Borovik is, first of all, the genus of mushrooms that belong to the Boletov family. Some people call boletus edulis, and some believe that these are two completely different species. But, oddly enough, both options are correct. Boletus edulis is one of the many species that make up the genus boletus. As a rule, mushrooms are the most popular and desired among mushroom pickers. Going out into the woods, many dream of putting several noble boletus in their basket. But, in addition to edible, inedible, and even completely dangerous species for humans are found in this genus. In this article you will learn more about boletus and its species.

Boletus as a genus

As mentioned above, boletus is a genus, it includes more than 300 species. This genus represents the most popular and noble porcini mushroom. People call him boletus, because of this, many mushroom pickers get confused. This genus also includes other species that are called the genus, for example, royal boletus. In this case, there is a difference between royal boletus and porcini mushroom.

Did you know? The white mushroom can adapt to any conditions, this is proved by the study of the destroyed nuclear reactor in Chernobyl, where these mushrooms were discovered. They developed in the usual way, despite radiation.

In fact, all instances of this genus can easily be called boletus. As a rule, they can be found in deciduous, coniferous and oak forests, mainly under trees, since the development of mushrooms requires a connection with their roots. Boroviks almost always have a large body, which consists of a hat and a wide leg. The hat has the shape of a pillow. It is velvet or smooth. On the leg are small scales. The flesh is mostly white or light yellow. The spores are yellow, red, but there are also white.

Mushrooms grow mainly from May to November. It all depends on the climate, during this period you can easily collect a basket of not only ceps, but also other species. The best time for collecting is considered to be the period of cereal earing.

The terminology "cep"

Not everyone knows why the porcini mushroom got its name. In fact, it has a long history. The fact is that our ancestors more often dried mushrooms than fried or canned. In the process of drying, it became noticeable that the mushrooms remained white, and its name was “born”. But there is another version that the mushroom got its name because of its pulp, which has a white color. White mushroom is famous for its piquant aroma and pronounced mushroom taste.

Important! Porcini mushrooms can accumulate toxins in themselves from the soil in which they grow, so do not collect them near industrial plants, landfills, as well as along highways.

To distinguish it from other species, you need to look at the following features:

• convex hat, light brown or brown, sometimes with a red tint;
• thick leg of white color, barrel-shaped;
• white flesh in young and yellow in old organisms.

Other species

There are a lot of species of boletus in nature, both useful and poisonous.

Some edible species:

1. Bronze - an edible mushroom with a bright brown hat, which becomes flat with age. It grows mainly in deciduous forests. The thick leg is yellow or red. The pulp is white. It grows from mid-March to October.
2. Bicolor - his hat has a bright red color. The flesh is yellow in color, a bluish tint appears when cut. The leg is also a pronounced pinkish tint. It can be found in deciduous and coniferous forests, mainly in the warm season. During a “silent hunt” keep in mind that this mushroom has a double that is poisonous. The only difference between them is the color of the hat, while the false one is not so bright.
3. Yellow - in young organisms the hat is convex, but with age it becomes flat, it is smooth, yellow. The pulp has no smell; it is bright yellow in color. When cut, the flesh becomes dark blue. Leg is barrel-shaped, yellow.

Boletus contains keratin, vitamins C, B1, D, proteins, manganese, copper, iodine. All components contribute to improving human health.

Most mushrooms of this kind are edible, they are well suited for pickling for the winter and have a piquant taste. But among the mushrooms there are species that are dangerous to human life, which practically do not differ from edible ones:

1. Beautiful-legged flight - his hat is brown or grayish, it can be smooth or matte. The leg is thick, yellow. A small mesh is visible on it. The pulp is dense, light beige. When cut in places, a blue appears. Distributed in coniferous areas, near the mountains. It is not poisonous, but because of the bitter taste it is impossible to use it.
2. Wolfish - in young organisms, the hat is round, with age it becomes convex, red or light pink in color. The surface is dry above. The pulp is dense, light yellow, turns blue when cut. The leg is red-brown, sometimes with red spots. The smell is absent. It occurs from November to January, in oak forests, and is classified as edible. You can eat it only after 20 minutes of boiling. In this case, the broth must be poured.
3. Pink purple - the mushroom has a round hat; with age it becomes convex. The surface is velvety, in wet weather it becomes mucous with small tubercles. The color is uneven, saturated red, with brown spots. If you press the surface, it will turn blue. The flesh is yellow, when cut becomes black. Leg lemon yellow. There is a red net on it. It produces a sour-berry odor. It grows near mountains and hills, mainly near oaks. This instance has been little studied, but at the moment it is classified as poisonous, because its body contains a dangerous toxin that can be harmful to health.

If after eating mushrooms you notice signs of poisoning, immediately call an ambulance. Before the doctors arrive, drink 6 glasses of water and take sorbents, for example, 10 tablets of activated carbon.

Mushrooms are one of the most delicious and healthy mushrooms. They go well with a variety of dishes and can become a festive table decoration. But if you are poorly oriented and cannot determine the edible mushroom, it is better to avoid specimens with a hint of red, since there are a lot of poisonous counterparts and it is quite difficult to distinguish them.