We offer a description and photo of the spider web various types and varieties - this information will help diversify quiet forest hunting and make it more productive.

Look at the poisonous and edible spider web mushroom in the photo and try to find it in the forest during your next outing:

Spider web mushroom in the photo

Spider web mushroom in the photo

The mushroom is edible. Description of the spider web mushroom: white-violet: caps 3-10 cm, initially spherical, pale purple, then silvery or lavender, hemispherical with a tubercle, and finally open. The plates remain for a long time under a powerful cobwebby blanket connecting the edge of the cap to the stem. The plates are sparse, adherent to the teeth, initially gray-blue, rusty-ochre after the veil opens. The leg is 5-12 cm long, 1-2 cm long, white-violet or covered with white-violet cotton wool, widened at the bottom. The pulp is pale purple and has no unpleasant odor.

Spider web mushrooms in the photo and description are presented in various versions, this will allow you to recognize them in the forest:

It grows very abundantly in lingonberries and blueberries, among mosses in meadows and on the edge of pine forests. Sometimes it appears in dry deciduous forest belts, where it is thicker and has a smoother surface.

Its counterpart is the inedible goat's web ( Cortinarius traganus) differs from it by the presence of the smell of acetylene.

The white-purple cobweb is edible after preliminary boiling.

Let's consider other edible spider web mushrooms that grow in forests middle zone Russia. All edible spider web mushrooms with photos and descriptions must be distinguished from poisonous specimens, since they pose a mortal danger.

Bracelet web plant
The web spider is excellent

Bracelet web spider (Cortinarius armillatus)

Bracelet web grows in deciduous and coniferous forests

Cobweb bracelet in the photo

The mushroom is edible. The cap is up to 5-12 cm, at first red-brick hemispherical, covered with cobwebs, then rusty-brown, open in the form of a lampshade, and finally open, fibrous with a thin edge. The leg is cylindrical or club-shaped, light brown, 6-4 cm long, 1-2 cm thick, decorated with brick-red bracelets. The pulp is ocher and has no unpleasant odor. The spore powder is rusty brown.

Grows in deciduous and mixed forests under the birch and in pine forests among the mosses.

Fruits from August to October.

It differs from inedible spider webs by the presence of orange stripes on the stem and the absence of an unpleasant odor.

The mushroom is edible, but tasteless. Suitable as a filler for dishes and preparations made from other mushrooms.

Excellent webweed (Cortinarius praestans)

The mushroom is edible. The caps are up to 3-12 cm, at first spherical, closed with a cobweb, then hemispherical, finally open, in wet weather they are very slimy and sticky, when dry they are smooth, brown or the color of “burnt sugar”. The plates are thick whitish with a purple tint or yellowish. Leg 5-15 cm, whitish, widened below. The pulp is white, dense with a pleasant smell.

It grows mainly in deciduous forests, but is also found in coniferous forests. Prefers calcareous soil.

Fruits from July to October.

It differs from inedible and poisonous spider webs by the absence of an unpleasant odor.

If you are not sure that you know this mushroom, it is better not to collect it.

In some countries, the excellent cobweb mushroom is valued on a par with porcini mushrooms.

Above we looked at what edible spider webs look like, and now it’s time for the inedible species. It is worth knowing that the poisonous cobweb mushroom is very dangerous, as it can be fatal.

Look at what the poisonous cobweb looks like in the photo, remember it and under no circumstances pick it up in the forest:

Lazy web spider
Lazy web spider

Goat's web
Common spiderwort

Lazy web spider (Cortinarius bolaris)

Lazy web spider in the photo

Lazy web spider in the photo

The mushroom is inedible. Caps up to 3-8 cm, initially hemispherical, then convex and finally open, clay-yellow, densely covered with large red or red-orange scales. In young mushrooms, the scales are glued to the surface of the cap, yellow the surface is visible only as small gaps between the red scales. In mature mushrooms, the scales spread over the surface of the cap and lag behind it at the edge. The plates are clay-yellow, then brown, turning red when damaged. The stalk is 5-7 cm long, 5-15 mm thick, cylindrical, reddish-fibrous, often scaly, like a cap. The pulp is whitish with a brownish tint. Spore powder is yellow-green.

