Content
Ear-shaped pig is a fungus that is ubiquitous in the forests of Kazakhstan and Russia. Another name for Tapinella panuoides is Panus tapinella. The fleshy light brown hat resembles an auricle in its appearance, which is why, in fact, the mushroom got its Russian name. It is often confused with milk mushrooms, but they have a lot of differences.
Where does the ear-shaped pig grow
This mushroom culture can be found in any region of the country with a temperate climate. It grows in the forest zone (coniferous, deciduous, mixed forests), in particular on the edge, more often it can be found near swamps and water bodies, rarely found in meadows. Panus-shaped tapinella grows on a litter of moss, on dead tree trunks and their rhizomes. Ear-shaped pig spores on the wooden pillars of old buildings. With its growth, culture provokes the destruction of the tree. Most often found in large families, less often single specimens are found.
What does an ear-shaped pig look like?
For most species of pigs, a characteristic feature is the absence of a leg. The pig has an ear-like shape, but it is very short and thick, visually it merges with the body of the mushroom. The cap is fleshy, the color can be light brown, brown, dirty yellow. Expanding, the rounded surface reaches 11-12 cm in diameter, its thickness can be up to 1 cm. The shape of the cap resembles a cockscomb, auricle or a fan: on the one hand, it is open, and on the other, it is even. The edges of the cap are uneven, wavy or jagged, reminiscent of ruffles. The surface of the cap is matte, rough, velvety. In old mushrooms, the surface becomes completely smooth.
Pig ear-shaped belongs to lamellar mushrooms. The plates are thin, light yellow, close to each other, grow together at the base of the cap.
In young mushrooms, the flesh is tough, rubbery, creamy or dirty yellow, in old ones it becomes loose, spongy. If the Panus Tapinella is cut off, the lesion will turn dark brown. The aroma of the pulp is coniferous, resinous. When dried, it turns into a sponge.
Spores are oval, smooth, brown. Spore powder of light brown or dirty yellow color.
Is it possible to eat an ear-shaped pig
Until the beginning of the 90s, the species belonged to conditionally edible crops, it has a slightly toxic effect on the body. Pig ear-shaped has the ability to absorb heavy metal salts from the atmosphere. Due to the deterioration of the ecological situation, the culture has become toxic. Also, the pulp contains poisonous substances - lectins, which provoke clumping of red blood cells in the human body. These toxic substances are not destroyed during cooking and are not excreted from the human body. In large quantities, the use of Panus-shaped tapinella can provoke the development of serious diseases and even lead to death. After a series of serious poisoning, the ear-shaped pig was recognized as a poisonous mushroom.
Similar species
The ear-shaped pig looks like a yellow milk mushroom, but there are many differences between them. The mushroom is more yellow and darker, smoother, it has a small stem that holds the cap above the soil level. The edge of the cap of the yellow breast is even, rounded, the center is depressed, funnel-shaped.
The yellow mushroom grows in coniferous forests, on the soil, hides under the thickness of fallen leaves and needles, does not parasitize on tree trunks. It belongs to the conditionally edible species, since when pressed on the plates, it releases a bitter, pungent juice. During cooking, during heat treatment, this disadvantage can be eliminated.
The period for collecting the mushrooms coincides with the period of fruiting of the ear-shaped pigs - from mid-July to the end of September. Mushroom pickers should carefully examine each mushroom so as not to take a poisonous specimen into the basket.
The ear-shaped pig is similar to oyster mushrooms. These fungi also parasitize on the trunks of weak, diseased trees, stumps, dead wood, have a spread, depressed and smooth cap, shaped like an auricle. They also grow in large families, like the Panus tapinella. But the color of oyster mushrooms is light or dark gray, they have a thin, short white leg. Oyster mushrooms are smaller than ear-shaped pigs, the diameter of their cap does not exceed 10 cm. The cap of the oyster mushroom is smoother and smoother, the flesh is firm and rubbery, like that of the young Panus-shaped tapinella. Oyster mushrooms appear later, from the end of September, they can bear fruit until the beginning of December. These mushrooms are edible, now they are grown on an industrial scale.
Application
The toxins contained in the pulp of the ear-shaped pig are not destroyed when soaked and with repeated heat treatment, when they enter the human body, they are not excreted, slowly poisoning it. The first signs of intoxication may appear 3-4 days after consumption. In this regard, the culture is classified as a poisonous species, it is prohibited to collect and eat it.
Pig ear poisoning
When ingested, Panus tapinella causes vomiting, diarrhea, and heart rhythm disturbances. Consumption in large quantities leads to impaired vision, breathing, pulmonary edema and acute renal failure. Symptoms of poisoning may not appear immediately, but several days after eating the ear pig. When consumed with alcohol, the mushroom can cause hallucinations, later drug addiction. Since 1993, the State Committee for Sanitary and Epidemiological Supervision of the Russian Federation has banned the use of all types of pigs for food.
Conclusion
Ear-shaped pig is an inedible lamellar fungus that parasitizes on the trunks and rhizome of dead trees. Eating it in food leads to serious poisoning, in large quantities it can be fatal. In this regard, it is recommended to abandon the collection of all types of pigs.
