Description: Tanish cap with wrinkled margin and light frosting. Brownish gills and whitish stalk with ring midway.
Season: Common late summer and fall.
Habitat: Mycorrhizial, mostly with conifers but also under some hardwoods. Often in groups in forest damp places and open area's. One of the earlier of the fall mushrooms.
Edibility: Popular in Europe. Mintlike flavour. Discard tough stalks.
From 'Oft Told Mushroom Recipes'...Puget Sound Mycological Society 1969:
Gypsy Pilaf
4 cups sliced mushroom caps
4 tablespoons butter
1 package beef flavour rice
mix
2 cups water
1 cup tomato, diced
Parsley
Saute mushroom caps in butter. Add contents of seasoning envelope from the rice mix. Add the water and heat to boiling. Stir in rice. Add the tomato. Cover and cook on low heat for 15 minutes. Reemove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Stir to fluff. Garnish with parsley. makes 4 - 5 servings
Comments: A
little-known excellent edible, it is often found in large quantities. It
is also sold commercially throughout Europe. Originally called Pholiota
caperata. May also be considered as a 'medicinal' mushroom has it contains
a unique antiviral component.
DETAILS
Cap: 5 - 12cm Egg-shaped at first becoming convex then flattening with a low, rounded hump in center. Broad, fleshy, firm, thinner towards margin which may be turned in at first or wrinkled when older. Yellow-orange to orange-brown, darkest in center with a thin frosty coating of fibrillose universal veil remains.
Stalk: 5 - 15 X 1 - 2cm Thick, solid and smooth. Sometimes bulbous with evanescent remains of universal veil. Fibrous inside. Solid white to pale tan with prominent ring midway.
Gills: Adnate, close and broad. Whitish turning brownish and adnexed with age. Sometimes banded in light and dark zones.
Veil: White veil leaves prominent narrow ring midway down stalk. Thick, usually turned upward and loosening with age. White on top, yellowish underneath.
Flesh: White yellowish, firm, thick, pleasant odour.
Spores: 12 - 14 X 7 - 9µ rusty brown, elliptical.