Grows in deciduous, mixed and coniferous forests on acidic soil.

Fruits from August to September.

It has no poisonous counterparts.

Goat's web spider (Cortinarius traganus)

The mushroom is inedible. Massive caps 3-12 cm, at first, spherical and lilac, then hemispherical and, finally, open ocher, with a fringed edge. The plates are ocher-yellow with a violet tint, later brownish-ocher. The leg is lilac or yellow, with scales, 5-10 cm long, 2-3 cm wide, with a widening at the bottom. The flesh of young mushrooms is white-blue, then ocher with an unpleasant “goat” smell of acetylene.

It grows very abundantly in deciduous and coniferous forests, in shelterbelts, often in large groups.

Fruits from August to October.

The goat's web has no poisonous counterparts.

Goat's web is inedible due to the unpleasant odor of acetylene.

Common spiderwort (Cortinarius triviah)

The edibility of the mushroom is questionable. Caps up to 5-8 cm, initially hemispherical, then convex or open, mucous yellow-rusty-brown, straw-yellow when dry. The plates are white-gray with a purple tint, later rusty-brown. The leg is yellow or with a bluish tint, 8-12 cm long, 1-2 cm wide, covered with mucus in the upper part, with dark zones in the lower part. The flesh is light, whitish-ochre, and in old mushrooms it has a slight unpleasant odor.

Grows in deciduous and mixed forests under poplars, birches, oaks and pines.

Fruits in large quantities from July to September.

Looks like an inedible mucous webweed (Cortinarius mucosus) with a white stalk.

The common cobweb is not designated as a poisonous mushroom, but its edibility is in doubt.

Cobwebs (Cortinarius) are a fairly extensive genus of fungi, numbering more than 40 species in our country alone, and throughout the world this figure exceeds the two thousandth threshold. Most of their representatives are inedible, and some are even deadly poisonous. The name of some types of these mushrooms speaks for itself: just look at the superb cobweb or the elegant cobweb. They are also called marshlands or ringed caps.

Brief description and habitat

Cobwebs are lamellar mushrooms. Their main distinctive feature It may well be brightly colored. They are found in purple, bright yellow, dark red, terracotta and other colors. Some species names came precisely because of this characteristic: purple webwort, crimson webwort, watery-blue webwort, and others. And the name of the entire genus of mushrooms was given by the cobwebby film like a blanket enveloping its representatives. The web cover is clearly visible in young mushrooms: it connects the stem and the edges of the cap. And in mature representatives, the thin film breaks as it grows and becomes like a cobweb entangling the stem of the mushroom. Some of its threads hang from the cap, but for the most part they remain in the lower part of the stem in the form of a cobwebby ring. These mushrooms are very similar to each other and only experienced mushroom pickers can distinguish one type of cobweb from another.

All representatives of this genus have a round cap that becomes flat as it grows, often raised in the middle. To the touch it is smooth, fibrous, less often scaly. There may be either a mucous surface of the cap or a dry one. The pulp is fleshy, thin, often white, but can also be multi-colored. The plates are frequent, descending, and the leg is cylindrical, sometimes thickened at the base. Remnants of a cobwebby blanket will always be visible on it. It practically matches the color of the surface of the cap, sometimes it may differ only in the intensity of the shade. The spore powder of mushrooms is usually yellow or brown-yellow in color. In general, cobwebs are very similar to, so it is quite difficult to confuse them with edible mushrooms.

These mushrooms love moist, swampy soil. They can often be found near the outskirts of swamps, which is why they received the name “swamplanders”. Cobwebs grow in deciduous and mixed forests, and are less commonly observed in coniferous forests. This is a widespread genus. Their habitat is the European part of Russia, Siberia, Far East, Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia and Kazakhstan. In Europe, they are often found in Austria, Italy, Great Britain, Belgium, France, Finland, Switzerland, Romania, Latvia and Estonia. You can also find them in the USA and Japan. However, although they are so ubiquitous, they are quite rare mushrooms. Some of their species, for example, purple cobweb, are listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation and other regions.

