Today we are going to talk about a type of spring mushroom highly demanded by those who are fond of collecting. It's about the footpaths. Its scientific name is bad Marasmius oreades. It is one of the wild mushrooms a subject consumed in our peninsula. It is quite in demand because it has a delicious flavor and is very easy to preserve. The other reason is because it has a wide area of distribution throughout the areas of the peninsula and the islands. For this reason, it is also considered one of the mushrooms with the most variety of popular names.
In this article we are going to tell you everything you need to know about footpaths.
Common names of senderuelas
Let's first talk about common names and their varieties. Being such a famous edible there are many names by which it is called. Apart from senderuela, it is known by the following popular names: carrerillas mushroom, needle mushroom, senderina, corro mushroom, pucherete, gusarones, red, rubber, sendejuelas, etc. Being so widely distributed throughout the peninsula and the islands in each part it is known by one of those names among others.
Key features
They are small mushrooms that grow in meadows and roadsides and have quite peculiar characteristics that make it a fairly easy to identify mushroom. This hat is small in size and is in a margin between 2 and 7 centimeters in diameter. When they are young specimens they have a convex and conical shaped hat. As they develop and reach their adult stage, their hat becomes flat in shape and a central mamelon is accentuated. Your cuticle cannot be easily separated and it has quite light cream tones. It is as if it were a coffee with milk color although a little more reddish.
The margin of the hats is striated in specimens that are already adults and as long as there is high humidity. When we are in the rainy season the color of this hat lightens a bit with this weather. They have cream-white blades and are a little lighter in hue than the hat. They are separated from each other and are quite thick. The separation between them is by lamellae.
As for the foot, it is quite characteristic. It is a foot that has a lot of resistance to torsion. When we take this mushroom it is very difficult for it to break when it is bent at the foot. In addition, it is very long in length and has a slightly bulbous base where the mycelium and soil can adhere when it is collected. The color of the foot is the same as that of the hat. Its shape is usually straight except for some specimens that grow in bunches and that it is more common to see them in the rainy season. In these cases, when the senderuelas grow in small groups we can see that their feet have a curved shape due to lack of space.
Finally, because it has a small size its meat is not very abundant. To this we must add that the foot must be discarded due to its hardness. You have to collect a good number of mushrooms so that we can make the most of the meat possible. It is a fairly aromatic mushroom and gives off a bitter almond smell. Its meat is very tasty and highly valued in mushroom cooking. One of the characteristics that also helps make the senderuelas famous in the kitchen is that it is not attacked by insects nor does it rot. This is due to the fact that it is very easy to dry.
Distribution area and habitat of the senderuelas
Being so highly valued, it is usually a highly sought after plant. When you go out to look for mushrooms and find a good bunch of trails, the satisfaction you get is incredible. One of these flushes can cause the entire basket to be filled completely. Because this mushroom is quite easy to store, we can collect, enjoy and store them throughout the season.
And it is that the footpaths grow in the meadows and meadows that are fertilized by the cattle, in the clearings of the forests, in pastures and gardens. It can also be found on the roadsides. When you go looking for mushrooms and you find the trails, you will be able to recognize them quickly since there is a ring due to the burning that leaves the mycelium to develop or the change in tone that the grass has on the edge. This is because there is a high amount of nitrates that are released during its development. In addition, the characteristic of growing in the form of mycelium makes them have quite capricious shapes and, therefore, they receive some of the common names such as carrerillas, rings or witch circles.
The harvest time is both in spring and autumn. It can prolong its appearance until the summer as long as the rainfall is abundant and the temperature is moderate. It is not able to withstand too high temperatures. Whenever there are generous rains, it can appear with great force and always in the same place. This is the reason why many people know and write down the exact locations of the trails so that they can be collected each year. This is a well-kept secret that is passed down from generation to generation in rural areas.
Tips for harvesting
If you are going to look for her footprints for the first time, it is important to analyze the marks she leaves to develop. And it is that you can see that in these areas where they develop you can see different colors in the grass or burned parts that do not have grass. These marks are caused by the substances that the mycelium gives off. Being of a different color it can be distinguished practically throughout the year. If we can distinguish one of the mushrooms, we can already be sure that in the senderuelas season we can collect good portions.
The shapes they have are not always circular, but can take very whimsical shapes. The route is always a winding row. From there it can be known by other names. Being such a special mushroom it is not usually confused with another species. What can be done is accidentally collected together with another species.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about the trails.