Among the little-known mushrooms there is a completely exotic one - edible umbrella mushroom. This species includes three varieties: the umbrella is white, variegated and blushing. They all belong to saprotrophs, grow at the same time, appear in the same places. The edible umbrella mushroom is amazing in its size, on spacious sunny edges it reaches unprecedented sizes: the diameter of the cap is 50-60 cm, the height of the leg is 40-45 cm. It seems strange that these specimens are edible.

An umbrella is a mushroom (photo above), which belongs to category 4. Although few mushroom pickers dare to collect these giants because of their resemblance to amanita and toadstools. The lamellar fruiting body has a cap on average 15-25 cm in diameter, but it can be much larger. In young mushrooms, it is always egg-shaped, convex, then straightens, becoming like an umbrella. The cap has a peculiar tubercle in the center. Large brown scales remain in the adult fruiting body on the entire surface of the fungus. The edges hang down slightly and have a fringe. A very specific one suggests that this species cannot be edible in any way. The gigantic size and unusual appearance are more reminiscent of the fly agaric and toadstool.

However, the younger the edible umbrella mushroom is, the safer and tastier it is. Its flesh is loose, white, very dense, in older specimens it is cotton-wool, but with a pleasant aroma and characteristic mushroom taste.

The leg is very long, brown, 2-3 cm in diameter, up to 30-50 cm high. It is always thickened at the point of contact with the ground. The surface is scaly, the flesh is tough, which is why the legs are often discarded during processing. There is a ring on the body that can be easily moved up and down, since it is attached freely. Only edible umbrellas have a characteristic "serpentine" or scaly pattern, and no poisonous counterparts - this is the main distinguishing feature.

You can find edible umbrella mushrooms all over the world. Their distribution is so widespread that almost any deciduous or can boast of these giants. They can also be found in fields, meadows, park areas. Fruit bodies appear at the height of summer and grow until the end of September, especially persistent ones easily survive the October frosts, however, they lose their beautiful appearance. You can see them in glades, forest edges, along roads and even in garden plots. In well-lit places it can form impressive colonies, the so-called "witch's rings".

The edible umbrella mushroom is usually not harvested for future use, it is good boiled and fried, but not suitable for conservation. At the same time, from especially large specimens, only hats are taken for cooking. When choosing them, you need to be extremely careful. As soon as the umbrella head is fully opened, the mushroom becomes unusable.

Jul-8-2017

Umbrella mushrooms are quite interesting representatives of the mushroom world, which many mushroom pickers simply bypass or destroy. This is primarily due to the fact that the umbrella mushroom in appearance very much resembles fly agarics and some species of toadstools, although much larger than them. Nevertheless, among this family, there are mushrooms that, according to many experienced mushroom pickers and cooks, are a true delicacy.

Among these mushrooms, the most famous are the variegated umbrella mushroom, the white umbrella mushroom and the blushing umbrella mushroom.

Mushroom umbrella variegated (Latin Macrolepiota procera)

Synonyms: mushroom umbrella large, mushroom umbrella tall

Description of the variegated umbrella mushroom:

The variegated umbrella mushroom is an edible lamellar mushroom, known to some mushroom pickers as the large umbrella mushroom. Grows singly and in groups from late July to mid-October, invariably producing bountiful harvests, which peak in August-September. It is necessary to look for it in open areas of coniferous or mixed forest, clearings, as well as in rare thickets of bushes, gardens and along roadsides.

In young mushrooms, the cap is ovoid, with curved edges, from which a dense veil originates, hiding the spore-bearing layer. Gradually, the shape of the cap changes, it flattens and becomes prostrate with a barely noticeable tubercle in the middle. On average, the diameter of the cap of a mature mushroom is about 25-30 cm, but in some specimens it can reach 40 cm.

The surface of the cap is dry, dull, densely covered with lagging brown scales of various sizes, and along the edge there are also small cracks. The skin is painted in various shades of brown, the edge of the cap is decorated with an intricate pattern of white flakes.

The plates are rare, loose, fragile; they are separated from the stem by a thin movable white ring. Over time, their white color acquires a pronounced pinkish tint. In the process of growth, the club-shaped stem becomes even, leaving a slight thickening in the form of a tuber at the base. Its surface is brown colored and covered with light ring-shaped cracks. Inside, the leg is hollow, has a fibrous structure. The pulp is soft, cotton-like, with a pleasant nutty smell, becomes dense with age, and even stiff in the leg.