Beneficial features

Despite the fact that some of the types of spider webs are poisonous, this does not reduce the content of valuable substances in them that have practical use in medicine. Some of the representatives of this genus are used as raw materials for the manufacture of dyes. Mostly brown or ocher colored mushrooms are used for this purpose.

Edible and conditionally edible representatives are successfully used for culinary purposes, having previously undergone additional processing in the form of long-term boiling with frequent replacement of water. In cooking, such types of mushrooms as watery blue cobweb, superb cobweb, purple cobweb, and yellow cobweb are often used.

These are the most common species eaten. There are others, but many of them are useless and have no taste value. Be that as it may, even well-known species should only be collected by experienced mushroom pickers.

Types of spider webs used in cooking can be consumed boiled, salted, fried, pickled, or canned. Incomparable with him various firsts and second courses. Many experts say that these mushrooms have a nutty flavor.

Fried spider web recipe

For preparation you will need:

• edible or conditionally edible spider webs – 500 grams;
• flour - 4 tablespoons;
• vegetable oil – 3 tablespoons;
• greenery.

Initially, fresh mushrooms need to be thoroughly boiled, changing them several times. Then cut them into small pieces. Place in a preheated frying pan and fry until almost done. Then pour flour into the mushrooms and continue cooking. The top of the dish can be decorated with herbs and served. It is best consumed hot.

Types of mushrooms and medicinal properties

The most famous species of this genus are:

• yellow spiderwort or triumphal marshweed – edible;
• purple spider web – conditionally edible;
• orange cobweb – conditionally edible;
• purple spider web – conditionally edible;
• shiny cobweb - poisonous;
• bracelet web - edible;
• Variable cobweb – conditionally edible;
• brown cobweb – conditionally edible;
• smeared cobweb – conditionally edible;
• superb cobweb - edible;
• straight spider web – conditionally edible;
• red-olive cobweb - inedible;
• Gossamer webwort – conditionally edible;
• Scaly cobweb is inedible.

Some representatives of this genus are considered poisonous mushrooms, but this does not reduce their medicinal properties.

Red cobweb

A red or blood-reddish mushroom, classified as poisonous. It bears a close resemblance to the inedible purple spider web. It has pronounced antiseptic properties. The substances included in its composition prevent the development of tuberculous mycobacteria. Found in coniferous forests. Loves moist, mossy soil. Fruits from July to September.

Bracelet web plant

It has a yellow-brown or brown-red color; with age, the terracotta color predominates and becomes more saturated. Resembles the triumphal cobweb. This is a conditionally edible mushroom, used in cooking only after careful pre-processing. IN medicinal purposes used as an antiseptic. It forms mycorrhiza only with birch. Picky in choosing soil - prefers a swampy, acidic environment. Fruits from July to early October.

The color of the mushroom is multifaceted: from grayish-green to black-olive with brown and brown impurities. It is quite similar to many representatives of this species, from which it differs in the absence of odor, very bitter taste and black color of the plates. The alkaloids included in its composition, in laboratory studies, showed good results in inhibiting acetylcholinesterase, which is one of the main types of therapy for Alzheimer's disease and other memory disorders. This mushroom is considered poisonous. Found mainly in deciduous and mixed forests, loves calcareous soils. Forms mycorrhiza with oak and beech. Fruits from July to October.

Gossamer's web

Pale lilac, becoming ocher-white with age. It is similar to camphor spiderweed, which has the same unpleasant specific odor. It differs from a rare species - the violet cobweb - in the rusty color of the plates, from the white-violet representative - in a more saturated color, from the violet row - in a strong repulsive aroma and a tangled, abundant cover. The mushroom is inedible. Eating it is not recommended. For medical purposes it has pronounced antibacterial properties. An antibiotic, inolomine, was identified in its composition.

Harm and dangerous properties

Some types of spider webs are very toxic and poisonous. They are most dangerous because signs of poisoning may appear after several days or even weeks, since they contain delayed-acting toxins. Their venom is very harmful to the kidneys; with its help, a disease such as acute interstitial nephritis can develop. Even irreversible changes in the structure of the kidneys and death are possible. According to statistics, for every seven cases of poisoning, one is fatal.

