How to recognize a mushroom with a cap and a white stem: names and types (+32 photos)

Mushrooms are a wonderful culinary staple, successfully used in a variety of dishes. The most popular are champignons—mushrooms with a white cap and white stem. However, almost all species have lookalikes, so it's important to be able to distinguish edible mushrooms from inedible, poisonous ones.

The main types of mushrooms based on the edibility criterion include:

• edible;
• conditionally edible;
• inedible.

Let us dwell on the representatives of these species in more detail.

Edible varieties of mushrooms with white stems and different caps

A descriptive description of edible varieties of white-stemmed mushrooms with different caps will help you understand their diversity and choose the right mushroom, distinguished by its wonderful taste and unique mushroom aroma.

With white

The most popular mushrooms on our tables that fit this description are champignons. There are several varieties.

1. Common. Found in the wild in spring and fall, and cultivated, they bear fruit year-round. The gill-shaped cap, 15 cm in circumference, and the thickened stem are white, a distinctive feature of this variety. Young specimens have curled cap edges. The gills acquire a rich dark color over time. Although the champignon emits a pleasant aroma when cut, it lacks a vibrant or intense flavor.

   

   

   

2. Forest mushrooms are native to coniferous forests, with an active growth period from July until the first frost. Under normal weather conditions, new fruits grow in the same spot every two weeks during the summer. Forest mushrooms have a large cap and a long stem (up to 20 cm). Young mushrooms have a finely scaled, ovoid cap.

   

   

   

   As it grows, it unfolds and becomes brownish-brown, flattened, with a dark spot in the center. The inside of the cap is lamellar and whitish-pink. As the mushroom matures, it darkens to almost black.

3. The field champignon grows successfully in fields and parks. Externally, it's virtually indistinguishable from the common variety, but its cap is larger (20 cm) and yellowish. The stem is 3 cm thick and grows up to 10 cm in height. This variety of champignon is distinguished by its incredible aroma of anise and nutmeg, unique to this mushroom.

   

   

   

With brown

Brown-capped mushrooms are generally highly prized by mushroom pickers. They have dense, tasty flesh with a vibrant, rich mushroom aroma. Edible mushrooms include:

1. The porcini mushroom is a remarkable edible mushroom with a light-brown, convex, spherical cap. The flesh is firm and remains unchanged when cut. It grows in clean, sandy forest clearings almost all summer long and is considered a delicacy.

   

   

   

2. The red-cap boletus is a large, tubular mushroom with a fleshy, deep-brown cap and a massive white stem. It grows primarily in deciduous forests and has a high nutritional value.

   

3. The milk mushroom is a large, moisture-retentive mushroom that grows primarily in coniferous forests with sandy soil. The cap is 20 cm in diameter, and the thick, dense stem is almost as wide. Due to its flavor, it is used to make a variety of sauces.

   

4. Butter mushrooms are striking specimens of coniferous forests, with a tubular, convex cap covered in a thin layer of mucus, giving the mushroom a beautiful sheen. The thin stem bends under the weight of the cap as the plant grows. They are eaten in any form: pickled, fried, or in sauces.

   

5. Honey mushrooms grow in clusters on stumps or near deciduous trees. Each mushroom is small. Young mushrooms have light-brown, slightly convex caps; older mushrooms have flat caps.
6. Truffles are a delicacy with a dark brown cap. They grow underground, making them very difficult to harvest. They are primarily found in the rhizomes of oak or pine trees in old-growth forests.

   

7. The Collybia oleracea has a wide, convex, light-brown cap with a depressed center. In high humidity, the cap turns dark brown with a reddish tint. The stem is long and thin, hollow inside. The flesh is milky and flavorful.

   

   

   

8. The common milkcap grows in oak groves. It has a light-brown, flat cap and fleshy flesh that darkens when cut, releasing clear juice. Its sweet flavor is suitable for many dishes, including sauces, pickling, and marinating. Fresh fruits have an unpleasant odor, which disappears after cooking.

   

9. The brown oak mushroom is common in mixed forests and is distinguished by its large brown cap and thick, white, yellowish stem. When damaged, the flesh turns blue; after cooking, this color disappears, and the mushroom returns to its normal color. Its flavor is comparable to that of the porcini mushroom and it is not susceptible to worms.

   

With purple

Purple-capped mushrooms can be found in forests with both coniferous and deciduous trees. These mushrooms are generally classified as members of the edible russula genus. The following mushrooms are prominent representatives of this genus:

1. The purple mushroom is a lamellar mushroom. The cap is flat, semicircular, with ribbed edges, 3-5 cm in diameter, and lilac-colored with a slight olive tint. The stem is club-shaped, 3-5 cm long. It may be odorless, but sometimes emits a subtle fruity aroma. It grows primarily in deciduous forests dominated by birch, aspen, or poplar.

   

2. The purple-legged mushroom grows in coniferous or mixed forests. The cap is funnel-shaped, 6-10 cm in diameter, and dull yellow with a purple tint. The underside is lamellar, cream-colored, and the lamellar thickness thins with age. The stem is short, cylindrical, tapering toward the bottom, white, sometimes with a slight pinkish tint. It has dense flesh with a pleasant aroma and good flavor.

   

3. The Violet-Green mushroom is distinguished by its dark purple, glossy cap with a greenish tint. It reaches 14 cm in circumference and has a convex-concave shape with jagged edges. The central portion of the cap is almost entirely green. The gills are wide and sparse, turning yellow and greenish with age. The stem is short (3-4 cm). The flesh turns pink when damaged. The mushroom is odorless and has a bland taste. It grows in forests near conifers and oaks.

   

4. The purple mushroom is distinguished by its dark purple cap and crisp flesh, both in shape and appearance. Experienced mushroom pickers gather them in mixed or deciduous forests.

   

5. The brownish-purple variety has dense flesh. The cap is 10 cm in circumference, flat-concave, with lilac-ribbed edges. The color is dark purple with a brown center. Young specimens have a blackish-purple cap. The stem is spindle-shaped, white, yellowish at the base. It has no odor. It prefers birch and coniferous forests.

   

6. The dark purple mushroom grows in coniferous forests. Its cap is semicircular and fleshy, with a reddish surface when young, turning dark purple with age. The gills are yellowish, turning orange when dry. The stem is cylindrical, up to 7 cm long, and slightly lighter in color than the cap. When cut, the mushroom has light yellow flesh and emits a slightly unpleasant odor.

   

With black

The black birch bolete is an edible tubular mushroom with a black cap. The cap of an adult is cushion-shaped and reaches 16 cm in circumference. Young mushrooms have a semi-circular, dark cap, which deepens and darkens with age. When moist, the cap's surface becomes slimy. The interior is tubular and off-white.

The stem, covered with small scales, is white and reaches 12 cm in length. The flesh is firm and turns blue when cut. The mushroom exudes a pleasant mushroom aroma.

The boletus loves moisture, so lakeshores, nearby swamps, and moss beds are ideal habitats for these mushrooms. Boletus mushrooms appear in August, and the most abundant harvest can be found in September.

With sulfur

The mushrooms with a grey cap and white stem mainly include the following rowan mushrooms.

The gray edible rowan mushroom is distinguished by its gray cap with an olive tint, 3-13 cm in diameter, and shaped like a convex cone. As the mushroom matures, its wavy edges curl upward. In damp weather, the cap surface becomes slippery. The stem is quite tall—up to 16 cm—thickening toward the bottom, white, sometimes with a slight yellow tint. It has no distinct odor.

The Pigeon Cap has a grayish cap with wavy edges, 5-12 cm in diameter, and may be covered with yellowish spots. Young mushrooms have a hemispherical cap that opens over time. The stem (6-11 cm) is slightly curved. The flesh is dense and has a starchy aroma.

Conditionally edible varieties

Conditionally edible include:

1. The purple rowan has a smooth, dense stem and a purple cap, up to 22 cm in diameter, shaped like a hemisphere. The edges are curved inward, and as the fruit ages, the hemisphere opens slightly. The surface of the mushroom is smooth, without cracks. The mushroom is lamellar, with widely spaced gills at the base of the cap. The stem is 12 cm tall, cylindrical, and tapers toward the top.

   

2. The peppery milk cap is distinguished by a wide, pepper-colored cap with inward-curving edges. Young mushrooms have a rounded cap, which later flattens out and becomes almost horizontal. The surface is smooth and slightly velvety. The whitish stem is 10 cm tall, firm in texture, and widens toward the top. These mushrooms are edible and suitable for cooking only after thorough cooking.

   

Inedible and poisonous mushrooms

Picking and eating mushrooms, even in small quantities, is vitally important, as mushroom poisoning can have detrimental consequences and can sometimes be fatal.

Inedible mushrooms include:

• death cap;
• red fly agaric;
• satanic mushroom.
• Stropharia cyanus;
• Panaeolus Campanulata;
• Hebelomu;
• Pezicia the Variable;
• Fly Agaric Panther;
• Orange Cobweb;
• Common morel;
• Trametes versicolor.

Poisonous mushrooms include:

• poisonous rowan with a gray cap;
• death cap;
• spring fly agaric;
• Galerina marginata;
• False honey fungus sulphur-yellow;
• yellow-skinned champignon;
• Lepiota brown-red.

Rules and safe gathering places

It's important to remember that mushrooms often disguise themselves as edible or have their own lookalikes. Therefore, it's important to follow these rules and mushroom-picking locations:

1. If you have any doubts about the "correctness" of a mushroom, it is better not to take it at all, as you can put your health at great risk.
2. If you're unfamiliar with a mushroom, don't put it in your basket. It may be poisonous and could contaminate other mushrooms when cooked together.

   

3. Mushrooms should be collected as far as possible from open areas of highways, motorways, and factories with hazardous production facilities, as mushrooms tend to accumulate harmful chemicals.
4. It's important to carefully monitor the mushroom's color change when broken. Edible mushrooms rarely change color when damaged, while poisonous ones do.

Answers to frequently asked questions

There are a great many white-stemmed mushrooms, and not all of them are safe to eat. After examining each species, reading the description, and knowing the rules for picking them, you can venture into the forest with confidence.

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