Strobilurus stephanocystis

Description

Strobilurus stephanocystis is an edible mushroom, but it is not abundant and rather exceptionally growing in quantity, when it is worth collecting it. The cap color is white at first, then darkens to yellow-brown. Due to its frequent and mass occurrence, it is mainly collected from the pine tree (Strobilurus esculentus).

Its underground part is covered with thick, long hairs. If you try to dig out a mushroom with a "root" carefully, you will always find an old pine cone at the end.

Common names: Russian Cone Cap.

Mushroom Identification

1. Cap

   10–25 mm in diameter, first folded, later flattened, sometimes with a blunt central ridge, smooth, matte when dry, from white to dark brown or rusty brown. The edge of the cap, sometimes lighter than its center, can be lightly brushed when wet.

2. Stem

   20–80 x 1–3 mm, smooth, ovate, yellow-blooded, whitish immediately under the cap, at the base up to the top, brown and pale, tough and elastic, often long-rooted (the underground part can be longer than the above-ground part). The stem is very tough.

3. Flesh

   The flesh is thin, white.

4. Taste

   The taste is mild, and pleasant.

5. Habitat

   It grows abundantly on pine cones usually submerged in the ground, seemingly from the soil, often in low grass or in moss, under pine trees, in forests, in city parks, but also under individual trees. Fruit season is from April to May.

Synonyms

1. Collybia stephanocystis Kühner & Romagn. 1953

2. Pseudohiatula stephanocystis Kühner & Romagn. ex Hora 1960

3. Marasmius esculentus subsp. pini

Photo sources:

Photo 1 - Author: Nina Filippova (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Photo 2 - Author: Anna Baykalova (anna_ru) (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Photo 3 - Author: Anna Baykalova (anna_ru) (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Photo 4 - Author: Jerzy Opioła (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Photo 5 - Author: Irene Andersson (irenea) (CC BY-SA 3.0)