Today we are going to talk about a type of mushroom that is edible but you have to be careful with it since it is toxic if eaten raw. It's about the amanita crocea. It is a species that is widely collected by all those fans of mushroom picking and can cause serious health situations. There are many people who ingest raw mushrooms since many can be consumed that way and it tastes good. However, this is not the case for it.
In this article we are going to tell you about all the characteristics, properties and possible confusions of the amanita crocea.
Key features
Hat and foils
It is a type of mushroom that has a hat that usually reaches 10 centimeters in diameter, and even exceeds them. The shape of the hat is ovoid when young, but it becomes convex in shape as it becomes an adult. Those specimens that have already reached full maturity have an extended shaped hat. One of the characteristics that can help differentiate this mushroom from others is that the hat retains a small mamelon in its central part.
The cuticle is smooth and striated at the margin. It is usually pale orange or saffron in color and the color is evenly distributed. It does not present any traces of volva and is easily detachable from the hat. One of the activities that we can do to learn to separate one species from another is to see how easily the cuticle of the hat separates. There are some species that are easier than others. In many of them, it is a differential characteristic. Thus, all these aspects must be taken into account when collecting mushrooms.
The blades of the amanita crocea they are normally white in color. In some specimens, depending on the places of growth and rainfall, we can see that there are some colors with cream or yellowish nuances. These sheets are positioned so that it is not too tight between them and has interspersed lamellae. With respect to the foot they are free and have a floconous edge.
Pie and meat
As for the foot, it has a central location and a cylindrical shape. If we analyze with respect to the hat, we can see that it is quite long. It has a white color and is finely covered by zigzag scales. We found this smooth foot in the variety Amanita crocea subnudipes.
One of the ways to differentiate the foot from other species is its upper part striated. It does not have a ring and its volva is enveloping in white. If we look inside the volva we can see that it has other shades of cream.
Lastly, its flesh is white in color and has a fragile texture. It is usually not very thick. It has hardly any noticeable odor and has a mild flavor.
Habitat of the amanita crocea
To find this type of mushroom we must go to the forests with deciduous trees. It is rare to find under conifers since they require the humidity and organic matter offered by the litter. When the litter is degraded through the biological activity of terrestrial microorganisms to provide a greater amount of organic matter to the soil. In addition, it helps retain more moisture when there is rainfall and low temperatures.
This environment of low temperature and high humidity is the perfect environment for the development of Amanita crocea. The harvesting season is mainly in late summer and early autumn when the first rainfalls of the annual hydrological cycle begin to fall. We mainly find this species in flatwood forests.
They can be found both alone and in groups. Its abundance depends on the rainfall that has occurred in spring and the amount of humidity that is during the summer.
It grows in the humid areas of hardwood tree forests, in particular of birch and beech, in the late summer and early fall season, in Europe.
It is considered a good edible with a good taste but it must be cooked beforehand before consumption. And it is that it is a species that is toxic in crude oil. There are people who consume mushrooms raw since they usually have a good flavor if they are edible for it. However, there are certain species such as the amanita crocea that needs to be cooked previously.
Possible confusions of the amanita crocea
This mushroom is very similar to the Amanita fulva. The main difference is that this species has a smooth foot and a colorful hat with a more reddish-brown color. The confusion is given since both mentioned species belong to the Amanitopsis section. This section includes all mushrooms that do not have a ring.
The reason why it cannot be eaten without previous cooking is because it has hemolysins. Hemolysins are molecules that destroy red blood cells. This is because they have a heat-labile essence that makes them inactive after 70 degrees. Therefore, it is not advisable to eat them raw. It is best to eat them grilled, cooked and fried.
One of the varieties of this species is the Subdunipes. It has a smooth white foot and is more scaly at the bottom. One difference from the main one is that the hat is shortly ridged on the brim. Another major confusion is the amanita caesarea. The main difference is that the species we have described does not have a ring and the plates are white. These sheets are responsible for clearly separating the two species so as not to give rise to confusion.
As you can see, it is a species that can lead to confusion and it is better to learn well to differentiate them. It can be of vital importance when collecting them. I hope that with this information you can learn more about la Amanita crocea.