Hericium white (Hydnum albidum)
Systematics:- Department: Basidiomycota (Basidiomycetes)
- Subdivision: Agaricomycotina (Agaricomycetes)
- Class: Agaricomycetes (Agaricomycetes)
- Subclass: Incertae sedis (undefined)
- Order: Cantharellales (Chanterelle (Cantarella))
- Family: Hydnaceae (Hericium)
- Genus: Hydnum (Hydnum)
- Species: Hydnum albidum (Hericium white)
Synonyms :
Hericium whitish
- Dentinum albidum
- Hydnum repandum var. albidum
White Hericium (Hydnum albidum) differs little from the more well-known counterparts of the Yellow Hericium (Hydnum repandum) and Reddish-yellow Hericium (Hydnum rufescens). Some sources do not bother with separate descriptions for these three species, their similarity is so great. However, many sources note that the white hedgehog appeared (in Russia) relatively recently.
Description
Hat : White in various variations: pure white, whitish, whitish, with shades of yellowish and grayish. Blurry spots in the same tones may be present. The diameter of the cap is 5-12, sometimes up to 17 or even more, centimeters in diameter. In young mushrooms, the cap is slightly convex, with edges bent down. With growth, it becomes prostrate, with a concave middle. Dry, firm, slightly velvety to the touch.
Hymenophore : Spines. Short, whitish, whitish-pinkish, conical, pointed at the ends, densely spaced, elastic in young mushrooms, become very brittle with age, easily crumble in adult mushrooms. Descend a little on the leg.
Leg : up to 6 cm high and up to 3 cm wide. White, dense, solid, does not form voids even in adult mushrooms.
Flesh : white, firm.
Smell : pleasant mushroom, sometimes with some "floral" shade.
Taste : Taste information is quite inconsistent. So, in the English-language sources it is noted that the taste of the white hedgehog is sharper than that of the yellow barn, even pungent, pungent. Russian-speaking people say that these two species practically do not differ in taste, except that the flesh of the yellow is more tender. In overgrown specimens of white barnacle, the flesh may become too dense, corky, and bitter. Most likely, these differences in taste are related to the place of growth (region, forest type, soil).
Spore powder : White.
Spores are ellipsoid, not amyloid.
Season and habitat
Summer - autumn, from July to October, however, this framework can shift quite a lot depending on the region.
It forms mycorrhiza with various deciduous and coniferous species of trees, therefore it grows well in forests of various types: coniferous (prefers pine), mixed and deciduous. Prefers damp places, moss cover. A prerequisite for the growth of white hedgehog is calcareous soil.
Occurs singly and in groups, under favorable conditions can grow very heap, in large groups.
Distribution : North America, countries of Europe and Asia. It is massively distributed in countries such as Bulgaria, Spain, Italy, France. In Russia, it is seen in the southern regions, in the temperate forest zone.
Edibility
Edible. It is used boiled, fried, pickled. Good for drying.
According to some sources, it has medicinal properties.
Similar species
It is very difficult to confuse the white hedgehog with some other mushroom: the whitish color and "spines" are quite a bright business card.
The two closest species, yellow hedgehog (Hydnum repandum) and reddish yellow hedgehog (Hydnum rufescens), are distinguished by the color of the cap. Hypothetically, of course, a very light form of a yellow hair man (adult, faded) can be very similar to a white bar fly, but since an adult yellow bar is not bitter, it will not spoil the dish.
Other information about the mushroom
Hericium white, as a rather rare species, is listed in the Red Data Books of some countries (Norway) and some regions of Russia.