Similar edible species:

The graceful umbrella mushroom (Macrolepiota gracilenta) and similar species are much smaller.

Red umbrella mushroom (Chlorophyllum rhacodes) is smaller, with a "shaggy" surface of the cap and reddening flesh.

Similar species are poisonous:

Chlorophyllum molybdites is found in North America, is smaller, its flesh turns red-brown when pressed, and the spore powder is olive-green.

Chlorophyllum brunneum is smaller, with reddened flesh.

Compared to other members of the mushroom family, the variegated umbrella has the highest taste. So, in France, it is considered a delicacy and is used to prepare delicious dishes.

As a rule, young frying caps are used (pre-boiling is excluded). It tastes like chicken with a nutty flavor. Can be cooked like pancakes, dipped whole in beaten eggs, rolled in flour and fried.

Delicious as a filling for pies along with fried onions. Suitable for soups, pickling, pickling and drying. Sometimes raw it is used for salads, sandwiches. In some countries, the tough legs are dried and ground into powder, which serves as a seasoning with a pronounced mushroom taste and smell.

In the Baltics, whole umbrella hats, breaded in breadcrumbs, are served as a delicacy in restaurants, and the umbrellas themselves are valued there more than white, boletus and aspen mushrooms.

White umbrella mushroom (Latin Macrolepiota excoriata).

Synonyms: mushroom-umbrella field.

Description:

Quite a rare edible lamellar mushroom, owing its name to the external resemblance to an umbrella. Grows singly and in groups from mid-July to late September in open areas of coniferous or deciduous forests, as well as in pastures, meadows and along roadsides.

The spherical cap of the mushroom becomes prostrate over time. Its average diameter is about 8-10 cm. The skin is fine-scaled, light brown in color with a brown center. In mature mushrooms, it gradually becomes covered with a dense network of cracks. The spore-bearing layer consists of thin white plates forming a cartilaginous protrusion around the stem. The stem is rounded, wider at the base, hollow inside, 6–8 cm high and no more than 1 cm in diameter. The surface of the stem is covered with small scales, whitish at the cap, brown at the base. The leg is adorned with a distinctive two-layer white movable ring. During the growth of the mushroom, the pulp changes its color from white to gray. In the cap it is thin and delicate, and in the stem it is fibrous and tough.

The white umbrella mushroom belongs to the fourth category of mushrooms. Only the caps of young mushrooms are used for food, which can be subjected to all types of culinary processing.

The white umbrella mushroom is widespread throughout Europe, in some Asian countries (Iran, Turkey), in Siberia and the Far East, on both American continents, as well as in Africa and on some islands (Cuba, Sri Lanka). It is a delicacy mushroom in Chinese cuisine.

Similar edible species:

Umbrella mushroom thin (Macrolepiota mastoidea) and Umbellate mushroom mastoidea (Macrolepiota mastoidea) with thinner cap flesh, the tubercle on the cap is more pointed.

Similar species are poisonous:

Poisonous Lepiota (Lepiota helveola) is a highly poisonous mushroom, usually much smaller (up to 6 cm). It also features a gray-pink skin of the cap and a pinkish flesh.

Inexperienced mushroom pickers may confuse this umbrella with the deadly poisonous stinking fly agaric, which is found only in forests, has a free volva at the base of the leg (it can be in the soil) and a white smooth cap, often covered with filmy flakes.

Red umbrella mushroom (lat.Clorophyllum rhacodes)

Synonyms: mushroom umbrella shaggy

Description:

The blush umbrella mushroom is an edible lamellar mushroom. Another name is shaggy umbrella. It grows in small groups from early July until the first frost, giving consistently high yields annually. He chooses mixed and coniferous forests as habitats, especially young spruce forests, as well as nutrient-rich garden and greenhouse soils and areas in the vicinity of anthills. In addition, he loves the company of a gray talker and a purple ryadovka.

In young mushrooms, the cap is blunt-bell-shaped and smooth, but over time it becomes spherical and its surface is covered with large raised scales. In old mushrooms, the cap again changes its shape to an extended one with cracked edges. The diameter of the cap is 10–12 cm. Initially, the cap is colored red-brown, which gradually fades and becomes first pink and then grayish. Moreover, its middle remains darker throughout the season. The plates are descending, at the leg they form a cartilaginous protrusion.