Characteristic signs of spiderweb poisoning are burning and dry mouth, severe thirst followed by vomiting, nausea, and abdominal cramps. Often accompanied by headache and pain in the lumbar region. Even if you notice the symptoms in time and consult a doctor, recovery and treatment will take quite a long time.

In order to protect yourself, it is important to remember the first rule of a mushroom picker: if there are doubts about the edibility or inedibility of a mushroom, then it is generally accepted that it is obviously poisonous. In general, it’s better not to take risks and entrust the collection of spider webs to specialists who can confidently distinguish good mushroom from its poisonous brother.

By the way, when preparing good edible mushrooms, it is worth remembering that violations in technology and non-compliance with processing rules can lead to severe poisoning and tragic consequences.

Providing first aid for poisoning

Any type of poisoning requires immediate medical attention until the ambulance arrives. It is advisable not to transport the patient to the clinic, since some toxins can cause disruption of the cardiovascular system.

Before the doctor arrives, you should:

• put the patient to bed;
• perform repeated gastric lavage;
• drink a laxative to remove poison from the intestines;
• do a cleansing enema.

In case of poisoning, severe dehydration of the body occurs, so it is recommended to give the patient a drink. saline solutions, for example, rehydron. Give the victim cool, strong teas or just salted water. For calf cramps, which often occur precisely because of dehydration, you can put mustard plasters on your shin.

If everything was done correctly, and the danger was noticed at an early stage, then after such measures, the victim may already feel an improvement in his condition after 2-3 hours.

But this is not a reason to refuse hospitalization if recommended by a doctor.

conclusions

Cobwebs are quite rare and mostly dangerous mushrooms. But this does not stop some gourmets from collecting various representatives of this genus for culinary purposes. Many of them have interesting taste and are quite often eaten after undergoing pre-processing.

Before preparing a dish of spider webs, they need to be thoroughly boiled, changing the water several times. However, only experienced mushroom pickers will be able to cope with such an impossible task as determining which type of cobweb mushroom a particular mushroom belongs to.

The thing is that they are very similar to each other and an ignorant person can quite easily confuse an edible representative with its dangerous toxic relative.

Cobwebs are very dangerous due to the slow-acting toxins they contain. Poisoning by these mushrooms does not appear immediately, but after a fairly long period of time, which can be up to 14 days.

In some cases, they lead to pathological changes in the body, and sometimes even to death. In case of mushroom poisoning, the victim should immediately provide first aid medical care in the form of gastric and intestinal lavage, and provide plenty of fluids to avoid dangerous dehydration.

But even the most poisonous mushrooms do not lose their medicinal properties. They contain substances from which, with the right technology in the laboratory, it is possible to extract various components used to create antibiotics and various other drugs.

In fact, the cobweb is a rather valuable mushroom, but it is valued mainly for its medical properties. Its taste and culinary properties are not particularly popular. Cobweb mushrooms are quite rare and little-known mushrooms, so it is better not to take risks and refuse to eat them in favor of other edible, more tasty and well-known representatives.

Kira Stoletova

One of the most common types of mushrooms in the temperate zone is the spider web mushroom. It belongs to the group of conditionally edible mushrooms. The genus Cobweb from the cobweb family of the same name is dangerous because there are poisonous varieties.

Appearance

The mushroom got its name because of the white “skirt” that falls down the stem and resembles a spider’s web. The popular name “Pribolotnik” does not reflect the range of the species, although sometimes it is an absolutely swamp resident. It grows in all types of forests in a variety of soils. This is an autumn genus, with peak growth occurring in late August and early September.

Species of Cobwebs are similar to each other in a number of ways:

1. Cylindrical leg with extension downwards.
2. Remains of a private web-like covering on the upper part of the leg.
3. The cap is usually conical or flat in shape, with plates.
4. The pulp is dense and fragrant.

The species of cobwebs differ in the color of the stem and cap, and the smell of the pulp. Among them there are both edible and poisonous representatives.

Irina Selyutina (Biologist):

The name of the family Cobwebs was given by the French mycologist and phytopathologist of tropical plants Jean Aime Roger (1900-1979), who proceeded from the specific structure of the private bedspread, consisting of cobweb fibers connecting the edge of the cap with the stem.

