Mushroom umbrella large edible. Edible umbrella mushroom: characteristics of species and cooking options

Experienced mushroom pickers know where the umbrella mushroom grows. It is one of the most common on the planet, therefore it grows on absolutely all continents, with the exception of Antarctica.

However, the growing conditions must be suitable:

• predominantly sandy soils;
• light woods;
• temperate climate;
• grassy places.

In different regions, you can find an umbrella mushroom in various botanical atlases. Its main habitat is the northern temperate zone. In the European part, such mushrooms are found almost everywhere.

Various sources about umbrella mushrooms say that they appear in glades next to light forests, edges and clearings. They prefer open areas covered with dense grass. In this regard, it is often possible to find "umbrellas" of various sizes in park areas, in fields and even in private gardens. The season of active growth begins in June and lasts until November.

Why is the mushroom called "umbrella"?

Mushroom umbrella really resembles an umbrella. In the forest you can find huge umbrellas, which sometimes line up in "witch circles", up to 40 cm high with a hat up to 30 cm in diameter. This mushroom opens like a real umbrella: at first, the plates (“knitting needles”) are closely pressed against the leg (“umbrella handle”), then they move away from it and take a horizontal position. This similarity is striking, so few doubt the accuracy of the name. Many edible mushrooms have toxic doppelgangers. Umbrellas are no exception. Moreover, not all umbrella mushrooms are edible. Therefore, you should never forget the main rule of the mushroom picker - take only those mushrooms that you know well.

Appearance of umbrella mushroom

To understand what an umbrella mushroom looks like, let's take a closer look at this issue. There are several varieties of mushroom and they all have a different external description.

• Mushroom-umbrella reddening, another name - shaggy umbrella mushroom. This species has a large fleshy hat up to 20 cm in diameter. The color of the surface is heterogeneous: darker gray-brown in the center, whitish at the edges. On the cap are round pronounced scales. The size of the leg can reach 25 cm, it is hollow and smooth. In young mushrooms, the leg is white. If you press on the plates, you can see a change in color to red-orange.

• Mushroom-umbrella girlish. This is a rare trophy that requires careful handling. The fungus itself is distinguished by a beautiful rounded hat: frequent scales of pale walnut color give it a special appeal. It is small in size: a hat up to 10 cm, a leg about 12 cm. The plates are often free with a smooth edge. Experienced mushroom pickers claim that if you cook hats with an egg, then the description of the taste of the dish resembles chicken.

• Chestnut- poisonous parasol mushroom. It is small in size, the cap is not larger than 4 cm. In a young fungus, the cap resembles an egg in shape, subsequently it straightens out and becomes flat with a tubercle in the center. Description of scales: bright, brown-chestnut. The leg is thin, hollow, chestnut hue. Chestnut umbrellas grow in families and are common in forests. middle lane Russia. These bright little fungi are deadly poisonous.

• Umbrella motley. Such an umbrella is difficult not to notice and pass by: it is large. The cap diameter reaches 38 cm, gray-brownish fibrous scales form on a white background. The ball cap shape of a young mushroom opens into a cone with age. A dark tubercle is located in the center, and the edges are bent inward. The base is a brown leg with a ring of small scales. The pulp is friable with a specific pronounced aroma. Umbrella large in taste is close to champignons.

• Umbrella white- fairly rare edible agaric, which owes its name to its resemblance to an umbrella. Grows singly and in groups from mid-July to late September on open areas conifers or deciduous forests, as well as in pastures, meadows and along roadsides. The spherical cap of the mushroom becomes prostrate over time. Its average diameter is about 8-10 cm. The skin is finely scaly, light brown in color with a brown center. In mature mushrooms, it is gradually covered with a dense network of cracks. The spore-bearing layer consists of thin white plates that form a cartilaginous protrusion around the stem. The leg is rounded, wider at the base, hollow inside, 6–8 cm high and no more than 1 cm in diameter. The surface of the leg is covered with small scales, it is whitish at the cap, brown at the base. The leg is decorated with a characteristic two-layer movable ring white color. The pulp in the process of growth of the fungus changes its color from white to gray. In the cap it is thin and delicate, and in the stem it is fibrous and tough. White umbrella mushroom belongs to the fourth category of mushrooms. Only caps of young mushrooms are used for food, which can be subjected to all types of cooking.

• Mastoid umbrella is a fairly rare agaric fungus. It grows in the forest on the forest floor and in glades overgrown with grass, in clearings, as well as in parks, exclusively singly. The mushroom is edible. Hat 8-15 cm, first pistillate, then convex, finally open with a conical brown hump in the center. The plates are frequent, adherent, white, later cream. Leg 10–16 cm long, 2–3 cm thick, hollow, slender, with a tuberous thickening in the lower part, white, covered with small brownish scales. On the upper third of the leg there is a soft, freely moving ring. The pulp is cottony white, does not change color on the cut, with a pleasant smell and nutty taste. When exposed to air, its color does not change. There are umbrellas in July, August and September.

poisonous species

Among umbrellas there are not only edible mushrooms, but also poisonous mushrooms from the genus Lepiot, the description of which is presented below:

• Lepiota comb (comb silverfish, comb umbrella) (lat. Lepiota cristata, Agaricus cristatus)– inedible mushroom, sometimes identified as poisonous. The cap of the mushroom is from 2 to 5 cm in diameter, bell-shaped in young mushrooms and convex-prostrate in mature specimens. The color of the cap is red-brown, its surface is covered with pointed, rarely located scales of yellow-orange or ocher tone. The leg of the poisonous umbrella mushroom is thin, hollow, up to 8 cm high, up to 0.5 cm in diameter, cylindrical in shape, slightly expanded at the base. The color of the stem varies from yellowish to light cream, the ring is whitish or pinkish, very narrow and disappears fairly quickly. The pulp of the mushroom is white, fibrous, has sour taste and sharp bad smell. Poisonous comb umbrella mushroom - a typical representative northern zone with a temperate climate.
• Lepiota chestnut (chestnut umbrella) (lat. Lepiota castanea, Lepiota ignipes)- a poisonous mushroom with a hat with a diameter of 2-4 centimeters, which has a reddish-brown hue. The shape of the cap is ovoid in young umbels and prostrate in adult mushrooms. With age, the smooth skin of the cap cracks into small chestnut-colored scales. The cylindrical leg of the chestnut umbrella is slightly expanded and pubescent at the base, the pulp of the mushroom is white, fragile, with an intense unpleasant odor. The flesh of the leg has a reddish-brown hue. The ring is narrow and has a white color, disappears rather quickly. Thin and frequent plates of the fungus initially have a white color, which turns yellow over time. The poisonous chestnut umbrella mushroom grows in temperate zones, is widespread in Europe, and is often found in Western and Eastern Siberia.
• Rough lepiota (sharp-scaly umbrella) (lat. Lepiota aspera, Agaricus asper, Lepiota acutesquamosa)- inedible mushroom. The mushroom cap is fleshy, 7 to 15 cm in diameter, yellowish brown or brick in color. In young specimens, it is fleecy-felt, has the shape of an egg, becomes prostrate with age and is covered with scales of a rusty hue. The stem is 7-12 cm high and 1 to 1.5 cm in diameter, has the shape of a cylinder, at the base there is a swollen formation in the form of a tuber. The color of the legs is light yellow, with slightly noticeable stripes. The film ring is quite wide, white, with barely visible brown scales. The plates are frequent, white or yellowish. The pulp of the mushroom has a pronounced unpleasant odor, pungent and bitter in taste. Inedible scaly mushrooms grow in Europe, North America and in the northern part of the African continent. Fruiting from August to October.

Twins and similar species of umbrella mushrooms

But special attention should be paid to twins that are similar in many botanical parameters. First of all, an umbrella can be confused with an ordinary fly agaric because of the characteristic scales on the hat.

However, in the fly agaric they are formed from the bedspreads of old mushrooms, and over time they hold on weaker and disappear completely. In an umbrella mushroom, on the contrary, scales appear with age, while the central part remains dark and smooth.

In addition, there are a number of umbrella mushrooms, according to the description of which it is not recommended to eat because of an unpleasant taste or even dangerous properties:

• acutesquamosis - a purple hue and an unpleasant odor;
• masteoidea - a small cap 8-10 cm, granular scales, snow-white plates;
• fleshy-reddish mushroom, about 2-6 cm in diameter.
• lead slag chlorophyllum;
• chlorophyllum dark brown;
• fly agaric panther;
• smelly fly agaric;

Thus, it is better to collect already adult and large mushrooms, in which all the characteristic botanical signs are visible. This is especially true for brown and reddish shades. Thanks to this, you can figure out how to distinguish an umbrella mushroom from twins. Edible variegated and blushing species stand out strongly from other species.

Methods for preparing edible umbrellas

Young hats can be grilled or breaded, sometimes raw umbrella is used in salads and sandwiches. Usually hard legs, as a rule, are dried and ground into a powder, which is a seasoning with a pronounced mushroom flavor and smell. Dried legs can not be ground, but boiled whole in soups. Older mushrooms with dense pulp can be used for fermentation. Before cooking the mushroom must be cleaned of hard scales.

For umbrellas choose a large number of technologies:

• pickled;
• dried;
• salty;
• boiled.

Dishes from umbrella edible mushrooms:

• broths;
• sauces;
• second;
• salads;
• toppings for pancakes and pies.

fried

You will need the following components:

• umbrella varieties - 1 kg;
• butter -50 g, vegetable oil - 100 g;
• chicken eggs - 3 pcs.;
• flour - 5 tablespoons;
• milk - 50 ml;
• salt and pepper are added to taste.

For frying, only the upper heads are taken, they are cleaned of surface scales, washed and cut into equal parts. Mushrooms are dipped into a whipped mass of chicken eggs, fresh milk and high-quality flour. Roast, alternating different types oils. Salt and black pepper are placed on the mushroom parts on both sides. It turns out the similarity of cooking with meat in batter. The hot surface of the pan and individual parts of the caps. Fry until golden brown.

For frying, only the upper heads are taken, they are cleaned of surface scales, washed and cut into equal parts. They take large hats, up to 40 cm in diameter. For one serving, 1 head is enough.

Dish ingredients:

• colorful umbrellas - 700 g;
• chicken eggs - 2 pieces;
• bulbs - 2 pieces;
• flour - 3 tbsp. spoons;
• hard cheeses - 200 g;
• rast. oil - 100 ml.

