Redhead (Leccinum aurantiacum)
Systematics:- Department: Basidiomycota (Basidiomycetes)
- Subdivision: Agaricomycotina (Agaricomycetes)
- Class: Agaricomycetes (Agaricomycetes)
- Subclass: Agaricomycetidae (Agaricomycetes)
- Order: Boletales
- Family: Boletaceae
- Genus: Leccinum (Obabok)
- Species: Leccinum aurantiacum (Redhead)
- Other names for the mushroom:
- Boletus red
- Common boletus
other names:
Redhead
Common boletus
- Boletus blood-red
- Boletus sanguinescens
Red cap boletus:
Red-orange, 5-15 cm in diameter, in youth it is spherical, "stretched" on the leg, opens over time. The skin is velvety, protrudes noticeably along the edges. The flesh is dense, white, on the cut quickly darkens to bluish-black.
Spore-bearing layer:
In youth, white, then grayish brown, thick, uneven.
Spore powder:
Yellow-brown.
Red boletus leg:
Up to 15 cm long, up to 5 cm in diameter, solid, cylindrical, thickened towards the bottom, white, sometimes greenish at the base, deeply sinking into the ground, covered with longitudinal fibrous scales of reddish-brown color. Velvety to the touch.
Spread:
Redhead grows from June to October, forming mycorrhiza mainly with aspens. Where they are not collected, it is found on a colossal scale.
Similar species:
As for the number of varieties of boletus (more precisely, the number of species of mushrooms, united under the Russian name "boletus"), there is no final clarity. Redhead (Leccinum aurantiacum) is characterized by lighter scales on the stem, not as wide a cap and a much more solid constitution, like in Leccinum versipelle. In texture, it rather resembles a boletus (Leccinum scabrum). Other species are also mentioned, distinguishing them mainly by the type of trees with which this fungus forms mycorrhiza: Leccinum quercinum with oak, L. peccinum with spruce, Leccinum vulpinum with pine. All these mushrooms are characterized by brown scales on the leg; in addition, "oak boletus" (sounds like "meadow honey") is distinguished by its pulp with dark gray spots. However,many popular publications unite all these varieties according to the banner of the red boletus, recording them only as subspecies.
Edibility:
To the highest degree.
Author's notes:
I don’t know how anyone else, but for me this particular mushroom is the real boletus, and not, say, the yellow-brown boletus (Leccinum versipelle). By the way, mushroom worms are of the same opinion. It is generally accepted that boletus are not wormy - and this is almost true in relation to Leccinum aurantiacum - which, unfortunately, cannot be said about yellow-brown. However, in this regard, only the violins are perfect.
Boletus is a mushroom of luck. Since childhood, I have mixed feelings about him. On the one hand, it is beautiful. On the other hand, it's not fair. It is often found by random people who have nothing to do with mushrooms. Still, try not to find it. And he often bypasses the real professionals of the mushroom business, and nothing can be done about it. There is simply no special way to find a boletus. Lucky or unlucky. Craftsmanship doesn't count.