Weeping sickle (Serpula lacrymans)
Systematics:- Department: Basidiomycota (Basidiomycetes)
- Subdivision: Agaricomycotina (Agaricomycetes)
- Class: Agaricomycetes (Agaricomycetes)
- Subclass: Agaricomycetidae (Agaricomycetes)
- Order: Boletales
- Family: Serpulaceae (Serpulaceae)
- Genus: Serpula (Serpula)
- Species: Serpula lacrymans (Weeping sickle)
Fruit body:
the fruiting body of Weeping Serpula is rather shapeless and one might even say ugly. On a horizontal surface, the body is prostrate or flowing. On a vertical surface - drop-shaped. Sometimes the fruiting body seems to be trying, albeit unsuccessfully, to take the hoof-like shape traditional for tinder fungus. The size of the fruiting body is from ten to thirty centimeters, while the fruiting bodies can merge, forming a homogeneous mass of the global fruiting body. Young fruit bodies are white and look like formations between the logs. Roughly the same as Yellow Tinder, only white. Then, in the middle part, a tuberous, irregularly tubular brown hymenophore is formed, which produces separate outgrowths, like small fruit bodies with a brown core and a white edge. At the edges of the mushroom, you can see drops of liquid,due to which, Serpula Weeping received such a name.
Pulp:
the pulp is loose, wadded, very soft. The mushroom has a heavy smell, similar to the smell of damp dug earth.
Hymenophore:
labyrinth, tubular. At the same time, it is considered tubular with most of it conditionally. The hymenophore is extremely unstable. It is located in the central part of the fruiting body if the body is in a horizontal position. Otherwise, it is located where it works.
Spore Powder:
brown.
Spread:
Serpula Weeping is found in poorly ventilated buildings. It bears fruit during the whole warm period. If the room is heated, it can bear fruit all year round. The sickle destroys any wood with great speed. The presence of a mushroom is indicated by a thin layer of reddish-brown spore powder on all surfaces, which forms before falling onto the plank floor.
Similarity:
Serpula, a completely unique mushroom, is difficult to confuse with other species, especially for adult specimens.
Edibility:
don't even try.
Notes:
Weeping Serpula is a mushroom house that cries crocodile tears. The mushroom is really unpleasant and outwardly ugly. This mushroom secretes a huge amount of spores, even if all fruit bodies within sight and reach are destroyed, everything in the house is still covered with a layer of brown spore powder in a short period of time. Serpula is an omnivorous mushroom that is not afraid of anything. He even eats wood pretreated with a protective substance. If Serpula starts up in the house, it is scary to remain inactive, because it is not known where she will cry tomorrow. On the wood struck by Serpula, cotton-like clusters of mycelium, mycelial cords and fungal films are first formed. First, these formations are white, then they change the shade to yellowish, pinkish or gray.