Giant raincoat (Calvatia gigantea)
Systematics:- Department: Basidiomycota (Basidiomycetes)
- Subdivision: Agaricomycotina (Agaricomycetes)
- Class: Agaricomycetes (Agaricomycetes)
- Subclass: Agaricomycetidae (Agaricomycetes)
- Order: Agaricales (Agaric or Lamellar)
- Family: Agaricaceae (Champignon)
- Genus: Calvatia
- Species: Calvatia gigantea (Giant raincoat)
- Other names for the mushroom:
- Giant Golovach
- Langermany is giant
Other names:
The raincoat is giant;
Langermania is gigantic;
Bovista gigantea;
Langermannia gigantea;
Lycoperdon giganteum.
Giant raincoat is a type of mushroom from the genus Golovach of the Champignon family.
Langermania (bighead) giant (Calvatia gigantea) - the body of the mushroom fruit has the shape of a ball or egg, flattened, sometimes up to 50 cm in diameter, at the base there is a thick tapered mycelial cord. Exoperidium is paper-like, very thin, quickly cracks into irregular pieces and disappears. The shell is thick and brittle, breaks into pieces of irregular shape and falls off, revealing a cotton-like inner pulp (gleba).
The pulp (gleba) is initially white, then yellow-green, when it is fully ripe it becomes olive brown. The outside color of the fruiting body is initially white, then gradually turns brown over time.
Spores are the most valuable medicine. They have a high antitumor effect. A medicine called calvacin was made from the mushroom, the properties of which have been tested on animals with cancer and sarcoma. This drug is active against 13 types of studied tumors out of 24. It is also used in folk medicine for the treatment of smallpox, laryngitis, urticaria, has anesthetic properties similar to chloroform.
Distribution - the mushroom can be found almost everywhere, but most often in the temperate zone. It is found alone, but having appeared in one place, it may disappear at all or not appear for a very long time. This type is called "meteor". On the territory of Russia, it was found in the European part, in Karelia, in the Far East, in Siberia in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. Also in the North Caucasus. Grows in mixed and deciduous forests, meadows, fields, pastures, in the steppes one by one.
Edible - the mushroom is edible at a young age, while the flesh is firm, firm and white.
Video about a giant raincoat mushroom: