish such a mushroom from its beneficial “brothers”, it is worth getting to know it better.

The gall mushroom (Tylopilus felleus), also known as bitter or false white, belongs to the class Agaricomycetes, genus Tylopilus, family Boletaceae. The second name was given for its bitter taste and appearance, similar to white.

The size of the cap is from 4 to 10 or more centimeters, the shape of a hemisphere, which turns into a cushion shape with time of maturation. The color is brownish with shades of yellow, hazel or gray. It is slightly fluffy to the touch, and slightly sticky when wet.
The pulp is white, fibrous, and when broken it acquires a pink tint. There is no smell. Leaves a burning, bitter feeling on the tongue. It is extremely rarely affected by worms.
The tubes of newly emerged mushrooms are white, gradually acquiring a gray-pink tint, up to 2 cm long. When pressed, they turn pink or brown.
The stalk of the gall fungus can be described as cylindrical, with a thickening at the base, a maximum height of 4 to 13 cm and a girth of 1.5-4 cm. From light to dark shades of yellow, with a pink color appearing on the cut. The mesh is pronounced, coarse, dark brown in color.

Spreading

It grows in the forests of all European countries. Occurs frequently, appearing singly or in limited groups. Prefers acidic sandy and sandy-clayey soils with a large amount of fallen needles.

The bitterling mushroom forms an equally successful symbiosis with coniferous and deciduous trees, from the roots of which the gall fungus takes useful material. Most often located at the base of trunks or on rotten stumps.

It actively grows from July to September, and can occur in the second half of June and in October, depending on the weather.

Similar species and how to distinguish them from them

Gorchak has his counterparts among his useful “brothers”. In order not to “upset” the entire harvest, you need to be able to distinguish between them.

Similarities

Sometimes it grows in the same places as boletus and boletus.
The shape of the cap is similar to white.
With boletus according to its color.

Differences from edible mushrooms

The difference between the gall fungus and the white one is that the cap has a lighter, usually grayish tint, the mesh on the stalk is darker, and the tubes are pinkish in color in adulthood.
Unlike boletus, the stem of the gall mushroom does not have scales.
The mesh on the leg is darker than that of the reticulated and bronze boletus.

Special differences from all mushrooms are the bitter taste and pink tint of the flesh when cut, which quickly darkens.

Why is it not edible and is it poisonous?

One can definitely say about the gall mushroom that it is not poisonous, but it will be impossible to eat it because of the bitter taste, which after soaking, boiling and canning is not “masked” by adding seasonings and vinegar, but only worsens.

It is possible that in large doses, gall mushrooms can cause some symptoms of poisoning (dizziness, weakness, intestinal upset, which quickly disappear), but due to their bitter taste, they are rarely eaten. The best thing to do is remember false white by appearance and avoid it.

Medicinal properties

Experiments were carried out abroad, primarily in France, in which the following were identified: medicinal properties bittersweet:

stimulation of immunity;
antitumor activity;
restoration of liver cells;
antibacterial;
choleretic.

In this country, false white preparations are mainly used. They have not received wide distribution around the world.

The mushroom world is too rich and diverse to stop looking at false whites. You shouldn’t eat something that can spoil not only everyone’s taste collected mushrooms, but also health.

A fairly common bitter mushroom or gall mushroom (Tylopilus felleus) belongs to the category of inedible, which is due to the too bitter taste of the mushroom pulp. This tubular mushroom from the genus Tilopil or Tylopilus grows in coniferous and deciduous forest areas.

Description and characteristics

The gall fungus, which is also called false porcini mushroom, is found almost everywhere in the forests of the central zone of our country, therefore you need to know its description:

the cap is hemispherical, 4-10 cm in diameter, but there are also specimens with a cap up to 15 cm in diameter;
as it grows and develops, the shape of the cap changes from hemispherical to rounded-cushion-shaped or quite spread out;

the surface is dry, fine-fibrous, with slight pubescence or characteristic velvety;
With age, the surface of the cap becomes smooth, and in rainy weather may acquire slight stickiness;
as a rule, the cap has a yellowish-brown or yellowish-brownish color, but specimens with a light brownish, gray-ocher, grayish-brown, chestnut brown or dark brown cap can also be found;
mushroom pulp white, often reddening when cut, odorless, not wormy;
the taste of the pulp is characteristically bitter;

a white or pinkish tubular layer grows to the stem;
the average height of the leg can vary between 4-13 cm with a thickness of 15-30 mm;
the leg is cylindrical or club-shaped with an expansion at the bottom, fibrous type;
the surface of the leg is painted in creamy ocher or yellowish shades with a clearly visible reticular pattern of dark coloring.

In different regions of our country, mushroom pickers call Tylopilus felleus differently, but the most common name is false boletus, gall mushroom, bitter, false white or bitter. The mushroom grows solitarily, but small groups are also found. Due to their botanical features bitterweed prefers acidic soils in deciduous or coniferous forests, and can also grow on decomposed wood. Most often found in mixed forests, starting from mid-summer until the onset of significant autumn cooling.

Gorchak mushroom: description (video)

Twin mushrooms

Quite often, bitterling ends up in the basket with edible mushrooms due to its visual attractiveness and the absence of worms on the stem and cap. The gall fungus has very significant differences from edible varieties , knowing which you can be completely sure that an inedible variety will not end up in the basket:

outwardly, bitterling is very reminiscent of many “noble” mushrooms and is very similar to a porcini mushroom, which, unlike its inedible counterpart, has a thin mesh white rather than dark pattern on the stem;
Quite often, inexperienced mushroom pickers confuse the gall mushroom with boletus and boletus, but unlike them, the flesh of bitterling turns pink at the break, and there is also a pinkish tint on the lower surface of the cap.

In addition, you should pay attention to the coloring of the spore powder, which in the gall fungus has a very characteristic pink color.

Symptoms of poisoning

Definitely get it severe poisoning bitter bitterness is simply impossible, which is due to its unsatisfactory taste qualities, thanks to which no one will dare to prepare a full-fledged dish from this mushroom. Even when mixed with other types of mushrooms, mustard has a very characteristic, unpleasant, bitter taste, which makes it almost impossible to eat.

However, you should be aware that poisoning can be caused by the resinous components contained in the pulp of Tylopilus felleus, which cause severe irritation of the mucous membrane gastrointestinal tract. Even a small amount of this substance causes a strong burning sensation in the mouth.

The priority measures that should be taken in case of bitter bitter poisoning include:

lavage the stomach with salted water until the mushrooms consumed are completely released;
the use of activated carbon, Enterosgel, Polysorb, Polyphepan or Smecta.

If first aid is provided correctly and in a timely manner, then symptoms of poisoning such as diarrhea, dizziness, and stomach pain are not observed. It is also interesting that resinous substances make it possible to make some preparations from Tylopilus felleus and to use the gall fungus bitter in folk medicine as a very effective choleretic agent.