Today we are going to talk about a type of mushroom that is quite widespread throughout the peninsula and that is considered a good edible. It's about the ponderosa amanita. The word ponderosa comes from Latin and refers to how compact the specimens of this group are. This mushroom is one of the most demanded at harvest times by all those people who are fond of mushrooms.
In this article we are going to tell you all the characteristics and properties of the ponderosa amanita.
Key features
Hat and foils
This type of mushroom has a hat that is quite large in size. It has a diameter that measures between 4 and 20 centimeters. The cuticle of the hat is thick and white in color when young. As the mushroom develops and reaches maturity, the color of the hat evolves towards a reddish ocher color. The cuticle is separable from the meat in its entirety. You can see some remnants of the universal veil when we separate the cuticle from the meat. This universal veil is presented in the form of plates with a membranous texture. They have a suffered ocher color and are usually irregular in size.
The shape as they can be in many of the other amanitas varies from hemispherical to convex. And is that the ponderosa fly agaric Like others in this group, they change the shape of their hat throughout their growth. When they are young they have a hemispherical shape and, as they develop, they acquire a flat convex shape. This hat is quite fleshy and consistent, the margins of which are not studied and can sometimes be found with remnants of the universal veil, whenever they are young. This hat is usually found stained with remains of earth since it is a species that usually develops half buried. This type of species is called semi-hypogeal
Its blades are white in color to a creamy white. We can also find some specimens with colors tending to pinkish cream and with some ocher spots when they are adults. These mushrooms are free, numerous and have some lamélula although not too many.
Pie and meat
As for the foot, it has a cylindrical shape. It is usually wider at the base and with a robust bearing. Its color is between white to creamy pink. When it tends to grow at first, it has a more ocher color and measures between 6 to 13 centimeters high and 2 to 6 centimeters in diameter. This foot is completely full, but when they grow they become fistulous. It has a fugitive ring, fragile, mealy and somewhat membranous throughout. Sometimes you can find some remains of rings like flaps that are glued to the foot. One of the ways to differentiate this species from another is that when the foot is damaged it turns a reddish tone.
The base widens with a bulb that is surrounded by a large, fairly wide and thick volva. The margin is clipped and irregular in shape.
Finally, its meat is white, thick and quite tender when it is young. And it is that this mushroom has a peculiarity that its flesh softens significantly with age. We can find many adult specimens that redden when cut. The flavor of the meat is very sweet and smooth with a soft smell reminiscent of wet earth. This smell is very characteristic of amanitas since they all tend to grow semi buried.
Habitat and ecology of the ponderosa fly agaric
La ponderosa fly agaric It is a kind of mushroom that appears in the winter months. The point where its area of distribution is greatest is between the months of January to March. The areas where there are more specimens is usually linked to holm oaks and cork oaks. It is an endemic species that only develops in southern Spain and North Africa.
As we have mentioned before, it is a semi-hypogeal and mycorrhizal species that develops in the roots of the species of the Quercus genus. It usually prefers spring to bear fruit, although sometimes, if the weather is good, it usually appears until January. They can also be found related to rockrose.
Regarding its edibility, the ponderosa fly agaric is classified as a good edible. It is quite appreciated in the south of the peninsula, which is where it is an endemic species. In these areas, numerous gastronomic days are held with this species as the main ingredient and protagonist of the event. The reasons why it is considered a good edible is because it has a quite pleasant texture and a very mild flavor.
Possible confusions of the ponderosa fly agaric
As is often the case with large numbers of mushrooms, one species should not be confused with another when harvesting. The ponderosa fly agaric it can be confused with other spring fruiting amanitas. We are going to review the most frequent possible confusions that we find with this type of mushroom.
The first is the Verna Amanita. We can confuse it with this mushroom that is springtime and that its hat is white for life. The difference that we can also use to differentiate them is that it does not make anything red by hurting it or the cut. His skin is very smooth and his ring is pendant and striated. Unlike the ponderosa fly agaric this specimen is toxic and can be fatal.
amanita decipiens. This type of mushroom is also often confused as it has the same characteristics as the species fly agaric. Like the previous one, it is a toxic mushroom and can be deadly.
Finally, it can be confused with the amanita curtipes and Amanita Valens. The two are autumnal mushrooms with much resemblance to each other and differ from the ponderosa fly agaric in that they are much smaller, becoming in adults up to 8 centimeters in diameter. With this type of mushroom, the nice thing we can do is have a lower quality edible. However, these are not toxic so we are not in danger in case of confusion.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about la ponderosa amanita.