Description of the mushroom veselka, tips for use and curious notes on how to grow a mushroom in a garden, possible pests and diseases of mushrooms in artificial cultivation, species.
The Veselka mushroom (Phallus) belongs to the genus of mushrooms called Basidiomycetes by scientists. They are included in the Phallaceae family and are distinguished by the ability to generate spores in structures with clavate outlines, called basidia. In turn, basidia are represented by a specialized structure related to sexual sporulation. They are characterized by terminal cells with thickening (they are also called terminal) of dikaryotic vultures, or they are structures of a large number of cells that form in the hymenium of the fruit bodies or directly on the mycelium. In this case, no fruiting bodies are formed. Mycelium, or in a simple way mycelium, is the body of a fungus capable of vegetative activity and composed of branched strings.
This genus combines, according to the latest information, up to 37 varieties, but only a few of them grow in our area. The distribution of these fungi covers a fairly wide range, while on lands with a tropical climate, the number of species is more common than in temperate zones. At the same time, veselka mushrooms are saprophytes, that is, they grow on the remains of dead parts of living organisms, transforming them into compounds of both organic and inorganic nature.
| Family name | Veselkovy |
| Growing period | Perennial |
| Growth form | Mushroom |
| Breeding method | Growing mycelium |
| Landing period | Late autumn (or up to -5 degrees below zero) or in early spring and before summer |
| Landing rules | Germination of spores or planting a mushroom body in a mixture of sawdust or compost |
| Priming | Sawdust mulch from any tree species |
| Soil acidity values, pH | Sour |
| Lighting degree | Shading |
| Humidity parameters | Drip irrigation every 7 days |
| Special care rules | Do not allow the soil to dry out |
| Height values | 0, 1–3 m |
| The shape and color of the leg and cap | At first, the outlines of an egg or ball, then phallic. Whitish and dark green respectively |
| Mushroom ripening time | From late June to early July to mid-October |
| Lifetime | Summer autumn |
| Application area | As a medicinal product |
| USDA zone | 4 and more |
This immodest name Phallus was given to the mushroom in 1562 by a physician and scientist from the Netherlands, Adrian Junius (1511-1575). There are suggestions that he carried out a description of a variety of the mushroom, which was then named Veselka Adrian (Phallus hadriani). At first, all 2 species were identified in the genus, but only at the beginning of the 19th century the genus was replenished with the rest of the representatives. According to the taxonomy, which was published in 1996, the genus turned out to be quite wide, characterized by a large number of synonyms.
The outlines of the veselka mushroom are quite specific, as evidenced by its name in Latin - Fallus. Indeed, at first glance, this mushroom in a mature state resembles an erect male genital organ. Moreover, its height can vary in the range of 10-30 cm. In such a fungus, the fruiting body, while it is still young, is characterized by the shape of an egg or a ball. It often happens that parts of the body that are underground have white mycelium strands in the base area. The shell covering the fruiting body of the fungus (peridium) has three layers. It is painted in tones from whitish to colored (the latter aspect characterizes species that grow in tropical climates). Under the influence of the fruit-bearer (it is also called the recipe), which brings a spore mass of mucous consistency to the surface, the peridium breaks into three parts. The fruit bearer often has the appearance of a cap that crowns the leg.
The leg of the mushroom is a porous structure, hollow, sometimes with a wrinkled coating. The hat, on the other hand, takes shape, varying from the outline of a thimble to a bell, with irregular ribbing. Its surface is covered by the inner pulp (gleba), which, when fully ripe, takes on a dark green color and then an unpleasant odor is heard. A cone or an openwork skirt, which descends from under the cap, prevails in most of the fruiting mushroom bodies. But at the same time, in species growing in European territories, this part is not so noticeable and is almost completely covered by the "cap" of the mushroom.
The color of the spore mass is yellowish-green. In addition, the spores are quite small in size, their shape resembles an ellipse, the walls are smooth, while they are practically devoid of color or can take on a greenish tint. The organs of sexual sporulation in the Veselka fungus (basidiomycete) number from 6 to 8 spores.
To find these mushrooms with medicinal properties and such a specific form, you have to try, but it will be worth it. Its effect on the human body has long been known in folk medicine, and many craftsmen manage to grow these unusual representatives of the living world in garden plots, combining the characteristics of both flora and fauna.
How to use a mushroom veselka - curious notes
As the people just do not call this extraordinary creation of nature - a shameful and upstart, a damn egg or an egg of witches, a smelly morel and a gouty morel. But, apparently, it was the outlines of the Veselk mushroom and the way it looks at the initial stage of growth, how it grows rapidly, and became the reason for such impartial names. In ancient times, there were rumors that if you wisely use the witches' egg, you can bewitch your beloved or beloved. It has also been known for a long time that, fully ripening, such a mushroom will become poisonous.
