Content
Spruce trichaptum is an inedible representative of the Polyporov family. Grows on moist, dead, felled coniferous wood. Destroying the tree, the fungus thereby cleans the forest from dead wood, turning it into dust and enriching the soil with nutrients.
What does Trihaptum spruce look like?
The fruiting body is formed by a flat cap with bent edges. It is attached to wood with a side surface. The mushroom has a semicircular or fan-shaped shape. The velvety surface is painted in gray tones with purple edges. In wet weather, due to the accumulation of algae, the color changes to light olive. With age, the fruiting body becomes discolored, and the edges are tucked inward.
The lower layer is painted in a pale purple color, as it grows it becomes dark purple. The pulp is whitish, rubbery, tough, with mechanical damage the color does not change. Trichaptum spruce reproduces by microscopic cylindrical spores, which are located in a snow-white powder.
The fungus grows on dry spruce wood
Where and how it grows
Trichaptum spruce prefers to grow on rotten, dry coniferous wood in northern and central Russia, Siberia and the Urals. It grows everywhere, forming parasitic growths on the tree, which lead to the appearance of brown rot. The fungus damages forestry by destroying harvested timber and building materials. But, despite this, this representative is a forest orderly. Destroying and turning rotten wood into dust, it enriches the soil with humus and makes it more fertile.
Trichaptum spruce bears fruit from spring to late autumn. The development of the fruiting body begins with the appearance of a brown or yellowish spot. Further, at this place, light brown blotches of an oblong shape appear. After 30-40 days, the blotches are filled with a whitish substance, forming voids.
In the place of active growth of the fruit body, the destruction of the tree occurs, which is accompanied by abundant resinification. The fungus continues its development until the wood is completely destroyed.
Is the mushroom edible or not
Spruce Trichaptum is an inedible forest dweller. Due to its hard, rubbery pulp and lack of taste and smell, it is not used in cooking.
Doubles and their differences
Spruce trichaptum, like any representative of the mushroom kingdom, has similar twins. Such as:
- Larch - inedible species, grows in the taiga, prefers to settle on rotten, dry conifers and stumps. The fruiting body is prostrate, the cap, 7 cm in diameter, has the shape of a shell. The grayish surface has a silky, smooth skin. It grows more often as an annual plant, but biennial specimens are also found.
Due to the rubbery pulp, the species is not used in cooking.
- Brown violet - an inedible annual specimen. Grows on dead, damp wood of coniferous forests. Causes white rot when infected. The fruiting body is located in single specimens or form tiled families. The surface is velvety, painted in a light lilac color with brown uneven edges. In wet weather, it becomes covered with algae. The pulp is bright purple, as it dries it becomes yellow-brown in color. Fruiting from May to November.
The mushroom is inedible, but due to its beautiful surface, it is suitable for a photo shoot
- Twofold - an inedible forest dweller. It grows as a saprophyte on stumps and fallen deciduous trees.The species is distributed throughout Russia, growing from May to November. The fungus appears in tiled groups, with a fan-shaped hat 6 cm in diameter. The surface is smooth, velvety, light gray, coffee or ocher. In dry weather, the cap becomes discolored, in wet weather it turns olive green. The pulp is tough, rubbery, whitish.
The mushroom has a beautiful shell-shaped surface
Conclusion
Trichaptum spruce prefers to grow on dead coniferous wood, causing brown rot on it. This type causes great damage to building material, if the storage rules are not followed, it quickly collapses and becomes unusable for construction. It grows from May to November, because of the tough, tasteless pulp, it is not used for cooking.
