''Leccinum versipelle'', also known as ''Boletus testaceoscaber'' or the orange birch bolete, is a common

edible mushroom Edible mushrooms are the fleshy and edible fruit bodies of several species of macrofungi (fungi which bear fruiting structures that are large enough to be seen with the naked eye). They can appear either below ground ( hypogeous) or above gro ...

(given the right preparation) in the genus ''

Leccinum ''Leccinum'' is a genus of fungi in the family Boletaceae. It was the name given first to a series of fungi within the genus ''Boletus'', then erected as a new genus last century. Their main distinguishing feature is the small, rigid projections ...

''. It is found below birches from July through to November, and turns black when cooked.

Description

Spinus-orange-birch-bolete-2014-10-n014756-w

The

cap A cap is a flat headgear, usually with a visor. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head. They made their first appearance as early as 3200 BC. Caps typically have a visor, or no brim at all. They are popular in casual and informal se ...

is broadly convex, bright red-brown or brick red. It is felty and grows up to 20 cm (8 in) in diameter. The

flesh Flesh is any aggregation of soft tissues of an organism. Various multicellular organisms have soft tissues that may be called "flesh". In mammals, including humans, ''flesh'' encompasses muscles, fats and other loose connective tissues, but ...

is white to pink, turning green-blue when cut, particularly in the stipe. The

spores In biology, a spore is a unit of sexual or asexual reproduction that may be adapted for dispersal and for survival, often for extended periods of time, in unfavourable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many plants, algae, ...

are brown. The stipe is firm, long and slender, white and covered with small black scales.

Edibility

''Leccinum versipelle'' is mildly

toxic Toxicity is the degree to which a chemical substance or a particular mixture of substances can damage an organism. Toxicity can refer to the effect on a whole organism, such as an animal, bacterium, or plant, as well as the effect on a sub ...

(causing nausea and vomiting) unless given proper heat treatment: frying or boiling for 15–20 minutes is considered necessary. As mentioned, the mushroom turns black when heated. It is commonly harvested for food in Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Belarus, and Russia.

References

*E. Garnweidner. ''Mushrooms and Toadstools of Britain and Europe''. Collins. 1994. {{Taxonbar, from=Q533017 versipelle Fungi described in 1835 Fungi of Europe Edible fungi Taxa named by Elias Magnus Fries

Description

Edibility

See also

References