Most arachnoids are mycorrhiza-formers, the life processes of which are associated with certain tree species. Among the spider webs there are deadly poisonous specimens. However, there are also useful edible species. However, they are few in number and do not have much practical significance. Characteristic feature The genus Cobweb is the different colors of young and mature specimens, the presence of a rapidly disappearing purple pigment in many species.

By the way. The genus Cobweb is divided into subgenera, which have their own specific features, For example:

• subgenus Myxsacium: there is a common mucous blanket that causes the cap and stalk to be mucous.
• subgenus Phlegmacium: a mucous cap is present.
• subgenera Hydrocybe And Telamonia: the cap is hygrophanic.
• subgenera Dermocybe And Inoloma: the cap is dry, scaly, fibrous.

Types of mushroom

The genus includes about 25 species. They differ in taste and degree of safety for humans. Some are listed in the Red Book.

Edible species

• Edible cobweb, or bbw: The species lives in coniferous plantations. The cap is white-gray, the surface is watery. The pulp is dense and has a faint mushroom smell. The plates are frequent and adhere to the cap. Edible cobweb is a type of mushroom often found in temperate coniferous forests. In Russia it is found in the European part. You can also find it in Belarus.

The edible cobweb is characterized by a smooth, dense, whitish-brown leg, in the middle (located in the center) there are remnants of the cortina (private web cover), which disappear with age. The length of the leg is usually 2-3 cm with a thickness of 1.5-2 cm, which sharply distinguishes this species from other representatives of the genus.

• Cobweb watery blue, or dove blue: This species in Russia is known only in Primorye. However, it is widespread in North America and the countries of the European continent.

1. The cap is uniformly colored blue-gray, diameter up to 10 cm.
2. The smell is unpleasant, musty.
3. The taste is fresh.
4. There is no tuber-shaped thickening on the stem.

It grows under various deciduous trees, but more often under beech and oak. Growth is more group or colonial. Also, adult individuals lack the remains of the veil.

The species of triumphal cobweb is also considered edible. But due to reduced taste qualities it should be classified as conditionally edible.

Conditionally edible

The difference between this group and edibles is that conditionally edibles require pre-processing. They should not be eaten raw; it is not recommended to eat them fried without prior soaking.

• Triumphal cobweb, or yellow has the following characteristics:

1. The cap reaches 7-12 cm in diameter, is brownish in the center and orange-yellow at the edges. The shape is flat or pillow-like. Usually the surface is sticky.
2. The pulp has a pleasant smell.
3. In young mushrooms, the “web” completely covers the plates. With age, the plates darken to a brownish color.
4. The diameter of the stem is 1 cm. Large fruiting bodies have a stem up to 3 cm in diameter. Height up to 15 cm.

This species lives in deciduous forests. They find it under birch and oak trees. Often accompanied by milk mushrooms.

• Slime cobweb: The main difference from other species is the presence of mucus that abundantly covers the cap. Individuals grow large - up to 12 cm in diameter of the cap, the corresponding leg is up to 20 cm in length.

The pulp of this species is odorless and tasteless. Color varies from white to cream. The mushroom is found in coniferous and mixed forests.

Attention! Do not confuse the slimy spider web species with the slimy spider web species.

• Slimy cobweb: the cap is covered with a mucous cobwebby blanket. The mucus is thick and sometimes even hangs from the uneven edges of the cap. The cap is thinner at the edges than in the center. The color ranges from orange to dark brown. The pulp is white, loose. It is also distinguished by the smaller size of the fruiting bodies. The species is characterized by the formation of mycorrhiza with pine plantings.
• The web spider is excellent: its feature is appearance hats and legs. In adults, the cap is similar to a bell, rich brown or brown in color. The diameter of the cap is up to 20 cm. The stem is long, clearly expanding downward from a cylinder into a cone. The surface of the fruiting body is soft and velvety. In adult mushrooms, they become wrinkled. A thin violet-gray stripe remains along the edges of the cap. The pulp is white or mixed with blue. It has a pleasant smell and taste. The species bears fruit in large groups and is more often found near birch or beech trees. Prefers deciduous forests. By the way. This is a little studied species.
• Bracelet web, or red: distinguished by the red or reddish-brown color of the cap. There is no mucus on it. The pulp has a characteristic musty odor. Prefers damp and mossy places. Found in mycorrhiza with pine or birch trees. The bracelet cobweb is identified by the bright “bracelets” on the stem left from the cobweb cover (cortina) and by the dark fibers on the cap.
• Purple cobweb: got its name because of the peculiarity of the pulp. When cut, it acquires a purple color, but when whole it is usually bluish or gray. The surface of the cap is sticky. The characteristics of young and adult individuals differ significantly:

1. In adults, the cap is flat, slightly concave at the edges. The plates are frequent, with a purple tint. The diameter of the cap is up to 15 cm. The stem is long, with a tuber at the very bottom. The color of the stem is purple, and the cap is olive, brown or brownish with impurities.
2. Young individuals have a spherical cap that practically merges with the stem. The leg itself is barrel-shaped.

• Gossamer webwort: differs from other brethren in the whitish color of the legs with a bluish or pinkish tint. The cap is light brown in color and prefers deciduous forests. The musty smell of the pulp is faint.
• Variable cobweb: received its name due to the change in color during growth. In adults and mature individuals, the colors of the legs and caps are different. A more common name is " colorful mushroom" Usually the fruiting bodies are small, with an elongated stalk. The cap is brown or golden along the edge and lowered. The plates are light purple. There is a brownish-red stripe on the leg. In old mushrooms, the plates turn pale and turn brown. The leg is usually white or cream in color. The species bears fruit mainly in the south and east in deciduous plantations.

Poisonous species

• Poisonous cobweb: This species is found as often as the edible cobweb. It is precisely because of the abundance of dangerous doubles that the edible type of mushroom does not attract even a knowledgeable mushroom picker.
• Blue-banded cobweb: it is dangerous because its appearance is practically no different from an edible fruit. A hat with a bump in the center, gray and brown. Its lower concave edge has a purple or blue stripe. The pulp is odorless and tasteless. It also forms mycorrhiza with coniferous trees. Inedible.
• Common spiderwort: characterized by a brown or golden color of the cap. It has a cone-shaped shape, the edge is uneven, and the surface is mucous. The plates may be uneven. Common cobwebs often have spiral-shaped bands on the stalk, which distinguish the poisonous fruiting body from the edible one.
• The most beautiful cobweb: is fatal poisonous looking, it has a uniform brownish or reddish-orange color. The legs are long, and the caps are cone-shaped with uneven, torn edges. There is a protruding tubercle in the center of the cap. The most beautiful cobweb usually grows in groups.
• Goat's web, or goat, or smelly: bright blue or gray color, sometimes more blue. A peculiarity of the species is the presence of the chemical odor of acetone or a “goat” odor. The hat and leg are the same color. The smell only intensifies with heat treatment. Goat's web grows in the same coniferous and mossy forests.
• Lazy cobweb: has a characteristic cap color - reddish with crimson splashes. It grows in groups in symbiosis with birch and pine. Often the cap and stem are crooked, twisted or broken, with cracks. It is the irregularities and color that distinguish the species Lazy Spider from edible mushrooms.

• Cobweb spider brilliant: the cap has a bright yellow or ocher color. The color of the pulp when cut is lemon, does not darken. The plates of adults are greenish. The cap is covered with mucus. The toxin in the pulp acts slowly, so poisoning will not be immediately noticeable.
• Mountain spiderwort, or plush, or orange-red: a rare species characterized by the following characteristics:

1. Outwardly it looks like a beautiful spider web, but it deceives with its pleasant radish smell and good taste.
2. Danger of the species - poisoning appears 3 days after consumption.
3. It has a uniform, even color of orange or light brown. The surface is soft and velvety.

Identifying an inedible species is not easy, so don't risk taking a nice-smelling fruiting body into your basket.

• Scaly cobweb: looks similar to the edible species. It is distinguished by its brownish-brown color and dark brown scales on the cap. There is a dark spot in the center of the cap. The stalk also has dark brown scales, often at the bottom. The smell is weak but pleasant.

Also considered inedible the following types cobweb:

• p. chestnut (saffron);
• n. soiling;
• n. most elegant;
• n. membranous;
• n. most special.

