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The mixed forest contains a wide variety of mushrooms, both edible and inedible. The last category includes a copy with an interesting name - Juno's hymnopile, which is also called a prominent hymnopile. This species is a representative of the Hymenogastric family, the Gymnopil genus. It is quite widespread on the territory of Russia, and therefore is well known to experienced mushroom pickers.
What the hymnopil of Juno looks like
It is believed that this species destroys wood by settling on dead or living trees, as well as rotten or shrinking stumps.
The fruiting body of Juno's hymnopil is presented in the form of a stem and a cap with the following characteristics:
- At the initial stage of maturation, the cap has a hemispherical shape, after a while it becomes convex-outstretched with a small tubercle located in the center. Overripe mushrooms are distinguished by an almost flat cap. In structure, it is fleshy, dense and rather thick. The surface is decorated with small scales of the same tone as the cap itself. It is colored orange or ocher; brown shades prevail with age. It gets slightly darker during the rainy season.
- On the inner side of the cap there are frequent plates that grow with a tooth to the stem. At a young age, they are colored yellow, over time they acquire a rusty brown tone.
- The leg of Juno's hymnopil is fibrous, dense, tapered in shape, thickened at the base. Its length varies from 4 to 20 cm, and its thickness is from 0.8 to 3 cm. It is painted brown with an orange or ocher tint. It has a dark ring with rusty spores, which, after drying, forms a brown belt.
- In young specimens, the flesh is pale yellow, in mature mushrooms it is brown. This species is characterized by a subtle almond aroma.
Where Juno's hymnopil grows
A favorable time for fruiting is the period from mid-summer to late autumn. As a rule, Juno's hymnopil lives in mixed forests, prefers to be located under oak trees or at the base of the stumps of this type of tree. Quite widespread almost throughout the territory of Russia, the only exception is the Arctic. As a rule, it grows in numerous groups, much less often singly.
Is it possible to eat Juno's hymnopil
This species is classified as an inedible mushroom. Juno's hymnopil is not used in cooking due to its inherent bitter taste. In addition, some reference books claim that this type of mushroom has hallucinogenic properties. It is noted that this fact depends on the growing area. For example, forest products found in Japan or Korea have a high concentration of psilocybin, and this substance is practically absent in the United States. This alkaloid is capable of causing changes in consciousness.
Doubles of the Hymnnop of Juno
Due to their special bitter taste, these mushrooms are not suitable for human consumption.
Juno's hymnopil has a common shape and color, and therefore can be confused with other yellow-colored scaly gifts of the forest. Doubles include:
- Herbal flakes - grows in rich fertile soils. In some countries, this species is listed in the Red Book. Most common in Eurasia and North America. The hat is flat-convex in shape, fine-scaled, golden yellow in color. Belongs to the category of conditionally edible mushrooms. It grows exclusively on soil.
- Scale golden - conditionally edible mushroom. The fruit body is small, the bell-shaped cap reaches no more than 18 cm. The stem is dense, without a ring, light brown in color, covered with small scales of a darker shade. A distinctive feature is the presence of red scales, which differ from the general color of the cap.
Conclusion
Juno's hymnopil is an attractive specimen with a pretty name. Although outwardly this species is similar to some conditionally edible mushrooms, it is forbidden to eat it. Many experts believe that it contains hallucinogenic substances that can lead to unpleasant consequences.