For special taste sensations, grass is added - spices, pepper and salt. Hats are cleaned and washed. The eggs are beaten together with the flour mass, creating a homogeneous mixture, which is salted, peppered and saturated with spices. The peculiarity of the technology is that the heads are not boiled in advance, but are immediately placed on the hot surface of the pan. Roast on low heat. The onion is chopped and placed in a ready-made dish, covered with grated cheese on top. The whole mass is covered with a lid and left to stew until the cheese mass is completely melted. In plates, along with mushrooms, green leaves of grass are beautifully arranged.

Baked in the oven

You will need to take the following ingredients:

• mushroom caps - 8-10 pieces;
• chicken eggs - 3 pieces;
• breadcrumbs;
• hard cheese - 200 g.

Salt and garlic to taste. The dish is suitable as a complex side dish for potatoes or pasta. First, eggs are beaten. Each piece of mushroom is dipped into the prepared mixture, then rolled in breadcrumbs. All pieces are placed on a baking sheet and placed in the oven. The almost finished dish is taken out and covered with grated cheese, then baked again.

Benefit and harm

Speaking of useful properties considered species, it would suffice to mention their rich in fiber (5.2 g / 100 g) and amino acid composition. But more importantly, the amount of potassium contained in umbel mushrooms by 16% satisfies daily requirement in this element, and there are even more B vitamins in them than in some cereals and vegetables. For those who are overweight, it is useful to include umbrella mushrooms in the diet due to their low calorie content, low hypoglycemic index.

Apart from nutritional value they have therapeutic properties: they are used to make extracts and infusions for the treatment of rheumatism, gout, purulent wounds and even tumor formations.

The use of umbrella mushrooms should be limited in cases of pancreatitis, and they are not recommended at all for nursing mothers and children under 5 years of age.

Compliance with the rules for collecting and cooking umbrella mushrooms, moderate consumption, taking into account the individual state of the body, will ensure the presence of a tasty and very healthy product in the diet.

Cultivation of umbrella mushroom

The motley umbrella mushroom belongs to the champignon family, that is, it is a close relative of the garden champignon - the same one that accounts for 80% of the world's crop of artificially grown mushrooms. However, despite such eminent relatives, the umbrella mushroom itself has not yet been “domesticated”. Although attempts to grow it artificially are ongoing, an economically sound technology has not yet been found.

Despite the stubborn desire of the umbrella to remain a wild mushroom, it is still possible to breed it for personal purposes. Of course, we are not talking about guaranteed high yields here, but for family table it is still possible to grow a bucket or two of these mushrooms. The main thing is to carefully study the photo of the variegated edible and poisonous twins umbrella mushroom, so as not to accidentally start breeding fly agarics.

Growing an umbrella mushroom in the garden

If you suddenly do not know, we are glad to enlighten you that mushrooms reproduce in two ways:

1. Through mushroom. This is a kind of rhizome or underground part of the fungus colony, from which the above-ground part grows, called the fungus proper.
2. Disputes. Something like seeds (only much smaller) that ripen in a mushroom cap.

Since the cultivation of umbrellas is still the lot of individual and very few amateur gardeners, you will not be able to buy mycelium anywhere. The only way to get it is to dig in the forest yourself. However, the likelihood that after transplantation it will take root in a new place is extremely small.

Buy disputes also will not work. But you can get them yourself - in the forest. To do this, you need to find an old flabby umbrella mushroom, bring it home and sow it on the site. Sowing is carried out as follows: a mushroom cap is pricked on a tree branch or hung in some other way (even on a rope) over the area where it is planned to grow mushrooms. In a suspended state, the mushroom dries out, and the spores inside the cap ripen and eventually spill out onto the ground, sowing the area.

To ensure at least a minimal chance that the umbrella mushroom will take root on the site, the bed should be prepared accordingly. The umbrella loves calcium-rich soils, so it is worth fertilizing the bed with calcium carbonate. By the way, as mentioned above, the umbrella is related to champignons, and their cultivation is now on stream, which is manifested, among other things, by the abundance of ready-made concentrates for the soil on the market. These concentrates are also suitable for the umbrella mushroom.

Growing an umbrella mushroom in the forest

And yet, the motley umbrella mushroom remains a very fastidious mushroom, and therefore its successful breeding in the backyard will be more of a rare success than a natural result. Practice shows that cultivation attempts will be more successful if this is done in the territory of natural growth of mushrooms, that is, in the forest.

In this case, you don't have to put in much effort. We just take and hang the old worm hats right above the place where we cut them. So we imitate the natural reproduction of coffins as much as possible, but only expand the area of ​​sowing. If in vivo mushrooms pour out all the spores under themselves, which is why only some of them can sprout, then by spraying them within a radius of several meters, you can reduce competition between spores, increasing the total number of seedlings.

As you can see, it is not necessary to make any special efforts to grow mushrooms in the forest. Simply, while we are harvesting young umbrellas, we prick old mushrooms along the way onto the nearest branch. Cash costs are zero. Time spent - 5-10 seconds per hat. You will be surprised, but doing this every year during the harvest of mushrooms, you can significantly (several times) increase the yield of the forest.

Umbrella mushrooms have their own Latin name. The initial part of the word - macro - is translated as large. The second means - a variety or genus of plants. In general - macrolepiota. The umbrella was named because of the similarity of the shape of the dome, the head of the mushroom.

