Leccinum scabrum

Birch Bolete ( Leccinum scabrum )

The common birch fungus, Birch Boletus, Capuchin or Geißpilz ( Leccinum scabrum, syn. Boletus scaber or Krombholzia scabra ) is a species of fungus in the family Dickröhrlingsverwandten.

Features

The hat is 5-15 cm wide, is initially hemispherical, round and flattened later. The hat skin is pale gray-brown to reddish - gray brown, but can also contain yellowish tones. Later, it is often more or less brown, smooth, glabrous, dry and high humidity pretty greasy. The tubes are in young white, later gray. At the age the tubes may be bulging on hat to keep the stem they are heavily dented. The tube layer is very easy to detach from the Cap flesh. The stalk is 5-15 cm long and 1-3.5 cm thick, is slim, white and dark to black scaled irregular and tapers upwards. The Basismycel is white. The flesh is whitish, later gray-white and unchanging at break. In youth, the meat is relatively fixed, but will soon spongy and hydrated, especially in rainy weather. The meat of the commons birch fungus is very dark to black when cooking. It has a pleasant mushroom odor. The yellowish spores measure 13-18 x 5-6 microns.

Artabgrenzung

The name birch fungus is rather broad and represents the amateur mycologist and as with the Rotkappen sometimes before problems. The Vielverfärbende birch fungus ( L. variicolor ) has a blueing stalk that bog birch fungus ( L. holopus ) is brighter in all parts, whitish.

Ecology and distribution

The common birch fungus is widespread in Europe and often found within the Birch area. He is a Mykorrhizapartner the birch species and grows from June to October.

Importance

The common birch fungus is a popular edible mushroom. He is in Germany, like other species of this genus protected and may only be collected in small quantities for personal use.