Description of the boletus mushroom and its varieties (+33 photos)

Tubular mushrooms are particularly common in our country's forests, particularly the sponge-like boletus. Its name suggests one of its distinguishing characteristics: it grows in shady, damp places near moss. The boletus is a genus of edible tubular mushrooms and belongs to the Boletaceae family.

Characteristic features

There are several known species of boletus, each with a distinct appearance. These mushrooms are found virtually worldwide and can be identified by their spongy flesh and their response to cutting and pressure.

Appearance and morphology of boletus mushrooms

A photo and description of the boletus mushroom make it easy to spot in the forest. Its main characteristics include:

1. The cap is slightly velvety and usually dry (in certain species it becomes sticky in high humidity conditions); in young specimens it is rounded; in adults it is cushion-shaped or flat, and may have cracks.

   

   

   

2. The hymenophore (the part of the fruiting body beneath the cap that contains the spore-bearing layer) is tubular, extending down the stem and occasionally adnate. Initially, it is light chocolate-golden and slightly orange in color, but with age, it gradually acquires a cherry-brown, brownish-green, or yellow hue. The pores of the tubes are quite wide.
3. The spore powder is colored in different shades of brown.

   

   

   

4. The stem is smooth or slightly wrinkled. There are no rings or coverings. The stem's length often depends on the environment: drier conditions produce a longer stem, while wetter conditions produce a thicker, shorter stem.

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Places of distribution

This mushroom's natural range includes Eurasia, North Africa, North America, and even Australia. It primarily thrives in temperate latitudes, and species such as the green boletus even thrive in subarctic and alpine climates.

In coniferous, deciduous, and mixed forests, boletus mushrooms form mycorrhiza (a symbiotic association) with tree roots. They thrive on sandy soils. Solitary specimens (and occasionally small groups) grow in forest clearings, mosses, and anthills; some species adapt to stumps and tree trunks.

Edible or not

The boletus mushroom has excellent taste and numerous beneficial properties, making it a popular choice for dietary nutrition. The fruit can be cooked using any method without losing its flavor or nutritional value.

Types and their descriptions with photos

The genus Boletus comprises 18 species. The most common varieties are:

1. The green boletus mushroom is distinguished by its olive-brown or greenish-gray cap, slightly bulging and slightly velvety. It can be 12 or even 16 cm across. The cylindrical stem is slightly thicker at the top, and a brownish mesh may be visible. The stem can be up to 2 cm thick and 4-11 cm tall. The flesh is snow-white, fading slightly to blue when cut. The hymenophore is yellowish.

   

   

   

2. The red boletus is so named because of its reddish-brown cap, 3-8 cm in diameter. ABOUTon convex at young specimens, straightened out - in older people. In dry weather is acquired small Cracks. The thin stem is the same color as the cap, but slightly lighter, sometimes yellow at the top. It can reach a thickness of 1 cm and a height of 4-12 cm. The hymenophore is yellow, shading with olive or green. The flesh is firm, with a yellowish tint. When pressed or cut, it turns an intense blue.

   

   

   

3. The variegated or fissured boletus can be recognized by the network of cracks (white or pink) on a small (8-10 cm) velvety hat. They meet burgundy, olive-chocolatee, red-terracottae and gray-ochere shades of hats. Hat his own form It resembles a plump pillow. This "pillow" is often depressed in the center.

   

   

   

   WITHlight yellow or green-olive hymenophore with large pores slightly descends on a leg 5-7 cm high and 1-2 cm thick. Leg club-shaped, Straight or slightly curved, reddish below, yellow above. The flesh is white or yellow, red on the underside of the stem and under the cap skin. When cut or pressed, this mushroom quickly turns blue.

4. The Polish mushroom has a fleshy, convex cap with a diameter of 5-15 cm. The color is chestnut. or reddish-brown or just brown. Surface dry or wet (sticky)aya during the rains). The skin of young specimens is velvety, while the skin of older specimens is smooth.

   

   

   

   The stem is 4-12 cm long and 0.8-4 cm in diameter - smooth, light brown or yellow with redeatingand fibers, cylindrical, sometimes thickened at the bottom. The flesh is white or slightly yellow, and may also turn blue when the tissue is damaged.

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What are the differences from false, inedible mushrooms?

Edible boletus mushrooms tend to quickly turn blue when cut or pressed, while false boletus mushrooms lack this property. These mushrooms typically have no odor or only a barely noticeable one. The edible boletus cannot be found on the mycelium of the false puffball, while the "deceiver" loves such a neighborhood.

False fly agarics look like this:

1. The parasitic boletus is a modest-sized mushroom. Its convex, velvety, and oily cap measures 2-7 cm and is yellow, brown, or nut-colored. The flesh is soft yellow, odorless, and resistant to blueing. The stem is solid and cylindrical, 3-6 cm high and 0.8-1.5 cm thick. The parasitic boletus is often found in association with false puffballs.

   

   

   

2. The pepper mushroom is colored in various shades of brown. The stem is lighter than the cap and yellow at the base. The dense and brittle flesh tastes like hot pepper. The mushroom is most easily identified by its brown-gray or yellow-gray cut flesh, which later turns red.

   

   

   

3. The cap of the gall mushroom is larger in diameter than that of edible mushrooms. It can be 10 and even 15 cm. It resembles a hemisphere (in older mushrooms it is flatter). The surface is dry, and in high humidity it becomes sticky. The fruiting body is brown, with yellowish, brown or sometimes chestnut tint. White hymen tubesfThe ora gradually become pink and turn red when pressed.

   

   

   

   Cylindrical or The club-shaped stem reaches a height of 12 cm and a thickness of 3 cm. The flesh is odorless. The gall mushroom often grows at the base of trees and near rotten stumps, and is never wormy.

Collection time and rules

Boletus mushrooms begin their mass fruiting period from July through September. However, each mushroom has its own timing. For example, the first cracked mushrooms begin to appear in the last ten days of June and can be seen by mushroom pickers until the end of September. The main harvest of these mushrooms occurs from the second half of August until the second half of September.

The Polish boletus can be hunted quietly from June to November. It is often discovered after the season for other tubular mushrooms has ended. The green boletus is in season from May to October, and the red boletus is in season from August to September.

The best time to pick mushrooms is early morning, before the sun warms them. This way, they'll keep for a long time. When picking, carefully cut each mushroom at the base with a sharp knife.

It's best to leave old and overgrown boletus mushrooms where they are. Over time, they may have accumulated substances harmful to humans. Each mushroom found and cut should be cleared of soil, grass, leaves, and pine needles and placed cap-side down in a collecting container for safekeeping.

Useful properties and restrictions on use

The nutritional value of these mushrooms is quite high, they have the following effects:

• used as a natural antibiotic, helps in the treatment of inflammatory processes;
• contribute to the normalization of the mucous membranes of the eyes and improvement of vision;
• Vitamins A, B, C, D, PP and minerals (especially molybdenum) contained in fruits restore the normal functioning of the thyroid gland;
• improve the condition of nails and hair;

  

• B vitamins promote the renewal of nerve cells;
• Frequent consumption of these mushrooms reduces the risk of developing atherosclerosis, helps remove waste and toxins, strengthens the immune system, and renews the blood;
• help to stick to a diet (the caloric content of the product is 19 kcal per 100 g);
• The large amount of protein in mushrooms restores athletes' strength and increases their muscle mass.

Despite all the positive properties of boletus mushrooms, it's important to remember that they are a heavy food. They are not recommended for people with gastrointestinal or digestive problems.

Cooking tips and answers to frequently asked questions

This product can be stewed and boiled, fried and dried, marinated and salted – in any form it is very tasty.

But it needs to be prepared properly:

• rinse with running water;
• separate the caps and stems;
• clean all parts of the mushroom from dust and soil with a stiff brush;
• Use a sharp knife to cut out dark spots and hard areas;
• get rid of the spore layer under the cap;

  

• pour cold water for 10 minutes (to remove any remaining dirt);
• place in a colander until the water drains;
• dry with a paper towel.

Boil for at least 30 minutes. Before cooking, cut them into pieces and pour boiling water over them for 10 minutes. Boiled boletus mushrooms can be fried for a maximum of 10 minutes. No lid is required. Heat should be kept to low.

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Before frying, remove the caps from the raw mushrooms and soak them in cold water for 1 hour. Then, coat them in flour and place them in a frying pan with a little sunflower oil. Cook over low heat for about 40 minutes.

The most frequently asked questions

Edible boletus mushrooms can be identified not only by their appearance; the main clue is their ability to turn blue. False boletus mushrooms pose no particular danger, but due to their poor taste, they are considered conditionally edible and often unsuitable for human consumption. The advantages of boletus mushrooms include a long fruiting season and their health benefits.