Honey mushrooms are popular among fans of "silent hunting." Perhaps almost everyone knows what this variety looks like. However, a beginner mushroom picker can confuse edible with poisonous, and not everyone knows the place of distribution. Therefore, it is important to know at least the basic characteristics of the fungus - you can read about it below.

Description

Honey mushrooms - the collective name of the category of forest mushrooms, which includes 34 different species.

Did you know? Edible mushrooms mushrooms growing on living stumps and trees glow in the dark due to bioluminescence. Light emit plates and mycelium fibers.

The most common varieties:

The general description of all varieties is similar. The hat is lamellar, round in shape, sometimes with wavy edges. The average diameter is 5 cm, can vary from 2 to 15 cm. The fruiting bodies of the first years of life are distinguished by a convex cap, the old ones become flat.

The skin color is light brown in different shades, from honey to ocher. The edges are often light, the center is darker. The peel is smooth, with many varieties covered with scales. The flesh of the hat is light and thin. The plates are light beige, sometimes closer to white, rare, grow to the leg.

Did you know? Honey mushrooms grow as fast as bamboo, but unlike them, they grow only to a certain level. The pace of development is 0.5 cm per minute.

Legs are light brown, grow from 2 to 10 cm in height, diameter - 1-2 cm. The shape is cylindrical, sometimes slightly sinuous. The pulp is fibrous. The leg is covered with scales. Most species have a leathery ring.

Spore powder is white or light brown. The mushroom mushroom is a fibrous mushroom, grows together with trees - this species is considered a parasite because it grows on other living organisms. The mycelium grows to a meter in depth. At home, this type of mushroom is also grown on stumps, although they can also be grown in greenhouses..

Spread

Honey mushrooms grow almost throughout the southern and northern hemisphere. The exception is the zone of increased cold and permafrost. The main habitat is the forest. This is a tree mushroom, often grows on stumps, which can be understood from the name. On the plains they can be found on living and rotten wood in deciduous forests, in the mountains - in conifers.

Pick time

Honey mushrooms can be found in the summer, spring and autumn. Mushrooms do not grow only in winter, because, like many other living organisms, they are afraid of frost. However, the ripening time depends on the particular variety. The collection time is as follows.

Edible or not

Most types of mushrooms can be eaten.. However, you must be careful when collecting. Under the general name, one particular species is not systematized. This is a popular name that unites outwardly similar varieties of fungi belonging to different genera according to mycological description. Honey agaric can be edible or inedible.. "Good" varieties from "bad" are distinguished by characteristics - hat, leg, ring, smell.

Important! Do not collect rotten mushrooms. Experienced mushroom pickers are advised to cut off the spoiled mushroom and hang it on the branch with the cap down, so that the air spreads the spores through the forest.

False honey mushrooms

Inedible mushrooms - the main danger in the "silent hunt". A useful species has a toxic double called false. Outwardly, they are similar, but inedible mushrooms cause poisoning.You can distinguish them by the following signs.

Important! Some "bad" species are conditionally edible - they do not cause poisoning, but also do not bring benefits. Therefore, it is better to focus on the appearance of "good" mushrooms.

Harvest mushrooms are easy to collect, if you know where to look for them. Inspect the stumps and trees - most likely this variety of mushrooms will grow on them. However, pay attention to all the characteristics of the fruiting bodies indicated above. Edible species are easily confused with poisonous, and this is fraught with health problems.