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The gray-blue webcap is a representative of the family and genus of the same name. The mushroom is also called the blue spider web, bluish and watery blue. This species is rare.
Description of the gray-blue webcap
This is a large-sized mushroom with a cap, a leg and a hymenophore, the pulp of which has an unpleasant odor, has a gray-blue color and a fresh taste. The surface of the almond-shaped spores is covered with warts.
Traces of residual veil can be seen on the fruiting body
Description of the hat
Young specimens have a hemispherical cap, which gradually acquires a flat and convex shape. When dry, the surface becomes fibrous and slimy to the touch. In young gray-blue cobwebs, the cap is bluish, with age it becomes light-buffy. The color does not change around the edges.
The hymenophore has a lamellar type of structure
The hymenophore is formed by flat elements - plates, which have grown to the stem with a recess. In young specimens, they are bluish in color, soon turning to dark brown.
Leg description
The bluish-blue spider web has a leg up to 4-7 cm high and up to 2.5 cm thick. Closer to the base, you can notice a tuberous thickening.
The leg of the mushroom is colored to match the cap
The color of the leg is bluish, the lower part is of an ocher-yellow hue.
You can learn more about the features of the mushroom from the video:
Where and how it grows
The area of growth of the gray-blue spider web is the regions of North America, as well as the European continent. The mycosis spreads in the form of groups and colonies in mixed and deciduous forests, forming mycosis with deciduous trees. In Russia, the species can be collected in the regions of the Primorsky Territory.
Is the mushroom edible or not
The blue-blue webcap is not easy to find. This rare mushroom belongs to the edible varieties of the 4th category. When cooked, it is most often served fried, subject to a preliminary boil (25 minutes). When dried and pickled, the fruit bodies turn black.
Doubles and their differences
The mushroom has several false counterparts. These include:
- The webcap is anomalous: a member of the same family, inedible. Has a smooth, dry and silky surface. Its shade is grayish-brown with purple. The cylindrical whitish-purple leg reaches a height of 7-10 cm. The mushrooms are distributed in the form of small groups, as well as singly. Most often they can be found in the ground or on leafy litter. Fruiting time begins in August and lasts until the end of September. Growing habitat - Norway, Bulgaria, France, Germany, as well as some areas of the United States.
The species can be distinguished by the convex cap, which turns into a flat one as it grows.
- The webcap is white and purple: referred to as conditionally edible. With age, the shape of the surface becomes convex-outstretched. Shiny and silky to the touch, the cap is yellow-brown in color, fading to off-white over time.The length of the leg is 8-10 cm. The lower part of it is more slippery, with a lilac color. The fruiting period lasts from August to the end of September. The variety is widespread in deciduous and coniferous forests, grows near oak and birch in small groups, prefers moist soil. Rare.
The rounded-bell-shaped hat reaches 4-8 cm
Conclusion
The gray-blue webcap is a rare edible mushroom common in coniferous and deciduous forests. Instances can be distinguished by their bluish color, which changes to light ocher with age. The variety has several false counterparts, which are easily recognized by the color of the surface and the shape of the cap.
