Today we are going to talk about a type of mushroom that belongs to the Tricholomas group and that there are doubts about whether it is edible or not. It's about the tricholoma virgatum. It is a mushroom with a fairly edible appearance but it can have certain toxic risks in its consumption. Therefore, it is important to know all its characteristics and differentiating aspects so as not to make mistakes when collecting.
In this article we are going to tell you all the characteristics, habitat and possible confusions of the tricholoma virgatum.
Key features
Hat and foils
His hat is a size of between 3 to 7 centimeters and has a conical shape when young. As it develops and reaches adulthood it becomes a hat with a flat and convex shape. It has a pointed nipple in the center that keeps it throughout its life. This hat has a diameter that ranges from 4 to 8 centimeters. The texture of this hat is soft and slightly velvety. This can serve as a reference to differentiate this hat from others of the Tricholomas group that also have a mamelon in the center.
In addition, it has a slightly fleshy and fibrous appearance. It has greyish tones that oscillate between ash and light purple. When the specimens are young we see that the hat has a conical shape and when they mature they become convex. They are hats that do not completely flatten at any time. They can be presented with a pointed conical shape since the mamelon in the center has this shape.
The central part always remains even though the cap has widened due to the development of the mushroom. The edges are raised and somewhat sinuous. The cuticle is shiny and contains radial fibrils of darker color on a silver background. As they are shiny, the fibrils are silky and have a more or less intense silver-gray color. All these small details can help us to differentiate this mushroom from another very similar one in the same group.
Its blades are low-cut, ventruded and of a color between whitish and greyish. They are light gray in color and small darker spots can often be seen. These dots are more abundant in the area around the edge of the hat. The blades are very tight between them although they are wide. It has a rounded shape with the foot and the edge slightly cropped. It is seen as there are intercalated large amounts of lamélulas that vary in length.
Pie and meat
As for the foot, it has a solid white and fibrous appearance. With a cylindrical shape, it can measure up to 9 centimeters in height and 1.5 centimeters in diameter.. Its meat is also white, although it turns gray when cut. This can help us again as an indicator to differentiate the tricholoma virgatum from another mushroom of the same group.
It has an earthy smell and a spicy and bitter taste. It is usually a foot that is cylindrical in shape, although it can also be straight and slightly flared at the base. It can get dirty pink easily with rubbing.
Finally, its meat is dense and whitish. It has a somewhat more grayish color in the areas under the cuticle. When the said meat has been cut you can see how it turns into an okra cream color. It has a relatively soft texture like the hat although it is more fibrous than the foot. It has a mealy smell that is difficult to define. Some say it has a radish-like smell. Its flavor is bitter so it can be clearly distinguished that it is not edible as soon as you taste it.
Habitat of the tricholoma virgatum
This mushroom grows abundantly in coniferous forests. They are usually found in large numbers in the Basque Country and Catalonia. The time of development and growth is in autumn. If spring has had abundant rainfall and average temperatures are lower, we can find this mushroom also in summer. It is usually quite common and can be developed both alone and in small groups.
Preferably grow in acidic soils of coniferous forests. The largest area of distribution occurs in late summer and early fall. There is some controversy since it is confused with other species of the same group. They can also develop in beech trees and this makes it possible to be confused with other mushrooms that grow in flatwood forests in which the tricholoma virgatum it is less common.
It is a mushroom that has a small toxicity and its consumption is not advisable at all. Some experts consider it toxic although it has mild poisoning effects. To avoid any possible poisoning it is characterized as an inedible mushroom. What's more, its organoleptic characteristics are not very positive for consumption although it was not toxic. Its bitter smell and taste is not a delicacy at all.
Given the possible confusion of this mushroom with others that are edible from the same group, we are going to describe what are the main confusions of the Tricholoma virgatum.
Confusions of the tricholoma virgatum
The characteristics that we must take into account to visualize this species and not confuse it with another of the same group is its hat. It has a diameter much Smaller than foot length and when extended it tends to appear somewhat more silver in appearance. The mamelon in the center maintains it throughout its life, while other mushrooms shed in adulthood.
Keep in mind that the hat will be horn-shaped and pointed throughout its growth stage. If we get to eat it, we just have to look at its bitter and burning taste with a long-lasting effect.
The mushrooms that are most often confused with are the Tricholoma portentosum, also known as nasturtium and the Tricholoma sejunctum.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about the tricholoma virgatum and their characteristics.