Umbrellas stand on thin long legs with a large hat, shaped like a dome of a rain device. Groups are divided into edible and poisonous. Separate subgroups are allocated in a special variety - delicacy. The diameter of the cap can reach up to 35 cm, the leg grows up to 40 cm. The shape of the head is similar to half an egg. Small umbrellas have a special proximity to the dome of half an egg. The main characteristics of the appearance:

• The skin color of the dome is white;
• On the dome there are growths of various ornate non-geometric shapes;
• The tone of the growths is pale brown;
• The head gradually cracks, dividing into raised scales;
• the base can be flat and straight or somewhat curved;
• The leg cavity is empty;
• Under the dome on the leg is a fringe resembling a skirt;
• The fringe ring is easy to move.
• The bottom of the head - parallel plates.
• The color of the plates is perfectly white.

The fungus can be found almost all over the world. Being saprophytes, umbrellas grow on any type of soil and various parts of the forest belt. Mushrooms are well cultivated, so they can be grown near the house, in household plots or special greenhouse buildings.

The umbrella was named because of the similarity of the shape of the dome, the head of the mushroom

Edible mushroom umbrellas

Mushroom-umbrella white (field)

The field variety is common in certain areas:

• steppe areas;
• coniferous and mixed forests;
• clearings of forest roads;
• animal pastures and pastures;
• glades.

You can find field umbrellas from the beginning of summer to the end of October. The field species has a thick, fleshy main part, up to 12 cm in diameter. At first, the cap has elongated circles, then it becomes lower and flatter. A dark mound appears in the center of the dome. On the edge - white fibers, formations in the form of flakes. On the cut, the color of the cap pulp does not change. It rises up to 12 cm, the dome is dense - up to 1.2 cm. The white, smooth and hollow leg stands firmly. If you touch it, the surface begins to turn yellow or acquires a brown tint. The plates change with age: first - white, then - cream, at the end - brown. Umbrella pulp with a pleasant aroma and tart taste.

Gallery: umbrella mushroom (25 photos)

Properties of umbrella mushrooms (video)

Due to the peculiarities of taste, the field view is a component of the gourmet cuisine of China. In addition, the white species grows in other countries:

• Europe;
• Iran;
• Turkey;
• Siberia;
• Far East;
• America;
• Africa.

Experienced foresters warn of a similar description to the toadstool: stinky fly agaric. The forest guest, deadly for humans, has a bag-like coating that goes into the ground. The hat is slimy and strewn with film flakes.

Mushroom-umbrella white (field)

Mushroom umbrella graceful (thin)

The species is included in the edible variety and grows in open glades of low grass in forests, field and meadow areas. Collected from August to October. The appearance and name are synonymous - a thin curved leg and an elegant head. The shape of the dome is similar to a field bell, gradually expanding during growth and becoming almost flat. Scaly formations on the dome of an icteric shade. Circumference up to 15 cm. The fringe skirt is white and fluffy. Scales fill not only the hat, but also the leg. Gradually, the yellow tone changes, darkens to brown. The pulp during cooking is pleasant, with a special unique aroma. The color of the mushroom pulp is bright white.

Mushroom umbrella graceful (thin)

Konrad's parasol mushroom

Prefers to grow in forested areas. meaty head in young age more rounded and ovoid, then straightens, in the center there is a protruding tubercle, similar to a baby's nipple. The skin is white or gray-dirty, in the center it can be pink or black-brown. The skin does not reach the edges of the cap. The pulp does not change color after cutting the mushroom. The leg rises to 15 cm. It has a brown color, brown scales. The skirt can be moved. It is light on top and brown on the bottom. The plates are white and cream in color. Umbrellas are found in European and Asian countries.

Konrad's parasol mushroom

Mushroom-umbrella reddening (shaggy)

The edible species prefers soils rich in humus. The name was given because of the change in the color of the dome. Shaggy hat becomes gradually reddish. The edges of the cap are tucked inward, gradually they straighten and crack. The skin is covered with scales and takes on a shaggy appearance. The taste is pleasant and bright mushroom aroma.

Mushroom-umbrella reddening (shaggy)

Mushroom-umbrella girlish

A kind of reddening umbrella. The species is very rare and protected. The shape of the hat has a fringe along the edges. The surface is light and white. Scales are fibrous. The smell is similar to radish. Height up to 12-16 cm. The plates are free white or pink.

How and when to pick mushrooms umbrellas (video)

Inedible and poisonous umbrella mushrooms

False mushrooms are similar to edible species in appearance. Doubles with poisonous properties are dangerous and bring death and serious complications to a person.

Fly agaric smelly

Other name - . The fungus is highly toxic, if ingested leads to death or serious poisoning. All components differ in shades: gray, dirty. Hat - the hemispheres becomes convex, the color changes from white to pale pink or gray. The ring on the stem is membranous, quickly disappears, leaving fragments of fibers.

Fly agaric smelly

Fly agaric panther (gray)

The poison dome hat is hemispherical in shape, which flattens with age. In addition, it is gradually torn to pieces. The mushroom is poisonous and dangerous to humans. Even a small amount, getting into food, leads to death. The leg lacks a velvety ring. The head is lamellar and white, sometimes brown spots are clearly expressed on it. The pulp is unpleasant in aroma, it tastes sweet. When cut, the flesh remains white.

Fly agaric panther (gray)

Chlorophyllum dark brown

The dangerous look is like umbrella mushrooms. The hat has the same scaly plates. The color of the dome is close to edible - gray-brown. The shape of the head is also similar. The leg is denser and thicker, towards the ground it begins to thicken and form a tuber. Mushrooms have hallucinogenic properties. Its toxicity has not been fully studied, so the effect on humans is very dangerous and should be avoided.