It was important to know when to "hunt" for such a healing fungus. It grows from the end of June or the beginning of July to the end of October, but you even need to know the hours when it is possible to collect veselka, since the life of the mushroom is short - only a couple of days.
You can usually find the Veselka mushroom next to oak trees, aspen and beech plantations. Moreover, not only in mixed forests, but even in parks, you can stumble upon an immodest mushroom that jumped out of an egg. It is usually covered with grass and hides in bushy thickets. The size of such a mushroom egg rarely exceeds the parameters of a goose one. At first, the vest is very reminiscent of a raincoat, which is devoid of its strength, since its pulp is gelatinous, somewhat comparable to a lump of non-spread gelatin or an overripe plum. In about 7 days, the mushroom reaches a certain size and here miracles begin to happen. A kidney appears on the egg, which quickly hatches and transforms into a fruiting body (leg). It is this leg that is characterized by rapid growth, as if it were a living creature. The time it takes for the stem with the cap to grow takes only a quarter of an hour, that is, it is approximately 5 mm in 60 seconds!
It is clear that the mushroom is called the egg of witches at the stage of emergence. Therefore, collecting these mushrooms in this period, they made infusions, powder or consumed raw in order to increase desire and improve potency. Well, if we talk about the fields of application of drugs made on the basis of the Veselka mushroom, then they note here:
- oncology, since there is a resorption of formations of cancer etymology;
- elimination of "bad" cholesterol from the body;
- helps to lower blood pressure;
- when used internally, it promotes the healing of ulcers of the gastrointestinal tract;
- can have an effect on the human reproductive system: in men, it increases potency, and in women, it promotes conception;
- often taken as an aphrodisiac;
- helps fight hidden infections in the body;
- in the presence of inflammatory processes in various areas of the body (joints, kidneys or organs of the gastrointestinal tract), eliminates their manifestations and causes;
- in case of problems of the skin - the presence of trophic ulcers, skin tumors, bedsores or insect bites helps the healing of these places;
- relieves pain in joint problems;
- helps to recover from too much fatigue and overload.
Important
Treatment is possible only under the supervision of a doctor, since, despite all the positive aspects, there are contraindications to taking medications based on the Veselk mushroom:
- the child's age of the patient;
- lactation and pregnancy period;
- do not violate the prescribed dosage by your doctor.
Read also how to grow mushrooms at home.
Veselka mushroom: how to grow in a garden
Sowing place
Since in nature the immodest phallus prefers to hide in bushes and thick grass, it is worth choosing a similar location in the garden for it, so that it is humid and not too light. Also, basements and loggias, verandas and sheds, garages and loggias can act as similar places for the cultivation of smelly morels. There, mushrooms are usually placed in boxes, stacked on racks and similar horizontal surfaces. It is important that in such a place of germination the heat indicators are in the range of 14-35 degrees.
Soil Selection Tips
It is recommended for sowing mycelium (mycelium) to use a good layer of mulch based on sawdust, which is poured under the garden plantings (trees or bushes). Sawdust can be mixed from different trees (both deciduous and spruce): aspen, oak, beech, spruce, fir or pine. That is, the acidity of the substrate in this case should be high.
Some gardeners advise, due to the properties of the saprophyte of the Veselka mushroom, to use any garden, livestock or garden waste:
- fallen or rotten tree fruits that can no longer be used on the table;
- collected weeds;
- fresh or rotted manure;
- foliage, tops from the garden, hay or straw (both fresh and rotten);
- leftovers from the kitchen (peeling potatoes or other vegetables and fruits).
Planting the mycelium of the Veselka mushroom
There are two ways to grow "witches' eggs" in artificial conditions: with the help of spores and the fruiting body of the fungus.
Method 1
To the question of where to get this very mycelium, there is an answer from experts - the source will be the cap of the veselka mushroom, which opened during ripening. This mushroom cap is ground with a moistened sawdust mixture. This composition is placed in a plastic bag and placed in a warm place so that it is kept in a so-called incubator. At a temperature that will be in the range of 16-25 degrees for 20-30 days, spores will germinate, and the mycelium will begin to grow. Usually, the container where the mycelium is in the process of "incubation" can be a plastic container - a bucket, a basin or something similar.
After that, a thick layer of sawdust is poured under the garden trees, the height of which should be at least 10 cm. Then prepared sawdust material, which is already inhabited by mycelium, is introduced in portions into it or under it. Throughout the year, fruiting mushroom bodies will be grown in sawdust mulch, which will then be collected and used for the manufacture of medicines. In such a place, the growth of fungi can occur over several years (usually over five). Also, the bodies of the Veselka mushroom grown independently can then be used later for sowing with mycelium and other areas.
