The cap mushroom got its name for a kind of convex hat. This species belongs to the Pautinnikov family. This mushroom has other names: forest champignon, chicken, Turk, white bog. His appearance is deceiving, at first glance it is difficult to determine whether it is edible or poisonous.
The cap mushroom (Rozites caperatus) grows in mossy pine forests, sometimes in mixed, much less often in oak groves and blueberries. It is found in Europe, Russia, Belarus. In the northern regions of Russia, it can be found under dwarf birches. Favorite places - on acidic moist soils, often lives in the mountains, at an altitude of up to 2000 meters. Fruiting season: from mid-July to the end of September. Bright and very noticeable mushrooms always cause distrust, for this reason mushroom pickers do not collect Rozites caperatus, taking it for a poisonous one.
The mushroom cap has a domed hat of yellow ocher color. Over time, it grows quite large, up to 10-12 cm in diameter, while not losing its correct shape. Initially, the hat is completely closed, resembles a bulb, straightens as it grows, but never flat. In hot, dry weather, the edges crack, the hat becomes “torn” with multiple cracks and wrinkles. The flesh is dirty yellow, dense, fleshy, with a faint mushroom aroma. The surface is dry, covered with small scales, similar to powdery coating. In dry weather, noticeable wrinkles form on the hat. Fruit bodies grow both in groups and individually.
The young mushroom cap has a hat fused to the leg, which, as it grows, comes off, leaving a torn yellowish noticeable ring on the leg. Because of this, it is often confused with poisonous mushrooms, including pale grebe. In addition, a high leg, up to 12 cm long, makes this mushroom outwardly similar to a fly agaric. But there are a number of differences that produce an edible and very tasty mushroom cap.
Its plates are white at first, then turn brown, darken when pressed, and they are always white with a pale toadstool. A powdery coating on the hat, inherent in the annular cap, is absent in the toadstool and in the fly agaric. The age of the fruiting body can be determined by the color of the plates, a yellowish hue indicates that the fungus is aging. In addition, the leg hardens quickly at the cap. It has a dense surface, and inside a small cavity. Hard legs are usually cut so as not to spoil the taste of the cooked dish.
Various sources claim that mushrooms caps (photo on the right and above) are suitable for frying, pickles, marinades and cooking soups. However, one should be careful with old overgrown mushrooms, hard old legs need to be mercilessly rejected. Due to the fact that the cap mushroom is little known among mushroom pickers, it is not so difficult to find it in the forest. In Russia, he is not very popular because of his dubious appearance. But in European countries it is considered a delicacy, especially in price young strong mushrooms, which are happy to eat in stew and fried. Unlike other cobwebs, the annular cap has a pleasant light aroma.