Chlorophyllum dark brown

Chlorophyllum lead slag

The shape of the cap makes the mushroom look like umbrellas at a young age. White ovoid heads. The legs are thin and smooth, in the upper part under the head there is a skirt. The flesh changes from cutting, becomes reddish. The pulp has no taste or smell. False umbrella changes color when pressed turns yellow or brown.

Chlorophyllum lead slag

Methods for preparing edible umbrellas

Umbrella mushrooms have excellent taste characteristics. Only young specimens are collected for cooking. Start cooking with heat treatment. For umbrellas choose a large number of technologies:

• pickled;
• dried;
• salty;
• boiled.

Dishes from umbrella edible mushrooms:

• broths;
• sauces;
• second;
• salads;
• toppings for pancakes and pies.

Only young specimens are harvested for cooking

fried

You will need the following components:

• umbrella varieties - 1 kg;
• butter -50 g, vegetable oil - 100 g;
• chicken eggs - 3 pcs.;
• flour - 5 tablespoons;
• milk - 50 ml.

Salt and pepper are added to taste.

For frying, only the upper heads are taken, they are cleaned of surface scales, washed and cut into equal parts. Mushrooms are dipped in a whipped mass of chicken eggs, fresh milk and high-quality flour. Fry, alternating different types of oils. Salt and black pepper are placed on the mushroom parts on both sides. It turns out the similarity of cooking with meat in batter. The hot surface of the pan and individual parts of the caps. Fry until golden brown.

For frying, only the upper heads are taken, they are cleaned of surface scales, washed and cut into equal parts.

Umbrella motley

They take large hats, up to 40 cm in diameter. For one serving, 1 head is enough. Dish ingredients:

• colorful umbrellas - 700 g;
• chicken eggs - 2 pieces;
• bulbs - 2 pieces;
• flour - 3 tbsp. spoons;
• hard cheeses - 200 g;
• rast. oil - 100 ml.

For special taste sensations, grass is added - spices, pepper and salt. Hats are cleaned and washed. The eggs are beaten together with the flour mass, creating a homogeneous mixture, which is salted, peppered and saturated with spices. The peculiarity of the technology is that the heads are not boiled in advance, but are immediately placed on the hot surface of the pan. Roast on low heat. The onion is chopped and placed in a ready-made dish, covered with grated cheese on top. The whole mass is covered with a lid and left to stew until the cheese mass is completely melted. In plates, along with mushrooms, green leaves of grass are beautifully arranged.

Umbrella mushrooms belong to the Champignon family and owe their name to the original appearance. Indeed, these edible mushrooms resemble umbrellas opened during the rain. These gifts of the forest have a delicious taste, which is why they are extremely appreciated by lovers of "quiet hunting".

On this page, you can learn what umbrella mushrooms look like, where they grow, and how to distinguish umbrella mushrooms from other mushrooms. You can also get acquainted with the photo and description of umbrella mushrooms of various types (white, variegated and blushing).

White parasol mushroom cap (Macrolepiota excoriata) (diameter 7-13 cm): usually grey-white, fleshy, with loose scales, may be cream or light brown. In young mushrooms, it has the shape of an egg, with time it becomes almost flat, with a distinct brown tubercle in the center.

Pay attention to the photo of the porcini umbrella mushroom: the edges of his cap are covered with whitish fibers.

Leg (height 5-14 cm): hollow, has the shape of a cylinder. Usually slightly curved, white, darker below the ring. It turns visibly brown on touch.

Records: white, very frequent and loose. In an old fungus, they become brown or with a brown tint.

Pulp: white, with a pleasant intolerant smell. When interacting with air, the color on the cut does not change.

The parasol mushroom looks like a variegated species (Macrolepiota procera), but it is much larger. Also, the white variety resembles the mastoid umbrella (Macrolepiota mastoidea), Konrad's umbrella mushroom (Macrolepiota konradii), as well as the inedible poisonous lepiota (Lepiota helveola). The Conrad species has a skin that does not completely cover the hat, the mastoid umbrella has a pointed hat, and the poisonous lepiot is not only much smaller, but also with flesh turning pink at the site of the break or cut.

When growing: from mid-June to early October in almost all countries of the Eurasian continent, as well as in North America, North Africa and Australia.

Where can I find: on relatively free areas of all types of forests - clearings, edges, pastures and meadows.

Eating: usually combined with fish or meat dishes. In adult mushrooms, you need to take only caps, the legs are most often hollow or fibrous. Very tasty mushroom, especially popular in traditional Chinese cuisine.

as a remedy for rheumatism.

Other names: parasol mushroom field.

Edible umbrella mushroom blushing and his photo

Red umbrella mushroom cap (Chlorophyllum rhacodes) (diameter 7-22 cm): beige, gray or light brown, with fibrous scales. In young mushrooms, it has the shape of a small chicken egg, which then slowly expands to a bell-shaped, and then becomes almost flat, as a rule, with tucked edges.

Leg (height 6-26 cm): very smooth, light brown or white, darkens with age.

In the photo of the umbrella mushroom of this variety, it is clearly visible that the hollow, cylindrical leg tapers from the bottom up. Easily separated from the hat.

Records: usually white or cream. When pressed, they acquire an orange, pink or reddish hue.

Pulp: fibrous and brittle, white.