In young mushrooms, they are white, then turn pinkish. The stem is light brown, hollow inside, clavate, but eventually becomes even, forming only a small tuber at the base. At a height of about 20 cm, its diameter rarely exceeds 1.5 cm. The surface of the upper part of the leg is smooth, and the lower part is slightly pubescent. The leg has a characteristic wide, movable brown ring with an outward-bent edge.

The flesh of young mushrooms is dry, friable, in mature ones it is fleshy and dense. The white color of the pulp quickly turns red on the cut.

Similar edible species:

The variegated umbrella mushroom (Macrolepiota procera) is larger, its flesh does not change color.

The umbrella mushroom is thin (Macrolepiota gracilenta) and similar species are smaller and with a slender stem, their flesh does not turn red.

The girl's umbrella mushroom (Leucoagaricus nympharum) is distinguished by a very light cap and flesh slightly changing on the cut.

Similar species are poisonous:

Chlorophyllum molybdites occurs in North America and is distinguished by its olive green spore print.

Chlorophyllum brunneum has a brown color, larger scales on the cap and a thick stem with a powerful tuberous base, found in some European countries and in North America.

Only the caps of young mushrooms are used for food, which can be subjected to any type of culinary treatment.

Before cooking, they must be flaked off. It is used freshly prepared, can be dried, prepared mushroom powder. In rare cases, it can cause mild stomach poisoning and allergic reactions in the form of a skin rash.

Umbrella mushroom mastoidea (Latin Macrolepiota mastoidea)

Description:

Umbrella mastoid or macrolepiota mastoidea is a mushroom from the family: agaric, or champignon. According to the shape of the fruiting body, the umbrella belongs to the cap mushrooms. According to the type of surface, hymenophores - to lamellar fungi. Most people mistake these mushrooms for toadstools, they really look like fly agarics. The mastoid umbrella belongs to the edible mushrooms of the 4th last category (it includes mushrooms with a mediocre taste and have no nutritional value for humans). They can also be eaten raw.

Umbellate mushroom is a rather rare edible lamellar mushroom. It grows exclusively singly from mid-August to early October in coniferous and deciduous forests, in clearings, as well as in parks.

The cap is bell-shaped; as the fungus grows, it becomes prostrate, with a tubercle in the middle. Its diameter averages about 10 cm. The surface of the cap is dry, dull, light yellow or light brown, covered with small brownish scales, similar to nipples. The plates are frequent, adherent, white. The stem is rounded, with a slight thickening at the base, forming a tuber, hollow inside, fibrous, up to 12 cm high with a diameter of no more than 0.5 cm. The surface of the stem is densely covered with small brown scales. The pulp is thin, white, odorless and tasteless, loose, tough in the stem. Upon contact with air, its color does not change.

Similar edible species:

The variegated umbrella mushroom (Macrolepiota procera) is much larger in size.

The umbrella mushroom is white (Macrolepiota excoriata) with a fleshy cap and a low tubercle.

Konrad's umbrella mushroom (Macrolepiota konradii) has a whitish or brown skin that does not completely cover the cap and cracks in a star-like manner.

The graceful umbrella mushroom (Macrolepiota gracilenta) is reliably distinguished only by microscopic features.

The umbrella mushroom belongs to the fourth category of mushrooms. Only caps of young mushrooms are eaten, which can be boiled or fried.

Based on the book by M. Vishnevsky “Medicinal mushrooms. Great encyclopedia "

Since the beginning of summer, when the mushroom season has not even thought to come, on the sides of roads and highways you can see unusual mushrooms with a wide disc-shaped cap on a long and thin stem. Many people take it for a fly agaric or a toadstool, although it does not at all look like a toadstool. In fact, this is an umbrella mushroom, quite edible and even very tasty mushroom. What is an umbrella mushroom - we will study the recipes and properties of this representative of the forest world in this article.

