Rhodotus palmatus (Rhodotus palmatus)
Systematics:- Department: Basidiomycota (Basidiomycetes)
- Subdivision: Agaricomycotina (Agaricomycetes)
- Class: Agaricomycetes (Agaricomycetes)
- Subclass: Agaricomycetidae (Agaricomycetes)
- Order: Agaricales (Agaric or Lamellar)
- Family: Physalacriaceae (Physalacriaceae)
- Genus: Rhodotus (Rodotus)
- Species: Rhodotus palmatus (Rhodotus palmatus)
Other names
- Dendrosarcus subpalmatus;
- Pleurotus subpalmatus;
- Gyrophila palmata;
- Rhodotus subpalmatus.
Rhodotus palmate is the only member of the genus Rhodotus, belonging to the Physalacriaceae family, and has a rather specific appearance. The pink or pinkish-orange cap of this fungus in mature fruiting bodies is densely speckled with a venous mesh. Because of this appearance, the described mushroom is often called a shriveled peach. The fruity aroma of mushroom pulp contributed to the emergence of this name to some extent. The palatability of the palm-like rhodotus is not very good, the pulp is very bitter, elastic.
External description
The fruiting body of the palm-shaped rhodotus is hat-pectus. The mushroom cap has a diameter of 3-15 cm, a convex shape and a curved edge, very elastic, initially with a smooth surface, and in old mushrooms it is covered with a wrinkled venous mesh. Only sometimes the surface of the cap of this mushroom remains unchanged. The mesh appearing on the cap of the mushroom is slightly lighter in color than the rest of the surface, while the color of the cap between the wrinkled scars can change. The color of the surface will depend on how intense the lighting was during the development of the fruiting body of the fungus. It can be orange, salmon, or pink. In young mushrooms, the fruiting body can secrete droplets of reddish liquid.
The leg of the mushroom is located in the center, more often - eccentric, has a length of 1-7 cm, and in diameter is 0.3-1.5 cm, sometimes hollow, the flesh of the leg is very hard, has a small edge on its surface, pinkish, but without a volva and a peri-cap ring ... The length of the stem will depend on how high-quality the lighting of the fruiting body was during the period of its development.
The mushroom flesh of the palm-shaped rhodotus is elastic, has a jelly-like layer located under the thin skin of the cap, a bitter taste and a barely expressed fruity aroma, reminiscent of the smell of citrus fruits or apricots. When interacting with iron salts, the color of the pulp immediately changes, becoming dark green.
The hymenophore of the described fungus is lamellar. The elements of the hymenophore are plates, located freely, can be creeping along the stem of the fungus or notched-attached. Often they have an abdomen, greater thickness and frequency of location. Moreover, large plates of the hymenophore are often interspersed with small and thin ones. According to the color of the plate of the described fungus, they are pale-salmon-pink, some of them do not reach the edge of the cap and the base of the stem. Fungal spores are 5.5-7 * 5-7 (8) microns in size. Their surface is covered with warts, and the spores themselves are often spherical.
Season and habitat of the fungus
Rhodotus palmatus belongs to the saprotroph category. He prefers to live mainly on the stumps and trunks of deciduous trees. Occurs singly or in small groups, mainly on elm trees. There is information about the growth of the described species of mushrooms on the wood of maple, American linden, horse chestnut. Griyu rhodotus palmate is widespread in many European countries, in Asia, North America, New Zealand, Africa. In mixed coniferous and deciduous forests, such mushrooms can be seen very rarely. The active fruiting of the palm-like rhodotus occurs from spring to late autumn.
Edibility
The palm-shaped rhodotus (Rhodotus palmatus) is inedible. In general, its nutritional properties have been little studied, but too tough pulp does not allow this mushroom to be eaten. Actually, these properties of the pulp make the described type of mushrooms inedible.
Similar types and differences from them
The palm-shaped rhodotus has a rather specific appearance. The cap in young mushrooms of this species is pinkish, and in mature mushrooms it is orange-pink, and on its surface is almost always visible a net of thin and closely intertwined veins characteristic of this species. Such signs do not allow the described mushroom to be confused with any other, in addition, the pulp of the fruit body has a clearly distinguishable fruity aroma.
Other information about the mushroom
Despite the fact that the Rhodotus palmate belongs to the number of inedible mushrooms, it has some medicinal properties. They were discovered in 2000 by a group of Spanish microbiologists. Research has confirmed that this type of fungus has good antimicrobial activity against human pathogens.
Rhodotus palmatus is included in the Red Book of several countries (Austria, Estonia, Romania, Poland, Norway, Germany, Sweden, Slovakia).