Content
The mushroom kingdom is very diverse. In the forest, you can find mushrooms that look like barrels, flowers, corals, and there are those that are very similar to graceful ballerinas. Interesting specimens are often found among the mushroom representatives. Xerula root looks very original, thanks to a thin, long leg and a miniature hat. Very often mushroom pickers do not collect this species, not knowing that the mushroom is edible and contains a large amount of nutrients.
What does Xerula root look like?
Xerula root, or Collibia tailed, attracts the eye with an interesting appearance. A small, miniature cap sits on a very thin, long stem. Root Xerula resembles a carnation driven into the ground.
Description of the hat
Due to the long thin stem, the cap seems small, despite the fact that it reaches a diameter of 2-8 cm. In young specimens, it is hemispherical, straightens with age, becomes flat, while maintaining a small tubercle in the center.
The wrinkled surface is covered in mucus and is colored olive, muddy lemon, or dark gray. The lower part has even, rare plates, painted in snow-white or cream color.
Leg description
Xerula has a long, thin root leg, which reaches a length of up to 20 cm, a thickness of about 1 cm. It is buried 15 cm into the ground, is often intertwined and has a specific rhizome. The fibrous flesh is covered with numerous scales, which are colored snow-white at the base and gray-brown closer to the soil surface.
Is the mushroom edible or not
Xerula root is an edible species that has medicinal properties.
Beneficial features:
- The culture liquid contains the substance udenone, which is involved in the metabolic process, lowers blood pressure, therefore, the mushroom culture is recommended for hypertensive patients. The species is very popular in China; Chinese doctors use it in folk medicine to get rid of hypertension.
- The pulp has antibacterial properties, udemansin-X actively fights against yeasts and molds.
- The mycelium contains polysaccharides that stop the growth of cancer cells.
Features of use
Xerula's root pulp is light, watery, odorless and tasteless. The mushroom can be eaten fried or pickled. Before cooking, the mushroom harvest is thoroughly washed and boiled. To add flavor, spices and herbs are added to the dishes.
Where and how it grows
Xerula root prefers to grow in coniferous and deciduous forests. Often it can be found on stumps, rotten wood, in semi-rotten moist dust.Mushrooms can grow singly and in groups, fruiting begins from mid-July and lasts until the end of September.
Doubles and their differences
Xerula root has 2 doubles:
- Edible - Long-legged Xerula. This species has a thin long stem and a velvety grayish cap.
- Poisonous - Scaly rods. In terms of external characteristics, they are very similar, but they have a difference - the lamellar layer of the false twin does not reach the leg.
Conclusion
Xerula root is an elegant, healthy mushroom that grows throughout Russia. Due to its medicinal properties, Xerula root is widely used in folk medicine. Despite the watery flesh and lack of taste, the mushroom is used in many dishes.
