Blushing Wood Mushroom

Description

The blushing wood mushroom (also called the wood mushroom in Polish literature) has a cap 3–10 cm across, dark brown to ochre, densely covered with cinnamon, fibrous scales. The gills are greyish-red, then dark brown, and a ring hangs on the white stem. Characteristic is the reddening of the flesh when cut and of the stem when pressed.

It grows mainly in coniferous and mixed forests, most often under spruce and fir, less often in parks and meadows, often in groups. In Poland it is fairly common.

It must be distinguished from the yellow stainer, which smells of phenol and turns yellow, and from young amanitas (these have a volva at the base of the stem and white gills). If you have doubts, do not pick or eat it.

Identification features

Cap

Diameter 3–10 cm. Bell-shaped or hemispherical in young specimens, then arched, flat in older ones. Surface dry, dark brown to ochre, densely covered with cinnamon-brown, adpressed, fibrous scales (descriptions also give a grey-brown colour, with broad scales). A pale form is rare.

Hymenophore (underside of the cap)

Gills crowded, narrow, free; greyish-red in young specimens, dark brown in older ones (according to some descriptions grey, then much darker); edges paler. The white, membranous partial veil persists for quite a long time.

Stem

Height 5–12 cm, thickness 1–2 cm, white or brownish, cylindrical, bulbous at the base, solid when young, later hollow, easily detached from the cap. Ring flaring or hanging, positioned high on the stem. Turns red when pressed, then brown.

Flesh

White, turning red when cut. Taste mild, smell indistinct. Do not taste the flesh of wild specimens.

Spore print and spores

Spore print blackish-brown to chocolate-brown. Spores ovoid to elliptical, smooth; size 5.5–6 × 3.5–4 µm.

Habitat and distribution

Ecology. Terrestrial saprotroph, mainly in coniferous and mixed forests, rarely in deciduous forests and thickets, sometimes in meadows and parks. Most often under Norway spruce and silver fir, also under alders and willows.

Distribution. North America, Europe, Asia (according to some descriptions also North Africa). Fairly common in Poland. It is not legally protected; it appears on the list of fungi approved for sale (Ministry of Health item 39, as A. silvaticus). It often grows in groups.

Fruiting. From early summer or from September to November in Europe; the dates are given ambiguously.

What can it be confused with?

• Agaricus xanthodermus (yellow stainer) — Inedible; smells of carbolic acid (phenol), and the base of the stem turns yellow when damaged.
• Agaricus porphyrizon (lilac-reddish agaricus) — Rare; the flesh turns yellow when damaged, the cap is slightly different in colour.
• Agaricus phaeolepidotus — Stem turns yellow (and pink) when cut; cap more brownish; smell of iodine or ink.
• Tricholoma vaccinum — Similar from above, but without a ring, and the gills turn rusty brown with age.
• Young white-gilled amanitas — Amanitas have a volva and white gills, agaricus mushrooms have a brown spore print.

Never rely on a single feature. If you are not sure — do not pick it; show the mushroom to a qualified mushroom expert.

Interesting facts

• Already described in 1774 by Jacob Christian Schäffer under the name that remains valid today.
• It has about 40 scientific synonyms.
• The name sylvaticus means "of the woods"; the spellings sylvaticus and silvaticus are both permitted, but Species Fungorum prefers the former.
• The Polish name was given by Feliks Berdau in 1876.