When using waste as a substrate, it is recommended to mix them thoroughly and form a bed, reaching a height of 25 cm. The length and width can be arbitrary. A layer of germinated spores is scattered on the surface of the bed and covered with soil so that its thickness is 5–7 cm.
Important
To infect 1 m3 of compost or sawdust mixture with mycelium, only 100 g of mycelium are required.
Method 2
There is another method of cultivating an immodest phallus in a garden plot, but here the source will not be spores taken from a ripe cap, but directly the mushroom leg itself - a young fruiting body. They are found in the forest or grown in a layer of sawdust mulch on their own. For this, a sawdust mixture is prepared, which can be obtained from any trees. It is recommended to add sawdust to it from representatives of conifers, such as larch, pine, and the like. The thickness of the sawdust layer should be about 10-15 cm, it is moistened (sprayed from a spray bottle) and mushroom "eggs" are laid on it in one layer. In this state, the mushrooms ripen and germinate until they reach the last sexually mature stage - that is, you can again become the owner of a hat full of spores. Ripening can take 3 to 7 days.
Since the Veselka mushroom has the ability to "eat" wood waste, that is, it is a saprophyte and exhibits the properties of a symbiont capable of forming mycorrhiza with forest plantations, this also happens in the garden. Mycorrhiza in this case is an optional form of coexistence (symbiosis). It is because of this that it is recommended to use veselka mushroom plantings as a powerful saprophyte, capable of splitting sawdust mixture, which is used as mulch for growing mycelium and as a symbiont fungus that perfectly forms an interaction with the root system of a number of growing trees or bushes.
When the Phallus mushroom is grown described above with 5–10 m2 of sawdust mulch, it becomes possible to collect up to hundreds of fruit bodies.
If the cultivation of mycelium is carried out indoors, then this process can be done all year round; in open ground, it is recommended to plant sprouted spores in the last weeks of autumn, or even until the thermometer drops to -5 frost. This will guarantee that mushroom bodies will begin to appear with the arrival of spring heat. Also, the planting period can be shifted from early spring to the first summer week. However, it has been noticed that in an open location smelly morels can grow up to 7–8 years, indoors this period is reduced to 5–6 years.
Watering mycelium
Moistening of the place where the mycelium was planted should be drip and no more than once a week. Also, watering should not be abundant if it is rainy weather or the sun does not show for a long time. If the sowing of the mycelium was carried out in the autumn, then there is no need to cover the garden bed, since it is not afraid of even the most frosty winters. This is because when the sawdust layer or compost on the garden bed decays, it is quite warm in this place. This will protect the mycelium and stimulate mycelium development during the winter months.
When grown in boxes that will be kept indoors, the care will be the same, but you will need to cover the compost in them with well-moistened burlap until you notice whitish vultures on the surface of the garden.
Possible pests and diseases of the Veselka mushroom in artificial cultivation
If we talk about pests that can infect an immodest phallus, this also applies to the entire number of these representatives of the natural world from the family, then they distinguish here:
- Cyriads, the so-called mushroom midges and humpbacks, inhabiting places where the mycelium has been damaged, and leading to its decay.
- Ticks, which include such as strawberry, barn and dwarf, since pests often live in straw or manure, which are used to grow mycelium.
- Worms representing natural inhabitants of soils used in agricultural work. In this case, the state of the mycelium is greatly deteriorating, the mushrooms grow poorly or do not appear at all.
There are quite a few fungal diseases and usually the problem is a poorly prepared substrate. Of these, mucus and bacterial "snowflakes", various types of fungal mold (black, red and others) can be distinguished. Since it is quite difficult to fight fungal diseases, more time should be devoted at the initial stage to preparatory work and prevention.
Such problems are faced not only by beginners in mushroom growing, but also by professionals. Therefore, one should treat the cultivation of such delicate representatives of the world of mushrooms with special care, since the struggle between the Veselka mushroom and the pathogenic fungus is simply a confrontation for survival and reclaiming the nutrient medium.
Description of the types of mushroom veselka
It is clear that among all the varieties we will be interested in those that are found in our latitudes and they can be grown artificially
Common Veselka (Phallus impudicus)
may also be called Phallus immodest or Smelly morel and Morel arthritic … It is this species that is popularly called the upstart, the shameful, and in England one can hear the nickname "stinkhorn". The species is widespread in the temperate and tropical zones. The growth period extends from late May to October. The height that such a cap mushroom can reach is 10–30 cm. The fruiting body of the fungus, while still young, has the shape of an egg with a diameter of about 6 cm. At its base, you can see a mycelium strand of snow-white color.
The shell covering the fruiting body (peridium) has a leathery appearance, but a smooth surface with a whitish or creamy tint. As long as the pulp remains unripe, it resembles a jelly, characterized by an unpleasant odor. When the time for the ripening of the shell comes, it breaks into 2-3 parts, taking the form of a blanket (it is also called a Volvo).