Inedible species destroy the kidneys with their toxins, resulting in intoxication of the body.

Beneficial features

They are limited to standard indicators for mushrooms. This is the presence of protein, vitamins and microelements in the fruiting bodies. They contain more vitamins A and group B than fruits and vegetables.

Contraindications

Even edible mushrooms are contraindicated:

1. Pregnant women, the elderly and children under 7-8 years old.
2. People with a weak stomach, intestines, suffering from various abnormalities in the gastrointestinal tract.
3. People with individual intolerance.

You cannot eat edible mushrooms collected within the city and near busy highways, factories, and the private sector.

Application

Cooking

Edible spider web mushrooms are considered a delicacy; they have a wonderful nutty taste. Tolstushka is delicious fried or stewed with sour cream or cream. Decoctions from the plum are used to make broth. The edible fruiting bodies are also pickled and dried, but this can result in the loss of much of the flavor.

The excellent cobweb is dried or pickled only after long soaking and boiling. Young specimens are suitable for pickling and salting. For your information. The shiny coating on the cap of the purple cobweb species disappears when dried.

Medicine

Used to obtain probiotics and extract valuable microelements. In industry, dyes are extracted from colored fruiting bodies. The species cannot be used in home medicine.

This mushroom can be called beautiful thanks to the delicate and beautiful shade of the cap. Blue spiderwort is a rather rare species that in Russia grows in only one region of the country. Where is it found and what does it look like?

Blue cobweb (Cortinarius caerulescens) is a large species of the Cobweb family, belonging to the genus Cobweb. This conditionally edible mushroom belongs to the lamellar group. It also has other names:

• blue-gray webweed;
• bluish cobweb;
• Blue web spider.

The species also has Latin synonyms: Phlegmacium caerulescens, Cortinarius cumatilis and Cortinarius cyanus.

• the cap is in the shape of a hemisphere in young fruiting bodies, then spread out or slightly convex, fleshy and large, with a diameter of 4-10 cm. The color of the surface is variable - in young mushrooms it has a blue or purple tint with a brownish center and shading closer to the edge, then the cap becomes light -brown with a blue border. The skin is shiny, fibrous to the touch;
• The stem relative to the cap is high (from 3 to 10 cm long) and thin (from 6 to 25 mm thick), in the lower part it thickens and becomes tuberous, with a diameter of about 4 cm. The threads of the private bedspread have a purple hue. The leg is first bluish-violet, and then dirty brown, often completely colored to match the cap. The tuberous base has a yellowish-whitish tint;
• the flesh is grayish-blue or fawn, has bad smell and a bland or slightly sweet taste;
• the plates are wide, quite frequent, notched and adherent to the stem, at first they are colored cream with a purple tint, and over time they darken to brown;
• The spores are warty, almond-shaped, rusty-brown in color.

Places of distribution and fruiting period

The bluish cobweb is found in forests North America, Europe, in Russia it grows in the Primorsky Territory. They grow in coniferous and deciduous forest belts. The species prefers calcareous soils. The fungus is a mycorrhiza-former with oak, beech and other representatives of the deciduous group.

The hero of the article usually grows in small groups, but can also be found in a single copy. It can be found in the summer starting in August and in the fall throughout September.

Similar species and how to distinguish them from them

The dove-blue cobweb has a striking resemblance in appearance to a certain group of mushrooms. For example, it has a lot in common with the conditionally edible watery blue (Cortinarius cumatilis) - for a long time these two species were even combined into one. But the latter is distinguished by a cap that is uniformly colored in gray-blue color, and also does not have a private cover and thickening in the lower part of the stem.

Cortinarius mairei, which has white plates, is also similar to Cortinarius caerulescens. And you can distinguish the hero of the article from the Terpsichore web spider (Cortinarius terpsichores) by the more uniform coloring of the cap. Cortinarius cyaneus and Cortinarius volvatus have a certain resemblance to blue. The first is distinguished by the remnants of a blanket on a darker cap and radially arranged fibers on it. And the second has more modest sizes and a dark blue color. Sometimes the blue one can be confused with the white-violet web spider (Cortinarius alboviolaceus), whose cap is white-violet in color and its surface is smooth and silky.