If you look closely at the photo of the blushing umbrella mushroom, then you can see red-brown stains on its cut. This is especially noticeable in the pulp of the leg. It has a pleasant taste and aroma.

Doubles: umbrella mushrooms maiden (Leucoagaricus nympharum), graceful (Macrolepiota gracilenta) and variegated (Macrolepiota procera). Hat girl's umbrella lighter, and the color of its pulp practically does not change at the site of a break or cut. The graceful umbrella mushroom is smaller, the flesh also does not change color. The variegated umbel is larger than the blushing umbel and does not change the color of the flesh when exposed to air. Also, the reddening umbrella mushroom resembles the poisonous Chlorophyllum brunneum and (Chlorophyllum molybdites). But the first chlorophyllum can be distinguished from the reddening umbrella mushroom by the more brown color of the cap and stem, also by the large scales on the cap, and the lead slag grows only in North America.

When growing: from mid-June to early November in European and Asian countries as well as in North America and North Africa.

Where can I find: prefers fertile and humus-rich soils of deciduous forests. Found in meadows clearings or in city parks and squares.

Eating: in almost any form, only it is necessary to clean the mushroom from hard scales.

Application in traditional medicine: does not apply.

Important! According to scientists, the blushing parasol mushroom can cause severe allergic reactions, so allergy sufferers should be careful when using it.

Other names: shaggy umbrella mushroom.

Motley umbrella mushroom: photo and description

Hat of a motley parasol mushroom (Macrolepiota procera) (diameter 15-38 cm): fibrous, gray or beige, with dark brown scales. In young mushrooms, it has the shape of a ball or a large chicken egg, then it opens to a cone, then it becomes like an umbrella.

As can be seen in the photo of the variegated umbrella mushroom, the edges of its cap are usually bent towards the inside, and in the center there is a dark round tubercle.

Leg (height 10-35 cm): uniform brown. Often with rings of scales, with a ring or the remains of a bedspread on a leg. Hollow and fibrous, cylindrical and easily separated from the cap. At the very base, a rounded thickening is noticeable.

Records: frequent and free, white or light gray. Easily separated from the hat.

Pulp: loose and white. It has a weak but pleasant mushroom aroma, tastes like Walnut or mushrooms.

According to the description, the variegated umbrella mushroom is similar to poisonous chlorophyllums - lead slag (Chlorophyllum molybdites) and Chlorophyllum brunneum. Lead-slag is much smaller than the variegated umbrella mushroom and is found only in North America, and the flesh of Chlorophyllum brunneum changes color when cut or broken. Also, the variegated umbrella mushroom can be confused with the edible elegant umbrella (Macrolepiota gracilenta) and blushing (Chlorophyllum rhacodes). But the graceful one is much smaller, and the blushing one is not only smaller, but also changes the color of the pulp.

When growing: from mid-June to early November in the countries of the Eurasian continent with a temperate climate, as well as in the North and South America, Australia, in Cuba and Sri Lanka.

Where can I find: on sandy soils and open spaces, not only in forest meadows or edges, but also in city parks and squares.

Eating: after preliminary cleaning from scales, the hats can be used in cooking in almost any form, including cheese. The legs are hard, so they are not eaten. To taste, a motley umbrella resembles champignons. Especially appreciated by French gourmets, who recommend frying it in oil with herbs. The only drawback is that this mushroom is very fried. In Italy, the motley umbrella is called mazza di tamburo ("drumsticks").

Use in traditional medicine (data are not confirmed and have not been clinically tested!): in the form of a decoction as a remedy for the treatment of rheumatism.

Other names: large umbrella mushroom, tall umbrella mushroom, "drum sticks".

Edible umbrella mushroom, according to many experienced mushroom pickers, is one of the most delicious and healthy representatives of the mushroom kingdom. Umbrellas belong to the Champignon family. Unfortunately, they are not very popular in our country, due to their similarity with some types of deadly poisonous mushrooms.

Botanical description

AT forest areas quite often there are huge representatives of this species, resembling giant umbrellas, lined up in a characteristic "witch's circle".

These reach a height of 0.35-0.45 m, and the diameter of the cap reaches 0.25-0.35 m. In young specimens, the plates are closely pressed against the stem, with age they turn into a horizontal arrangement. There are many types of umbrellas, the main ones are presented in the table.

Photo gallery

Most edible mushrooms growing in our country have poisonous counterparts, and the umbrella species is no exception in this regard. False or inedible umbrella mushroom is represented by two main varieties:

• lead slag chlorophyllum (Chlorophyllum molybdites);
• dark brown chlorophyllum (Chlorophyllum brunneum).

Both species, due to the soil and climatic features of our country, are not widely distributed in Russia and are found mainly in America, Eurasia, Australia and Africa.

Umbrella mushroom: collection features (video)

Many inexperienced mushroom pickers confuse Macrolepiota with fly agaric . However, these two species are easily distinguished by the following features:

• the presence of a three-layer ring on the Macrolepiota stem, which can be easily shifted both up and down;
• umbrellas completely lack the remains of a bedspread on the leg;
• Amanitas have a smooth and shiny cap, while Macrolepiota is characterized by a matte surface.

Edible umbrellas are characterized by pronounced cracking of the skin, but in the central part it always remains intact.

Distribution area

Umbrella belongs to the category of saprotrophs and prefers sandy soils in light forests. Quite often found in clearings and forest edges, and also feels good in forest clearings or clearings. In some years it can be found in open areas, in recent times becomes a frequent visitor to the territory of forest parks and household plots. It grows best in temperate climates.