Why the mushroom was called an umbrella

This representative of eukaryotic organisms received its name for its external resemblance to an umbrella. Initially, it stretches upward on a long stem with a domed hat, which soon opens like an umbrella. There are mushrooms with a cap, the diameter of which reaches 30 cm and even more. One has only to remember that almost all mushrooms have their own poisonous counterparts. The umbrella also has them, and therefore you can only collect those mushrooms that are well known.

How to distinguish an umbrella from poisonous mushrooms

Some not too knowledgeable mushroom pickers do not collect umbrellas, but simply knock their caps off with their feet, mistaking them for fly agarics or other poisonous mushrooms. In fact, there are significant differences between them. Amanita has sparse scales - these are the remnants of a blanket of young mushrooms. More often, fly agarics are smooth, with sparse white scales. In contrast, the umbrella is distinguished by a gray and or even brown cap color, with large white and gray scales. Moreover, the central part of the mushroom remains without scales. On the leg of this animal there is a three-layer ring that can be easily pushed down.

By the way, the umbrella can be confused with another umbrella, purple, which has an unpleasant smell and a bitter taste. This mushroom is not edible. But an umbrella with a fleshy reddish hat is not worth collecting at all, since it is deadly poisonous.

How to cook a mushroom umbrella

Novice mushroom pickers should remember that an ordinary mushroom with an umbrella with a grayish cap is considered quite edible and should not be feared. According to many gourmets, the umbrella has an amazing mushroom taste and aroma of chicken meat, which only adds piquancy to this dish. The hat is eaten, while the leg is thrown away. True connoisseurs of this mushroom eat it raw (maybe right in the forest). The mushroom is cleaned of twigs and leaves (if any) with a brush, cut into portions and placed on bread, then pepper and salt - the original sandwich is ready!

This mushroom is also heat treated, and delicious and aromatic dishes are obtained from it. We will tell you how to cook such mushrooms.

Fried umbrellas

Cut and washed pieces of the umbrella hat are laid out in a pan and fried under the lid. As soon as the liquid has evaporated, add butter and onion rings to the mushrooms. After frying the ingredients a little in a pan, add potatoes cut into strips to them, and then fry until tender. As soon as the dish is ready, you need to salt it, add dill and cilantro seeds. For 5 mushroom caps, it is enough to take an onion, 60 g of oil and 3 potatoes.

Umbrellas fried in batter

To prepare such an interesting dish in a deep bowl, you need to beat one egg, add flour, and bring to a homogeneous mass, you get a batter. The umbrella mushroom cap can be cut into four parts, if it is large, or you can take it whole and dip it on both sides in the prepared mass. After that, the mushrooms are placed in a preheated skillet and fried for 3-5 minutes. While the process is in progress, you can grate the cheese. Sprinkle with cheese on top, pepper and salt, the mushrooms need to be fried for another 3 minutes over low heat. It is better to serve such a dish hot.

As you can see, the umbrella mushroom - the recipes and properties of which were considered here, is a fairly popular mushroom among those who know how to cook it correctly. You can also surprise your loved ones a lot if you serve them an original dish of umbrella mushrooms. Enjoy your culinary discoveries!

The variegated umbrella mushroom is a magnificent mushroom that is easy to find in Russian forests. However, he rarely gets on the table, since due to the great similarity with ordinary toadstools, most mushroom pickers are afraid to take umbrella mushrooms.

Mushroom umbrella is variegated. Description

Although almost all adult mushrooms are shaped like an open umbrella, the umbrella mushroom really deserves its name. In its "youth" the mushroom looks like a folded umbrella, in which the knitting needles are tightly pressed against the "umbrella handle" leg. As they grow older, the plates move away from the leg and become horizontal, which very closely resembles the umbrella opening mechanism.

Even from the description of the variegated umbrella mushroom, it is clear that this is a fairly large mushroom. Live it impresses even more. The diameter of the cap is about 20-25 cm, and sometimes it reaches 35 cm.The leg is on average from 10 to 20 cm, although there are individuals with a height of 30-40 cm.The thickness of the leg is usually 1-2 (sometimes 4) cm. On the leg, as usually there is a small "skirt".

On the underside of the cap there are plates 2 cm wide at the edge, which become narrower as they approach the stem. The color of the plates is white; as the fungus ages, they can turn beige or cream. The leg and cap can be separated from each other very easily.

While the umbrella mushroom is young, the shape of the cap is spherical, which is why, for example, in Italy it is often called "drumsticks" in everyday life. As they grow older, the hat opens and takes on the usual umbrella-shaped shape.

The skin on the cap has a brownish-gray tint with brown "scales". In the center, as a rule, the scales merge into a solid brown circle. While the mushroom is young, its leg has a light brown color, then it becomes slightly darker and becomes covered with dark scales, which is why rings of light and dark tones are often formed on the stem.

The pulp is loose and fleshy, on the contrary dense in old mushrooms. The color is white, does not change when pressed or cut. A raw mushroom has a slight mushroom smell.

Mushroom umbrella variegated - edible or not?

Many good edible mushrooms have their "evil" counterparts among their poisonous counterparts. The motley umbrella is no exception in this matter. In view of this, the old rule does not lose its relevance: take only well-known mushrooms and leave those that cause the slightest doubt.

Before you go on a "quiet hunt", carefully study the photo and description of the variegated umbrella mushroom. In appearance, it is very similar to mushrooms from the genus of amanita - pale toadstool and gray amanita. It is for this reason that many mushroom pickers, especially inexperienced ones, completely ignore the umbrella mushroom, which, with a lack of experience, is, of course, absolutely the right tactic.

The main differences from poisonous counterparts:

• The "skirt" of the umbrella mushroom is a three-layer ring that is not attached to the stem and can easily be moved vertically;
• an edible mushroom does not have any other "blanket" remnants that poisonous ones always have;
• the hat of the umbrella is matte, while that of the fly agaric is shiny and smooth;
• the cap of the fly agaric is covered with rare specks, while the umbrella has more of them, and in the central part they merge into a single smooth circle;
• toadstools can often be identified by the greenish or olive color of the cap, which is uncharacteristic of the umbrella mushroom.

We hope you have now figured out the question of whether or not the mushroom is a variegated umbrella.

Mushroom umbrella motley: photos of edible and poisonous species

In addition to toadstools and fly agaric mushrooms, the variegated umbrella mushroom can be confused with its other close relatives. In particular, under the guise of a harmless motley one, you can accidentally put an umbrella of acutesquamose purple in the basket. This mushroom can be recognized by its unpleasant odor and bitter taste. So if the cooked mushroom tastes bitter, spit it out immediately and see your doctor immediately.

Another evil twin of the motley one is the comb umbrella. Fortunately, it is quite easy to recognize it by its significantly smaller dimensions: the diameter of the cap is only 2-5 cm. The masteoid umbrella is slightly larger - the cap is 8-12 cm, which is already close to the norm for a variegated umbrella.

But the most dangerous is the fleshy reddish umbrella, the use of which is fatal. However, it is also given out in small sizes - the diameter of the cap usually does not exceed 2-6 cm.

Once again, we remind you that at the slightest doubt, pass by the mushroom, no matter how seductive it may seem.

How to cook a variegated mushroom umbrella

Unlike most mushrooms that are eaten whole, when preparing an umbrella mushroom, a variegated leg is usually thrown away, since it is quite tough and fibrous. But the hat, on the contrary, is very soft and fleshy.

Of course, any housewife can come up with a lot of recipes on how to cook a variegated umbrella mushroom. The easiest option is to simply fry the hats in sunflower oil or stew them in sour cream. In principle, the caps can be cut into pieces so that they can be used as a classic addition to mashed potatoes. But many gourmets prefer to fry the caps whole, like pancakes. Having rolled them in breadcrumbs or flour (you can use an egg), the hats are fried first from the bottom side, and then from the top.

It is a good idea to use an umbrella mushroom to make soup. Also, young umbrellas are often pickled raw for the winter.

As mentioned, the fleshy soft caps are of most interest, but not everyone agrees that the legs should simply be thrown away. Since they are really tough in their original form, you can grind them in a meat grinder and, after frying, add them to soup, mashed potatoes, or use them as a putty for sandwiches. Mixed with meat or mashed potatoes, grated mushroom legs can be put on dumplings or pies.

The variegated umbrella mushroom belongs to the champignon family, that is, it is a close relative of the garden champignon - the same one that accounts for 80% of the world harvest of artificially grown mushrooms. However, despite such eminent relatives, the umbrella mushroom itself has not yet been "domesticated". Although attempts at artificial cultivation are ongoing, an economically viable technology has not yet been found.

Despite the stubborn desire of the umbrella to remain a wild-growing mushroom, you can still plant it for personal purposes. Of course, we are not talking about guaranteed high yields here, but it is still possible to grow a bucket or two of these mushrooms for a family table. The main thing is to carefully study the photo of an umbrella mushroom of variegated edible and poisonous twins, so as not to accidentally start breeding fly agarics.

If you suddenly do not know, we are glad to enlighten you that mushrooms reproduce in two ways:

1. Through the mycelium. It is a kind of rhizome or underground part of the fungus colony, from which the aboveground part, called the fungus itself, grows.
2. Disputes. Something like seeds (only much smaller) that ripen in a mushroom cap.

Since the cultivation of umbrellas is still the lot of individual and very small amateur gardeners, you will not be able to purchase mycelium anywhere. The only way to get it is to dig it out in the forest yourself. However, the likelihood that after transplantation it will take root in a new place is extremely small.

You won't be able to buy disputes either. But you can get them yourself - in the forest. To do this, you need to find an old flabby umbrella mushroom, bring it home and sow it on the site. Sowing is carried out as follows: a mushroom cap is pricked onto a tree branch or suspended in a different way (even on a rope) over the area where it is planned to grow mushrooms. In a suspended state, the mushroom dries up, and the spores inside the cap ripen and eventually spill out onto the ground, sowing the area.

To ensure at least a minimal chance that the umbrella mushroom will take root on the site, you should properly prepare the garden bed. The umbrella loves calcium-rich soils, so it is worth fertilizing the garden with calcium carbonate. By the way, as mentioned above, the umbrella is related to champignons, and their cultivation is now on stream, which is manifested, among other things, by the abundance of ready-made soil concentrates on the market. These concentrates are also suitable for the umbrella mushroom.

Growing an umbrella mushroom in the forest

And yet, the variegated umbrella mushroom remains a very picky mushroom, and therefore its successful cultivation on a personal plot will be rather a rare success than a natural result. Practice shows that cultivation attempts will be more successful if this is done in the territory of the natural growth of mushrooms, that is, in the forest.

In this case, you will not have to make any special efforts. We just grab and hang the old worm hats right over where we cut them off. This way we simulate the natural reproduction of coffins as much as possible, but only expand the sowing area. If, under natural conditions, mushrooms pour out all the spores for themselves, because of which only some of them will be able to ascend, then by spraying them within a radius of several meters, it is possible to reduce competition between spores, increasing the total number of seedlings.

or a forest umbrella, large, tall

- edible mushroom

✎ Affiliation and generic features

Mushroom umbrella variegated - an edible mushroom from the genus Macrolepiota (Latin Macrolepiota), which is part of the large mushroom family (Latin Agaricaceae), which is included in the agaric order (Latin Agaricales).
The umbrella is variegated, among zootic mushrooms, a common and well-visible mushroom. It is not for nothing that the people call him umbrella big, high... Sometimes it reaches such dimensions that it is not difficult to detect it even from afar.
And in Italy, young fruits of a variegated umbrella with an unopened cap are called "drumsticks".
There is one more, popular, name for the variegated umbrella mushroom, but few people know it. This name - royal changpignon and it is primarily associated with the taste of young fruits of the variegated umbrella, reminiscent, or even superior, of the taste of cooked dishes from gourmet champignons. It is no coincidence that umbrella mushrooms and champignon mushrooms are close relatives of the same family (like cousins, cousins).

