False oyster mushrooms: photo and description, differences

Oyster mushrooms are large mushrooms with shell-shaped caps. There are several varieties of them, among which there are also false ones. It is important to distinguish the latter from edible ones, because you can seriously harm your health. Poisonous false oyster mushrooms are found only in Australia. In Russia, you can find conditionally edible and inedible counterparts.

Are there false oyster mushrooms

Forest false oyster mushrooms exist. Determining their appearance is not so difficult if you pay attention to the color. They are brighter in color. But this is not the only sign. The differences will depend on the family of edible and inedible siblings.

Poisonous oyster mushroom from Australia is shown in the photo below.

The poisonous twin only grows in Australia

What mushrooms look like oyster mushrooms

There are many doubles. Among them are edible and inedible. There are three true twins - orange, late and wolf saw-leaf.

Bald saw-leaf

Inhabits places with cool climates. In Russia, it can be found in mixed forests and areas dominated by plains.

Its growth is observed from late June to mid-October.

Distinctive features:

1. The hat is brown or red-yellow, outwardly it may resemble a tongue. The size is about 5-9 cm. It has a matte skin with scales and irregularities. The edges are rounded from below, they are heterogeneous, in places serrated.
2. On the inside of the cap, you can see red plates with white small spores.
3. The leg can be of different shades of red, more often it is burgundy-brown. She almost does not look out from under the cap and only attaches the plant to the carrier.
4. The pulp is tough, bitter, and has a deceptive aroma characteristic of mushrooms.

It is often possible to observe how the caps grow together. In this form, they no longer resemble a mushroom.

Wolf saw-leaf is greatly modified when the caps grow together.

Orange

The name is fully consistent with the appearance. The color is bright yellow, orange. Grows on deciduous trees, prefers birch, hazel, aspen, linden. For orange oyster mushrooms, a temperate climate is ideal.

Ripens in autumn. In southern cities, it can be observed all winter. Orange false oyster mushroom is found less often than other members of the family.

Instances growing in winter gradually fade, the color becomes less saturated.

False orange oyster mushroom has a bright color

Distinctive features:

• the leg is absent, the cap mount is characteristic;
• the hat resembles a fan, it is small;
• the outer surface is velvet;
• from the inner side of the plate is brighter, there are a lot of them;
• the pulp is orange, but its color is duller;
• the mushroom aroma resembles a melon, and overripe gives the smell of spoiled vegetables.

This representative of the species is inedible. It is used by gardeners to decorate the territory.

Late

False late mushroom begins to grow from wood at the beginning of spring. It can bear fruit until the first frost. More often found on deciduous trees, but also exists with conifers. Late oyster mushroom is most widespread in Caucasian cities.

Late specimens have an unusual color to identify them.

Distinctive features:

• the cap can grow up to 15 cm in diameter, it has a velvety surface, becomes glossy, slippery during showers;
• the leg is massive, but short;
• white-light green plates are formed under the cap, the spores are lilac in color;
• the pulp is very bitter, fibrous;
• in conditions of high humidity, they rot, emitting a characteristic odor.

Representatives of this species are very bitter (even after prolonged boiling).

How to distinguish false forest oyster mushrooms

To distinguish inedible oyster mushrooms, you need to study well the common or oyster representatives. They are edible and prized for their low calorie content.

How to identify real oyster mushroom:

1. The hat is soft, rounded, reminiscent of an oyster. On the outside, glossy, smooth, sometimes fibrous. The color is gray, sometimes with shades of purple, brown, cream, yellow. The size of the cap can be up to 25 cm in diameter.
2. The leg is short, widening towards the cap. Has a creamy color. Towards the base it becomes hard and fleecy.
3. The pulp is juicy and soft; as it ages, it becomes stiffer due to the appearance of new fibers.

Real oyster mushroom is popular. There are a lot of cooking options. It can be stewed, dried, canned, fried, pickled, frozen. It is common in the countries of the former Soviet Union. Prefers low temperatures, so it begins to grow in autumn. Appears in cold weather in summer.

A photo and description will help you find out false oyster mushrooms:

1. Brighter color.
2. Lack of a leg, cap mount (not all).
3. Lack of a characteristic mushroom smell.
4. Very bitter taste.
5. Fusion of caps and legs, the formation of a single "organism".

In Russia, oyster mushroom twins are less common than ordinary ones. They are not poisonous, but they are not popular. Experienced mushroom pickers do not pay attention to them.

Conclusion

False oyster mushrooms (with the exception of Australian ones) are edible, but it is impossible to eat them because of the bitterness in the taste. Orange specimens are perfect for decorating a garden, while others serve as forest orderlies. They eat steppe, horn-shaped, royal, pulmonary species, which taste good, like other edible mushrooms. False mushrooms, similar to oyster mushrooms, can be identified from the photo.

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