Fruiting occurs from early summer to mid-autumn. The lamellar mushroom grows singly or in small groups. The species is prone to the formation of "witch circles".

Cooking methods

Preparing dishes from Macrolepiota is very simple. These mushrooms are suitable for making soups, very tasty and nutritious main courses, cold appetizers.

Even novice housewives can cook aromatic soup from umbrellas:

• rinse and soak the mushrooms for a couple of hours in cold and salted water;
• rinse the mushrooms again and cut into medium-sized pieces;
• cut onions and potatoes;
• grate peeled carrots on a coarse grater;
• sauté onions and carrots in vegetable oil until tender;
• pour mushrooms with water, bring to a boil and cook for 20-25 minutes;
• add potatoes to the soup, and after 15 minutes add sauté and spices and cook until tender.

Mushroom soup should be served with fresh herbs and fresh sour cream.

Baked umbrellas, which are prepared according to the following recipe, have a unique mushroom aroma and delicate taste:

• carefully clean and rinse the mushrooms, remove the legs completely;
• beat eggs with salt and chopped garlic in a blender;
• Dip mushroom caps in egg mixture and roll in breadcrumbs.

Received mushroom blanks you can bake in the oven or fry in a hot pan until golden brown. You can use such a dish not only hot, but also cold.

Girlish umbrella in the photo
Hat 8-12 cm thick in the photo

Umbrella girlish (Macrolepiota puellaris) is an edible mushroom.

Cap 8-12 cm, thick fleshy, thinner at the edges, ovoid, spherical, later convex-prostrate, with a low tubercle, umbellate, white, pale brownish tubercle, glabrous, the rest of the surface is covered with fibrous white triangular scales with a lagging tip, with a thin fringed edge. The entire surface of the cap is covered with very large lagging beige or white, later walnut, scales.

The plates are initially white with pink tint, then darken, turn brown when touched. The plates are free, easily separated from the cap, wide, white, light pink. Leg 5-10 cm long, 1-2 cm thick, with a tuberous thickening, fibrous white in the lower part, later dirty brown. In the upper third of the leg there is a white soft, freely moving ring. The flesh is cottony, white, slightly reddening in the cut, at the base of the leg with the smell of radish, without much taste. Spore powder whitish, whitish-cream. The leg can be pulled out of the hat.

This edible parasol mushroom grows near barnyards, in coniferous and deciduous forests.

Requires boiling for 15 minutes. Young umbrella caps are suitable for making soup or for boiling. Large open caps can be fried whole in a pan.

Umbrella blushing in the photo

Umbrella blushing, or shaggy(Macrolepiota rhacodes) is an agaric fungus. Another name is a shaggy umbrella. It grows in small groups from the beginning of July until the first frosts, giving consistently high yields every year. It chooses mixed and coniferous forests as habitats, especially young spruce forests, as well as garden and greenhouse soils rich in nutrients and areas in the vicinity of anthills.

In addition, he loves the company of gray and purple. It grows in large numbers on abandoned cattle pens, sometimes on the edges of forests, along rivers and roads. In deciduous, mixed, coniferous forests, prefers woodlands. Often forms "witch circles".

The mushroom is edible. Hat 10-18 cm, at first pistillate in young mushrooms bell-shaped, later hemispherical, in mature mushrooms umbellate, grayish-brown or grayish-yellow-ocher, with a smoothed tubercle of a darker color.

As can be seen in the photo, in an umbrella mushroom of this species, the entire surface of the cap is covered with large lagging fibrous brown scales, except for the smooth brown middle:

The plates are white, free, with age and when damaged, they turn reddish-brown.

Leg 10-20 cm long, 2-3 cm thick, with a significant tuberous thickening, fibrous white or reddish-brown in the lower part. In the upper third of the stem there is a white or reddish soft, freely moving ring.

The pulp is loose, white, tender, when cut, it first turns yellow, then turns orange and finally turns brown. The taste and smell are pleasant.

There are umbrellas in July, August and September.

The danger is represented by inedible and poisonous mushrooms similar to an umbrella from the genus Lepiota (Lepiota). They have small size open hat - only 2-5 cm.

Young umbrella caps are suitable for soup or for boiling. Large open caps are fried whole in a pan.

Season. July - October.

Umbrella Motley in the photo

According to the description, it is similar to the variegated umbrella mushroom (M. procera), the flesh of which does not turn red;

with white umbrella mushroom (M. excoriata), growing outside the forest;

with Lepiota puellaris, sometimes considered a subspecies of the blushing umbrella, having almost white hat and often curving at the base of the leg.

All of these species are edible.

May be confused with the considered poisonous form of the blushing umbrella (M. rhacodes var. hortensis), which is distinguished by a shorter and thicker stem, the poisonousness of which is probably exaggerated.

This species grows outside the forest, often on compost heaps, on fertilized soil. The authors used these mushrooms after mandatory boiling without harmful effects. Probably, some people have an individual intolerance to this form of umbrella.

It is necessary to be afraid of accidentally getting poisonous lepiota (L. helveola, syn .: L. brunneo-incarnuta) into the basket, autumn mushroom, characterized by small size, red scales and a fragile ring, but this mushroom is extremely rare.

Use. Less tasty than the motley umbrella mushroom, although it has good nutritional qualities and is used boiled, fried, dried, as fillings. Young mushrooms, when the caps are not yet covered with scales, can be pickled. Only the caps are edible. It is better not to collect old fibrous caps, because they are difficult to digest. In extreme cases, they can be dried and ground into powder.

Here you can see photos of umbrella mushrooms, the description of which is given on this page:

The cap of the Motley umbrella is 12-25 cm in diameter, in young mushrooms it is ovoid-rounded, then bell-shaped, and in mature mushrooms it is prostrate, like an umbrella (hence the name of the mushroom), in the center with a tubercle, whitish, grayish or gray-brown, in darker in the middle, with large, soft brown-brown scales, easily separated from the skin.

Umbrella motley, or large (Macrolepiota procera) grows near stockyards, in coniferous and deciduous forests, on sandy and calcareous soils in sparse forests and shrubs, on forest edges, clearings, clearings, along roads, in gardens and parks, sometimes forms "witch rings".

The mushroom is edible.

Pay attention to the photo - in this edible umbrella mushroom, the entire surface of the cap is covered with large lagging brown scales:

The plates are white or beige, free, separated from the stem by a collar, slightly reddening with age, frequent, wide, with a smooth edge. Leg 12-40 cm long, 2-3 cm thick, with a tuberous thickening, fibrous in the lower part, white or beige, below the ring with transverse brown stripes like "snakeskin". In the upper third of the leg there is a soft, freely moving ring. The pulp is wadded, white, friable, thick, does not change at a break, without a special smell, with a pleasant taste.

The leg can be pulled out of the hat.

A little-known edible mushroom of the fourth category. It is used at a young age, while the cap retains an ovoid shape. It can be boiled, fried and dried to make mushroom powder.

There are umbrellas in July, August and September.

Mastoid umbrella (Macrolepiota mastoidea) in the photo
the surface of the cap is covered with large brown scales like "snake skin".

Mastoid umbrella (macrolepiota mastoidea) is a fairly rare agaric fungus. It grows in the forest on the forest floor and in glades overgrown with grass, in clearings, as well as in parks, exclusively singly.

The mushroom is edible. Hat 8-15 cm, first pistillate, then convex, finally open with a conical brown hump in the center. The plates are frequent, adherent, white, later cream. Leg 10-16 cm long, 2-3 cm thick, hollow, slender, with a tuberous thickening in the lower part, white, covered with small brownish scales. On the upper third of the leg there is a soft, freely moving ring. The pulp is cottony white, does not change color on the cut, with a pleasant smell and nutty taste. When exposed to air, its color does not change.

Umbrella mushroom belongs to the fourth category of mushrooms.Only caps of young mushrooms are used for food, which can be boiled or fried.

There are umbrellas in July, August and September.

The danger is represented by inedible and poisonous mushrooms similar to an umbrella from the genus Lepiota (Lepiota). They have a small open cap size - only 2-5 cm.

Umbrellas white and amyant

Mushroom Umbrella white in the photo
The stem is rounded, wider at the base,

Umbrella white- a rather rare edible agaric mushroom, which owes its name to its resemblance to an umbrella. It grows singly and in groups from mid-July to late September in open areas of coniferous or deciduous forests, as well as in pastures, meadows and along roadsides.

The spherical cap of the mushroom becomes prostrate over time. Its average diameter is about 8-10 cm. The skin is finely scaly, light brown in color with a brown center. In mature mushrooms, it is gradually covered with a dense network of cracks. The spore-bearing layer consists of thin white plates that form a cartilaginous protrusion around the stem. The leg is rounded, wider at the base, hollow inside, 6–8 cm high and no more than 1 cm in diameter. The surface of the leg is covered with small scales, it is whitish at the cap, brown at the base. The leg is decorated with a characteristic two-layer movable white ring. The pulp in the process of growth of the fungus changes its color from white to gray. In the cap it is thin and delicate, and in the stem it is fibrous and tough.

White umbrella mushroom belongs to the fourth category of mushrooms. Only caps of young mushrooms are used for food, which can be subjected to all types of cooking.

similarity. Similar to other edible umbrellas. Unlike poisonous fly agaric, the leg of the umbrella is not located in the vagina. They differ from champignons in white plates.

It is dangerous to confuse with the poisonous lepiota (Lepiota helveola, syn.: L. brunneo-incarnuta), which has a gray-red hat with concentric scales, slightly pinkish flesh and much smaller size.

Amyant umbrella in the photo
Cystoderma amianthinum in the photo

Amianth umbrella(cystoderma spinous, Cystoderma amianthinum) has a cap with a diameter of 2-5 cm, thin-fleshy, at first semicircular, later flat, with a wide blunt tubercle in the center, dry, granular-mealy with a fleecy edge, ocher-yellow or ocher-brown, sometimes yellow. Plates adhering to the stem, frequent, narrow, thin. In addition to the plates, there are plates, whitish, then yellowish. The leg is solid, later hollow with a ring (which quickly disappears) in the upper part, like a raised collar, above which it is granular-powdery, and below it is scaly-granular. The flesh is whitish-yellowish with a slight indefinite odor. Grows on forest floor, coniferous litter, in moss and grass, sometimes in meadows with acidic soils, in groups from June to November. Occurs infrequently.

Cooking. It is considered a little-known edible mushroom. It is used for food after preliminary boiling.

This video shows umbrella mushrooms in natural environment a habitat: