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The common pseudo-raincoat is a gasterocymet fungus. This is one of the few representatives of this taxon that is not recommended for consumption. It got its name for its resemblance to edible raincoat mushrooms. Widely distributed throughout Russia. It is practically not used in cooking, but its medicinal properties are used in folk medicine.
What ordinary pseudo-raincoats look like
The fruiting body of the common pseudo-raincoat is difficult to confuse with any other species. It has a round or tuberous shape. Sometimes pear-shaped specimens are found. The diameter of the "tuber" can reach 5-6 cm. Near the ground itself, the body rapidly narrows and a small bundle of mycelium fibers sticks out of it. The mushroom has a shell up to 4 mm thick.
Over the entire surface area, the common pseudo-raincoat is covered with a characteristic scaly shell of a dark yellow or brown hue. The color of the "scales" is darker, so it seems that there is a layer of dirt on the fruit bodies. Sometimes they can be concentrated in the area of the apex, and its sides are almost smooth.
In some cases, the lower part of the common pseudo-raincoat is wrinkled. The upper part of the fruiting body has thickening in the form of warts, which often crack. In young mushrooms, the cracks heal quickly, but the body takes on a characteristic appearance.
The flesh of the common pseudo-puffer at a young age is white. The ripening time of fruit bodies is from the beginning of August to the end of September. During the ripening process, the color of the pulp changes. At first, it turns purple-black. At this stage, fine white fibers can be discerned inside it.
In older specimens, its color becomes brown, and the consistency is powdery. The pulp smell in this state is reminiscent of raw potatoes. The finally ripe common pseudo-raincoat bursts in the area of the "top". At the same time, his disputes are scattered.
Spores of the common pseudo-raincoat are spherical, having thorns on their surface. Their color is black-brown. The size of the spores is from 7 to 15 microns.
The mushroom has several counterparts. One of them is spotted pseudo-raincoat. It has a predominantly pear-shaped body, often lying on its side. Unlike the common variety, this subspecies has a smaller size (1-5 cm) and a less thick shell. Usually, it does not exceed 1 mm in thickness.
Another difference lies in the color and appearance of the skin. The color of the spotted subspecies is predominantly light yellow, and the scales cover the surface more evenly.
Another variety is called warty pseudo-raincoat. It is somewhat larger than the spotted one, but still does not reach the usual size a little. The diameter of its fruiting body is 2-5 cm.
Its surface is covered by a relatively hard, cork-like shell. The pulp is firm at all stages of the formation of the fruiting body. Because of this, young mushrooms are inedible, although they have a pleasant taste and smell.
Similar to the common variety of false slicker, the flesh of the warty often cracks. Color - brown or light brown.
Where do common pseudo-raincoats grow
This type of raincoat is very widespread. Like most representatives of its kingdom, it prefers temperate zones, where it is found even in the north up to 70th latitude. The huge area of the fungus covers almost all of Eurasia - from Western Europe to the Far East. Large colonies of mushrooms can be found in the Caucasus.
Common pseudo-raincoat grows in both coniferous and deciduous forests. Loves sunny areas. Most often found along the edges and along the roads. In humid forests, it is adjacent to moss. It enters into mycorrhiza mainly with hardwood trees of various types.
Is it possible to eat common false raincoats
False raincoats are inedible mushrooms, but they can be eaten in small quantities. They are used as a seasoning for meat dishes. Usually, a few slices of mushroom are added to the meat to give the food a light truffle flavor.
Mushrooms are recommended to be used while their flesh is white. Fruit bodies do not require too long processing. Usually, you just need to rinse the raincoats, peel them off and fry them in a pan for a few minutes.
Healing properties
Fruiting bodies of mushrooms contain many bioactive components. Among them are:
- dimethylphenylalanine;
- palmitic and oleic fatty acids;
- ergosterol peroxide.
Also, the pulp of the pseudo-raincoat, in addition to a large number of protein compounds, contains fumaric acid and calvacin. The latter is a natural antiblastic agent that has been successfully used to inhibit the growth of cancer cells. Modern studies have shown a decrease in the size of malignant tumors in animals with cancer and sarcoma, which were injected with drugs based on calvacin.
In folk medicine, the healing properties of fruit bodies are used in the treatment and prevention of:
- oncological diseases;
- inflammatory processes;
- swelling of soft tissues;
- skin diseases (including psoriasis).
One of the uses of the common pseudo-raincoat body is to stop bleeding. The active substances contained in the pseudo-raincoat are especially good at coping with capillary bleeding.
Mainly in the traditional medicine of China and Russia, fresh mushrooms with white pulp are used externally. Sometimes a decoction is also used for oral administration.
Conclusion
Common puffin is an inedible fungus that grows in both deciduous and coniferous forests of temperate climates. The round balls of the fruit bodies of this mushroom can be easily confused with its counterparts, which have slight differences. This mushroom has a highly specialized culinary use as a spice that adds a truffle smell to meat dishes. In folk medicine, pseudo-raincoat is used for the prevention and treatment of skin diseases, inflammation and some types of oncology.
