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Panus ear-shaped is one of the varieties of fruit bodies that grow in forests. An accurate description and photo allow you to identify the mushroom by its appearance, and then decide on its collection.
What does Panus ear-shaped look like?
Another name for the fruiting body is the ear-shaped saw-leaf. It belongs to the polyporous family.
Description of the hat
In the ear-shaped saw-leaf, the diameter of the cap varies from 4 to 10 cm. In young representatives, it is lilac with reddish color, but as the fungus grows, it changes color to brown. Its shape is irregular: it looks like a funnel or shell with wavy, slightly curled inward edges. To the touch, it is tough, leathery, without a cannon.
The plates of the fruiting body are narrow in shape. They are tough to the touch, have a lilac-pinkish tint. Their color changes to brown as they grow.
Leg description
The leg of the saw-leaf is short and strong, it reaches 2 cm in thickness. Its height is no more than 5 cm. At the base, the leg is narrowed, in relation to the cap it is located almost in a lateral position.
Where and how it grows
The main habitat of the ear-shaped panus is deciduous forests, mainly on aspen and birch trees. Most often it is found on fallen dead trees, where it grows with voluminous myceliums. The fruiting period lasts during the summer and autumn months.
Is the mushroom edible or not
Panus is ear-shaped, conditionally edible, it is not poisonous, therefore, the mushroom picker who eats it will not bring harm. The use of sawfoot is possible in pickled or fresh form. It is also used in cheese making in Georgia.
Young specimens with a lilac color should be collected for food: adult saw-leaves are ear-shaped, brown in color, very bitter. Their flesh is thin, leathery, does not have a pronounced smell and taste. Mushroom pickers prefer to use the harvest for making soups and main courses.
A sharp knife should be used to harvest the fruit bodies.
Doubles and their differences
In the forests, you can confuse a mushroom with oyster mushroom... It differs from Panus ear-shaped in color, depending on age, the cap changes color from white to gray-ocher. The leg of the double is pronounced, reaches a length of 8 cm. Oyster mushroom is suitable for eating. The harvested crop can be eaten fresh, pickled.
It has an external resemblance to the ear-shaped pannus and oyster mushroom... It is distinguished by a large cap, reaching 15 cm in diameter, of a light, whitish-gray shade. As the oyster mushroom grows, its color changes to yellowish. The shape of the cap is fan-shaped, the edges are directed upwards. The fruit body is edible, it grows in deciduous forests.
Panus ear-shaped in appearance and with oyster mushroom (lumpy). The hat with a diameter of 5 to 15 cm is funnel-shaped with rolled edges.The shade of this representative is the most diverse: in the forests there are specimens of a light ash, gray and yellowish hue. The mycelium is located on dead trees, outwardly it is a multi-tiered structure. The mushroom is often cultivated for industrial purposes.
Conclusion
Panus aura is an edible fungus native to deciduous forests. You can collect it during the summer and autumn months. Sawwood is suitable for pickling, fresh consumption.