In this case, the fruiting body, which sprouts from the peridium, usually consists of a fruit-bearing (recipe), which has the shape of a cylindrical stem. Such a leg has a cavity and spongy walls. Its color is yellow or whitish, the size reaches 12-22 in length and 2-4 in width. At the top of the fruit-bearer, a bell-shaped hat effectively protrudes. Its height is 4–5 cm. The surface is as if composed of cells and covered with a mucous membrane of dark green color. The top of the cap is crowned with a compacted disc with a hole. When the mushroom is fully ripe, flies stick around it, since the standing smell is similar to the stench of rotting remains or gives off carrion.
The growth rate of the fungus even exceeds the bamboo one - about 5 mm per minute. Comparison with the growth of bamboo is because in the literature usually this plant is given in examples of the absolute values of speed that are available in the world of the flora of the planet.
The color of the spore powder is yellow; the size of the spores is 3.5–5 µm in length and 1.5–2 µm in width. They have an oval-cylindrical shape and a smooth surface.
As long as the mushroom is in the shape of an egg (that is, it is in childbearing age), then it is edible, but even after germination, some consider it tasty. For example, in France, these mushrooms are successfully replacing radishes, being eaten raw. However, after germination, after a certain period, they should not be eaten, since processes that promote decay and decomposition are triggered in the mushrooms.
This variety is listed in the Red Book of the Sverdlovsk Region.
Hadrian's Veselka (Phallus hadriani)
distributed in temperate latitudes on the planet. It bears its name in honor of a scientist from the Netherlands who also had medical practice in the 16th century - Adrian Junius (1511-1575). This scientist for the first time in 1562 applied the name Phallus to the mushroom. It began to be considered that this was attributed to all species of this genus. Fruiting stretches from May to October. It prefers to settle in nature on a sandy substrate, it can be found in dunes and on lawns, in parks and gardens.
You can eat the mushroom not only while it has the shape of an egg, but also at maturity, when it opens. When it is used for food at the stage of maturity, it is necessary to wash off the mucus, which is filled with spores, from the surface. Otherwise, the culinary dish takes on the color of swamp and mud.
The smell of the inner flesh (gleb) resembles carrion and therefore attracts both gastropods and insects (flies, beetles and bees). There are animals that are also attracted by spore-containing mucus, which is why it is possible for these fungi to spread over fairly long distances, since spores in this composition are not damaged and go outside with animal feces.
The height of such a cap mushroom varies in the range of 10–20 cm. Its appearance is very similar to the common veselka. The fruit body in youth is under the surface of the soil, its shape is in the form of an egg or a ball. The diameter reaches 4–6 cm. At the base, mycelial strands are discernible, which outlines resemble the root processes of plants. The thickness of the strands is equal to several millimeters. The covering of the egg (peridium) is leathery, but the surface is smooth, folds are formed in the lower part. When it appears, its color is whitish, but then it is replaced by a pinkish-purple color scheme.
It is curious that if the egg is taken in hand, then the intensity of the color increases, the same property manifests itself in the presence of unfavorable circumstances: a decrease in air humidity, a sharp change in temperature indicators, and so on. Inside, the ovoid fruiting body fills with a gelatinous mucous substance with a specific odor. When the mushroom is fully ripe, the peridium (coating) bursts into 2-3 parts and takes the shape of a vellum (volva). At such a moment, the mucous substance becomes more liquid and flows out. It is this process that helps open the recipe, which is hitherto located in the inner part of the ovoid body, resembling a strongly compressed spring. All this explains the incredible growth rate of the fungus.
After germination, the fruiting mushroom body (already fully ripe) is a recipe with the outlines of a cylindrical stem, which has a thickening in the lower part. Such a leg is hollow, with spongy walls, its color is whitish or yellowish-white. Its size is 10–20 cm in length and 3-4 cm in width. The hat, which crowns the recipe, has bell-shaped outlines, and its height is 2–5 cm. Its surface is cellular, covered with glib olive color.
As the glebe ripens, it liquefies, and at the same time a rich nutty yeast smell begins to hover nearby. Some find him pleasant, others find him disgusting. A whitish disc with an irregular shape and a hole in the upper part is attached to the top of the hat. The spore powder has an olive tint, while the spore size is 3.5 µm in length and 1.5–2.5 µm in width. The very shape of the spores is in the form of an oval, oblong-elongated, the surface is smooth.
At this time, Adrian's Veselka mushroom is quite rare on the territory of both Lithuania and Poland, and it was also listed in the Red Data Books of the regions of the Kaliningrad region and the Republic of Tyva.
Related article: Organizing a mushroom farm in a box
Video about growing a veselka mushroom:
