Today we are talking about a type of mushroom that is considered a good edible and is in great demand in the kitchen. It's about the Amanita rubescens. It is a mushroom in high demand by those who are dedicated to collecting wolf mushrooms to be able to taste them in various dishes. However, we must be careful with this type of mushroom since they have some toxic components and we must know how to differentiate all this well.
For this, we are going to dedicate this article to explain all the characteristics, properties and how to find the Amanita rubescens.
Key features
Hat and foils
It is a type of mushroom whose hat has a shape that evolves as it develops. When it is a young mushroom it has a globular appearance and becomes more and more convex as it develops until it reaches an almost flat shape in its adult stage. The diameter of this hat varies between 5 and 15 centimeters, sometimes it can even be larger. It has a cuticle with a typically wine reddish color but can be very variable. There are some specimens that have lighter almost whitish tones and that can give rise to various confusions with other species of similar mushrooms.
The hat also usually has numerous remnants of the universal veil in the form of cottony warts. To easily recognize these hats you must see that the universal ones are pinkish or grayish white and never white. If it is totally white it will be another species of mushroom. This is one of the most common indicators used to differentiate between amanita rubescens of other similar species. Sometimes we can find these remains that disappear almost completely in large areas of the hat.
The hat is quite fleshy, consistent but somewhat fragile. The cuticle can be easily separated from the rest of the skin and has a smooth and shiny surface that differs from other species. The margin of the hat is delicate, curved flat and is not striated. This is another indicative that can help us differentiate this species from another. It is necessary to comment on the great variability that exists in terms of appearance, color and other characteristics of this hat between specimens of the same species.
Its blades are tight, free and we find a large number of them. They also have smaller size lamélulas. Its color is white and it stains with age as it develops and acquires reddish tones. The edges of the blades are the same color and somewhat floppy.
Pie and meat
As for the foot, it is cylindrical in shape, robust and full. It becomes thicker in texture as we go towards the base. With age it is a foot that evolves into a claviform shape with a smooth continuous bulb. They usually measure approximately between 8 and 15 centimeters tall and between 1 to 4 centimeters in diameter. It is a completely white foot, although it can also be seen in other derived colors such as creamy white or pinkish white. It has slight striations with some darker fibrils and in a zigzag position that goes from the ring to the cap. Underneath even the volva has a darker appearance with a soft vinous stippling and somewhat more fibrillous. When we go to the base of the foot we see that the volva has a mold and has the same pink color but something more accentuated. The foot gradually breaks down into smaller pieces.
The lower part of the foot is usually attacked by larvae, so you have to pay attention when collecting these specimens. Many of the larvae tend to stay on the bulb and even on the part of the foot that is in contact with the ground. When the foot is touched, it usually turns into slightly darker vinous pink colors. The ring is quite wide and membranous with a whitish color but with striations on its upper part when it is young and with a slightly vinous color on its lower part.
Finally, we analyze your meat. This white color changes to more or less intense vinous pink tones when cut or rubbed. This tendency to change to burgundy pink tones can be seen most intensely on the inside of the foot. The meat is quite consistent but it softens with age. Under the cuticle this meat also acquires a vinous color. It can be recognized with the naked eye since this mushroom has a very mild fungal smell and has a sweet taste that becomes acidic after a short period of time.
Ecology and habitat of the amanita rubescens
This species is quite common in almost all types of forests and soils. You only need an area with a lot of foliage and with a high level of humidity. It is a mycorrhizal species of numerous and varied trees. We can find the amanita rubescens both solitary form as in groups of few specimens during the time of late spring until autumn.
It can grow in both deciduous and coniferous forests. It has a very good edibility that makes it a very appreciated mushroom in the kitchen. However, you have to be very careful with it. Not only because it physically resembles other types of mushrooms and we can make mistakes when harvesting, but because the amanita rubescens it has various volatile toxic components.
It is a type of mushroom that should never be eaten raw. It should be cooked very well and picking is recommended only to those who already have good mushroom picking experience.
Possible confusions of the amanita rubescens
As we have mentioned throughout the article, this species is often confused with other very similar mushrooms. We are going to enumerate each of them:
- pantherine amanita: This species is very toxic and its hat can have a color very similar to that of the amanita rubescens. The main difference between the two resides in their meat. And it is that the meat of the amanita rubescens life colored to vinous pink while the other is immutable. In addition, it can be seen that this species has a striated margin while the one we are analyzing does not.
- Amanita spissa: this species is quite similar to it. The main difference is that it has a napiform and pointed bulb and smells like radish. This species is not toxic but it is a mediocre edible.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about the Amanita rubescens.