Saucer pink-red (Discina perlata)
Systematics:- Department: Ascomycota (Ascomycetes)
- Subdivision: Pezizomycotina (Pesizomycotins)
- Class: Pezizomycetes (Pecicomycetes)
- Subclass: Pezizomycetidae (Pecicomycetes)
- Order: Pezizales
- Family: Discinaceae
- Genus: Discina (Discina)
- Species: Discina perlata (Saucer pink-red)
- Other names for the mushroom:
- Thyroid dyscina
- Thyroid saucer
Synonyms:
Saucer pink-red
Thyroid saucer
Discina ancilis
The fruiting body of thyroid discina:
The shape is disc-shaped or saucer-shaped, veinous, often irregular, strongly wavy. The diameter of the cap is 4-15 cm. The color varies from brown to pinkish-olive. The underside is off-white or gray, with prominent veins. The pulp is brittle, thin, whitish or gray, with a weak mushroom odor and taste.
Leg:
Short (up to 1 cm), veined, does not separate from the lower surface of the cap.
Spore powder:
White.
Spread:
The saucer pink-red comes across from the beginning of May to mid-summer (a massive exit, as a rule, occurs in mid or late May) in forests of various types, in parks, often located near the rotting remains of trees or directly on them. Apparently prefers coniferous wood.
Similar species:
In the same places and at the same time, Discina venosa also grows. It occurs, obviously, somewhat less often thyroid dyscina.
Edibility:
It is considered an edible mushroom of not the highest quality - something at the level of an ordinary line (Gyromitra esculenta).
Remarks
What this mushroom is interesting for is that it appears in a complete mushroomless environment (at least in "our" places), and thus attracts increased attention. It must be admitted that thickets of large juicy discines make an all-round pleasant impression - especially if they turn out to be the only type of mushroom found as a result of many hours of searching. Maybe a good impression is associated with the noble coloration of the fruit bodies, suggesting the idea of a porcini mushroom. One way or another, the mushroom itself asks for a bag, and even fair warnings about its low value, without which no description is complete, are usually wasted.