Content
Colibia chestnut, or oil money, despite its unattractive appearance, belongs to the conditionally edible mushrooms of the Omphalotovy family. It settles in groups among coniferous and deciduous trees. Fruiting from July to November.
What does Collibia chestnut look like?
Oil colibia is often confused with toadstools, so this species is collected only by experienced mushroom pickers. In order not to be mistaken during a quiet hunt, you need to familiarize yourself with the external description, know the places and the period of fruiting, study the photo.
Description of the hat
Colibia oil has a hemispherical cap, up to 12 cm in diameter, which opens with age, leaving a small mound in the center. The edges are wavy and raised. The surface is covered with an oily skin, which, depending on weather conditions, is painted in a different color. In dry weather, it takes on a brown-red, yellow-brown or coffee color. The cap is much darker after rain.
The spore layer is covered with uneven plates with serrated edges. At a young age, they are painted white, in adult specimens they become gray-yellow. Colibia oily reproduces by snow-white elongated spores, which are located in a light pink spore powder.
Leg description
The leg is cylindrical, expanding towards the bottom, up to 10 cm in height. Hollow, its pulp is fibrous, colored brown.
Is the mushroom edible or not
The variety is classified as conditionally edible, since the oil colibia does not have a pronounced taste. In case of mechanical damage, the pulp exudes a slight odor of dampness or mold. Therefore, before cooking, the mushrooms are soaked and boiled. In cooking, only the upper part of young specimens is used, since the pulp in the stem is tough and fibrous. Prepared specimens are good fried, stewed and canned.
Where and how the oil money grows
Colibia oily prefers to grow on acidic soil, among conifers and deciduous trees. They grow in large families, rarely found in single specimens. Oily money begins to bear fruit in July, it lasts until the first frost.
Doubles and their differences
Colibia oil, like any representative of the mushroom kingdom, has twins. These include:
- Tuberous - small poisonous species. The edges of the hemispherical, reddish-brown cap are brittle and bent inward. They grow in small families throughout the fall. The variety is often confused with saffron milk caps and russula, therefore, in order not to be mistaken when collecting, it is necessary to know the varietal characteristics.
- Spotted - conditionally edible specimen.The bell-shaped cap at a young age is painted in a whitish color, with age it straightens and becomes covered with rusty spots. The pulp is firm and fleshy. The variety grows from August to September in acidic, moist soil in large groups.
Conclusion
Colibia chestnut belongs to the 4th group of edibility. It prefers to grow in large groups in coniferous and deciduous forests. The variety has poisonous counterparts, in order not to get food poisoning, you need to know the external data of the edible species.