There is no data regarding the edibility of most similar species, but it is worth remembering that most spider webs are poisonous and also inedible representatives of the fungal kingdom. Therefore, blue ones must be collected with extreme caution.

Primary processing and preparation

The hero of the article is a little-known mushroom, which is considered conditionally edible and is classified in category IV. You can serve the blue-gray spider web by frying it. But remember that before doing this, the mushroom must be boiled for 25 minutes. It is also dried or pickled, in which case it turns black.

This mushroom is quite rare, and not every mushroom picker will be lucky enough to find it. But, nevertheless, if you find a blue web, you can safely put it in the basket. Just make sure it's really him first. If there is even a slight doubt about whether a mushroom belongs to a certain species, it is better to leave it to continue growing in the forest.

• Division: Basidiomycota (Basidiomycetes)
• Subdivision: Agaricomycotina (Agaricomycetes)
• Class: Agaricomycetes (Agaricomycetes)
• Subclass: Agaricomycetidae (Agaricomycetes)
• Order: Agaricales (Agaric or Lamellar)
• Family: Cortinariaceae (Cobwebs)
• Genus: Cortinarius (Spiderweb)
• View: Cortinarius caerulescens (Blue-blue webweed)

This type of mushroom has several Russian and Latin synonyms:

• Blue web spider;

• Gossamer blue;

• Cobweb watery blue;

• Cobweb is bluish;

• Phlegmacium caerulescens;

• Cortinarius cumatilis

• Cortinarius cyanus.

The blue-gray cobweb (Cortinarius caerulescens) belongs to the Cobweb family, is a representative of the genus.

External description

Blue-blue spiderwort (Cortinarius caerulescens) is a large mushroom consisting of a cap and a stalk, with a lamellar hymenophore. There is a residual coating on its surface. The diameter of the cap in adult mushrooms is from 5 to 10 cm; in immature mushrooms it has a hemispherical shape, which then becomes flat and convex. When it dries, it becomes fibrous and feels slimy to the touch. In young spider webs, the surface is characterized by a blue tint, gradually becoming lightish-ocher, but at the same time a border of a bluish tint remains along its edge.

The mushroom hymenophore is of the lamellar type, consisting of flat elements - plates, fused to the stem with a notch. In young fruiting bodies of mushrooms of this species, the plates have a bluish tint; with age they darken, becoming brownish.

The length of the leg of the dove-blue webwort is 4-6 cm, and the thickness is from 1.25 to 2.5 cm. At its base there is a tuber-shaped thickening visible to the eye. The surface of the leg at the base is ocher-yellow in color, and the rest of it is bluish-violet.

Mushroom pulp is characterized by an unpleasant aroma, gray-blue color and bland taste. The spore powder is rusty brown in color. The spores included in its composition are characterized by dimensions of 8-12 * 5-6.5 microns. They are almond-shaped and the surface is covered with warts.

Season and habitat

The dove-blue web spider is widespread in North America and the countries of the European continent. The fungus grows in large groups and colonies, is found in mixed and broad-leaved forests, and is a mycorrhiza-former with many deciduous trees, including beech. On the territory of Russia it is found only in the Primorsky Territory. It forms mycorrhizae with various deciduous trees (including oaks and beeches).

Edibility

Despite the fact that the mushroom belongs to the rare category and can be seen infrequently, it is classified as edible.

Similar types and differences from them

Some scientists distinguish the name watery blue spiderwort (Cortinarius cumatilis) into a separate species. Its distinctive feature is its uniformly colored bluish-gray cap. There is no tuberous thickening in it, as well as the remains of the veil.

The described type of mushroom has several similar species:

Mayor's web spider (Cortinarius mairei). It is distinguished by white hymenophore plates.

Cortinarius terpsichores and Cortinarius cyaneus. These varieties of mushrooms are distinguished from the dove-blue gossamer by the presence of radial fibers on the surface of the cap, a darker color, and the presence of remnants of a blanket on the cap, which disappear over time.

Cortinarius volvatus. This type of mushroom is characterized by a very small size and a characteristic dark blue color. It grows mainly under coniferous trees.