Mushrooms are considered one of the most interesting living organisms on Earth, as they combine the features of both animals and plants. There are many types of them that are distributed throughout the planet. Fans of quiet hunting in Siberia and Primorsky Krai very often come across talkers. What are these mushrooms and can they be harvested?
General characteristics
Govorushki mushrooms are a genus that combines many types of edible and poisonous mushrooms. They are distinguished from others by frequent thin plates that descend on the leg to a greater or lesser extent. Talker mushrooms can be found in the forest under the leaves. They form the so-called witch rings. There are many edible among them, but they are not of high quality. Another interesting property of these mushrooms is their specific smell, which for many people is very unattractive. But still there are daredevils who love to cook talkers. Mushrooms are either fried with onions or s alted with spices and garlic. They must be collected very carefully, because many of them are poisonous. They are distinguished by their small size and whitish body color. There are many types of talkers, but the most common are funnel, gray, giant,waxy and whitish.
Funnel talker
This mushroom has a cap that can be up to 8 centimeters in diameter. It is thinly fleshy, a tubercle protrudes from above, which passes into a funnel, for which it got its name. The color of the skin is yellow-brown, most often it is dry. Talker mushrooms of this species have white frequent plates that smoothly descend to the base. The leg grows up to 5 centimeters in height, has a narrow cylindrical shape and the same color as the cap. It is an edible species most often used in soups, although the smell of this decoction is very specific. You need to cook these mushrooms for at least 20 minutes, sometimes they are pickled. Most often they grow in mixed forests, like many talker mushrooms. A photo and description of this species can be found in any encyclopedia of mycology.
Grey talker
In August-September, this mushroom can be found throughout Russia. It grows in different forests, sometimes lives in nettle thickets in whole clusters, for which it received its second name - nettle. These talker mushrooms have a fleshy hat up to 15 cm in diameter. At first it has a convex shape, then it flattens, and the edges are bent down. The body color is gray, as the name itself suggests, but in the center it changes to a darker, often covered with bloom. The pulp of the gray talker is white, the smell is not changed, it's just a pleasant mushroom aroma. The leg is thick - up to 3 cm, and the height can reach up to 10 cm. These are edible talkers. Mushrooms at the beginningboil, drain the water. They boil very strongly, have a peculiar taste and smell. They are used for filling pies, frying or pickling.
Giant talker
This is the largest type of talkers. It is very similar to gray, but has a large size. Mushroom talker giant is rare. You can find it in late summer and early autumn in mixed and coniferous forests. It has a fleshy cap that can reach 25 cm in diameter. The color is white, turning into gray from the edges to the center. Under the cap are narrow frequent plates with jumpers. They shortly descend along the stem and have a light or brownish tint. The leg itself is the same as that of the gray talker: height - up to 10 cm, thickness - up to 3 cm. You can eat this mushroom, but this can lead to indigestion. You need to cook it for 15-20 minutes, and then cook according to the recipe. Young mushrooms have the best taste, they, unlike the old ones, do not taste bitter. Interestingly, the pulp of the giant talker contains an antibiotic that can resist such a disease as tuberculosis.
Wax talker
This is a species that grows in mixed and coniferous forests, among grasses on sandy soil. The color of the whole mushroom is white. Its hat grows up to 10 cm in diameter. Its shape changes from the center to the edges: the middle is convex, and then it drops and extends to the edges. The sides are turned and wavy, sometimes they can be fluffy or torn. Records atmushrooms are narrow and frequent, descend to the base, color - from white to gray. The leg has a cylindrical shape, can be straight or slightly bent, smooth along the entire length, only a small fluff is observed at the base. Although the mushroom is attractive in appearance, has a pleasant aroma and taste, it is very poisonous. It contains a toxin called muscarine. The body cannot neutralize it on its own, so poisoning of the nervous system occurs. Within half an hour after using the waxy talker, the first symptoms appear, which should be paid attention to. It's high blood pressure, slow heart rate. If a lot of mushrooms have been eaten, then the limbs begin to tremble, headache, convulsions, nausea, dizziness and vomiting occur. 10 grams is a lethal dose for humans. Only experienced people should pick talker mushrooms. Photo and description will help them not to cut the poisonous food.
Whitish head
This type of fungus can be found both on forest edges and in parks of the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere. It can grow both on bare ground and on leaf litter. They appear in groups, often large, and form "witch circles". Mushroom cap - up to 6 cm in diameter. Its shape varies depending on the age of the head: in young it is convex, the edges are tucked in, in middle-aged mushrooms it is prostrate, in old mushrooms it is depressed or flat, and the edges are wavy. The color also changes with age: from white-gray to buff. If the mushroom is old, then spots may appear on its cap. Skincovered with plaque, which is very easy to remove. The pulp has a white color, mealy smell and inexpressive taste. The leg is cylindrical, it becomes narrower towards the base. The plates are white when young, then darken and acquire a yellowish tint. This is a very poisonous mushroom that contains more toxin than the red fly agaric. 15-20 minutes after consumption, secretions from the salivary and lacrimal glands increase, and active sweating begins. After 2 hours, the heart rate begins to weaken, breathing is disturbed, vomiting and diarrhea begin. Although deaths are quite rare, you should be extremely careful when picking talker mushrooms. Photos will help not to make a mistake and collect only edible species.
Thus, talker mushrooms are quite common in our country. There are many types of them, but they do not have much value.