✎ Similar species and nutritional value

Colorful umbrella outwardly very similar to some species of the genus macrolepiot, for example:
- graceful (thin) umbrella (Macrolepiota gracilenta) and species similar to it, but they are all much smaller;
- red umbrella (lat. Chlorophyllum rhacodes), but it is also smaller and always with a "shaggy" surface of the cap and reddening flesh.
But, in any case, such a confusion does not carry any threats, because they are all edible mushrooms. It is much worse if you confuse the motley umbrella with poisonous mushrooms:
- lead-slag chlorophyllum (lat.Chlorophyllum molybdites), which, yes, is also from the mushroom family and, although outwardly resembles edible species, but in fact is poisonous and dangerous, it is usually slightly smaller in the size of a variegated umbrella and differs in a lighter skin of the cap and red -brown pulp when pressed;
- dark brown chlorophyllum (lat.Clorophyllum brunneum), attributed to the genus chlorophyllum of the mushroom family, which also resembles some edible species, but is poisonous and dangerous, it is much smaller in the size of a variegated umbrella and is distinguished by a lighter skin of a cap with large brown lagging scales and orange or grayish-red pulp when pressed;
- poisonous lepiota, which is highly poisonous and extremely dangerous, but much smaller in the size of a white umbrella and is distinguished by a gray-pink skin of the cap and pinkish pulp;
- serrated lepiot, which is also highly poisonous and much smaller in size of a white umbrella, differing in the ocher-pink skin of the cap with a wine-brown color of the scales and with a tinge of something meaty pulp.
But the worst thing is that inexperienced mushroom pickers can confuse a variegated umbrella with a deadly poisonous
- porphyry fly agaric, which, like the variegated umbrella, is found only in forests and has a free volva (a well-noticeable thickening in the form of a bag) at the base of the leg, which, however, is not always immediately noticeable, because it can be in the soil; it has a porphyry-purple or gray-violet smooth cap, which is covered with sparse filmy white or coffee-colored flakes; has a flesh with a very unpleasant and pungent odor.
And when this happens, the irreparable happens, which is scary to think about. That is why for most mushroom pickers, all umbrella mushrooms arouse fair suspicion, in connection with which they, by right, become legal prey only for experienced mushroom pickers who are well versed not only in umbrellas, but also in all mushrooms.
The variegated umbrella mushroom, although it is a representative of the champignon family, but, unlike them, in its taste and consumer qualities, belongs to the edible mushrooms of the fourth category. But, nevertheless, many consider it one of the best and it can successfully complement any meat dishes.

✎ Distribution in nature and seasonality

The motley umbrella is a soil saprotroph and, among all umbrella mushrooms, it is not the most common, but the most remarkable mushroom, and unlike the white umbrella, it grows on sandy soils in light forests in clearings or forest edges, clearings and clearings, but like an umbrella white, it can be found in open grassy places, in parks, in fields or in vegetable gardens, both alone, and also in small families. The habitat of the variegated umbrella is even larger than that of the white umbrella, and it is easier to say where it is not to be found than to list all the places of its presence that are on all continents, except for the ice of Antarctica. A variegated umbrella bears fruit, forming rows or even "witch circles", and active ripening in it, like in a white umbrella, also begins every year at different times and usually occurs in parallel, that is, it begins already in late June - early July and continues almost until end of October.

✎ Brief description and application

Umbrella is colorful, among its fellow tribesmen of mushrooms-umbrellas - a very large mushroom. It belongs to the section of lamellar mushrooms and reproduces by spores that are in its plates. The plates are loose, frequent and thin, narrow towards the stem and easily separate from the cap, at first they are whitish, and with age, cream, beige or pale pink. The cap is initially fleshy, spherical or resembles an egg shape, and then it opens from broadly conical and convex to umbrella-shaped, the edges of the cap may remain slightly curved, and in the center with a small but very noticeable dark rounded tubercle. The skin on the cap is radially fibrous, dry to the touch, brown-gray or grayish-brown, and covered with easily detachable dark brown angular or triangular scales. The stem is cylindrical, thin and hollow, stiff-fibered, long, scaly, with a spherical thickening at its base and with a ring-cuff, in the form of a fringe, always easily detached from the cap. The surface of the leg is at first monotonous brown, later it becomes light brown and covered with dark scales, often arranged in rings, from which it seems striated or somewhat similar to snake skin. The flesh in the cap is at first loosely fleshy, later it becomes denser and lighter, does not change its color when pressed and cut, with a weak mushroom smell and a pleasant nutty taste.

A variegated umbrella, like all other umbrellas, is much better to use for food when he is young (until his hat is fully opened, in the form of an umbrella). And it is used in the same way as a white umbrella, fresh ("raw") for salads and sandwiches. Young caps can be fried, and hard legs can either be dried and ground into powder for seasonings that require mushroom aroma and taste, or you can cook them whole in soups without grinding them (remembering to remove them later when the soup is ready). And more mature mushrooms, with dense or tough pulp, can be used for pickling and pickling, but only for this it is necessary to thoroughly clean them of tough scales.