Content
Stropharia crown belongs to the lamellar mushrooms from the Hymenogastric family. It has several names: red, decorated, crown ring. The Latin name is Stropharia coronilla.
What does the crown stropharia look like?
The variability of the color of the cap and plates of many mushroom pickers is misleading.
The pulp has a dense structure, the color is white or yellowish.
Description of the hat
Only young representatives can boast of a conical shape of the cap, mature ones have a spread, smooth surface. In some cases, you may notice the presence of small scales. The diameter depends on the age of the mushroom body and ranges from 2-8 cm.
When you cut the cap, you can find out that it is hollow inside. The color is uneven: lighter at the edges, darker towards the center. During the rainy season, the cap acquires an oily sheen. On the inside, the plates are not often placed. They can be unevenly adhered to the base or fit tightly.
Leg description
The leg of the crown stropharia has the shape of a cylinder, slightly tapering towards the base. In young specimens, the leg is solid, with age it becomes hollow.
The color of the ring is given by crumbling ripe spores. In older specimens, the ring disappears.
Another characteristic sign of red stropharia is that root processes are visible on the stem, going deeper into the ground.
Is the mushroom edible or not
Due to its low prevalence, the species was not studied. There is no exact data on the edibility of the mushroom. In some sources, the species is listed as conditionally edible, in others it is considered poisonous. Experienced mushroom pickers advise to beware of bright specimens, because the richer the color of the cap, the more dangerous they can be to health. In order not to expose yourself and your family to the risk of poisoning, it is better to refuse to collect and harvest the crown stropharia.
Where and how it grows
This species loves dung places, therefore it is most often found in pastures. Chooses sandy soil, very rarely grows on decaying wood. Stropharia crown prefers flat terrain, but the appearance of fungi is also noted in low mountains.
Single specimens are usually found, sometimes small groups. Large families are not formed. The appearance of mushrooms is noted towards the end of summer, fruiting continues until the first frost.
In Russia, crown stropharia can be found in the Leningrad, Vladimir, Samara, Ivanovo, Arkhangelsk regions, as well as in the Krasnodar Territory and Crimea.
Doubles and their differences
You can confuse crown stropharia with other species of this family.
Stropharia shitty it is smaller. The maximum diameter of the cap is 2.5 cm. It has more brownish tints, in contrast to the lemon-yellow specimens of the crown stropharia. If damaged, the pulp does not turn blue. According to some sources, the mushroom is classified as hallucinogenic, so it is not eaten.
Stropharia gornemann has a red-brown hat, there may be a shade of yellow or gray. The ring on the leg is light, it breaks down quickly. Refers to conditionally edible mushrooms. After a long boiling, the bitterness disappears, and the mushrooms are eaten. Some sources indicate the toxicity of the species, so it is better to refrain from collecting.
Sky blue stropharia has a matte blue color of the cap with an admixture of ocher spots. Young mushrooms have a ring on their stem, and they disappear by old age. Refers to conditionally edible, but it is better to refuse collection in order to avoid digestive upset.
Conclusion
Stropharia crown - a type of mushroom that has not been properly studied. There is no data to support its edibility. Occurs in fields and pastures fertilized with manure. Appears after rains in the second half of summer, grows until frost.
