Support MycoNote →

MycoNote

Smell

Radicate

Radish-like — mushrooms with the trait «Radish-like»

Among mycological smells, the term "radicate" often puzzles beginners the most. It is a specific smell, a close relative of the earthy and radish smells, but with its own distinct nuances. The term comes from the Latin word radix (root).

1 species in the database.

What is a radicate smell?

M.Ya. Zerova in the "Key to the Fungi of Ukraine" and other taxonomists use the terms "root-like" or "radicate" for a smell reminiscent of fleshy roots freshly pulled from damp soil (but without the sharpness of radish). It is a dense, rawish, sometimes slightly sweetish smell of underground places and damp wood.

David Arora describes such smells as "root-like". This smell is a very important diagnostic feature for several specific mushrooms:

1. Rooting poisonpie (Pholiota radicosa / Hebeloma radicosum): This large mushroom with a long, root-like stem, which often grows near old stumps or on rotting roots, has a very intense, heavy "radicate" smell (sometimes with notes of almond or bitter roots). It is considered inedible or suspect.

2. Some webcaps (Cortinarius): Certain species of this huge genus with a bulbous or elongated stem base often give off a heavy root-like smell when cut.

3. Rooting shank (Xerula radicata / Hymenopellis radicata): An edible mushroom with an incredibly long stem that reaches deep underground. Although its smell is faint, the crushed flesh near the base often smells of damp roots.

How it differs from other smells

A radicate smell is very easy to confuse with a radish smell (which is sharper, more mustardy) and an earthy one (which smells of dust or mold). The radicate smell is the smell of "living", juicy but raw underground plant tissue.

Questions and answers

Why is the term "radicate" rarely found in modern culinary guides?
It is a purely scientific, botanical term (from Latin radix, root, which is also where the word "radish" comes from), used by taxonomic mycologists. In popular literature it is often replaced by the clearer "earthy", "root-like" or "smell of raw potato".
If a mushroom smells of damp roots, is it edible?
More often than not, no. Mushrooms with a distinct radicate (root-like) or earthy smell, especially if they have gills and grow on wood or near stumps, belong to inedible or poisonous genera (for example, Hebeloma, which folk names call the "horseradish mushroom" or the "false valui").
How do you check for this smell?
A radicate smell is best detected not on the cap but on a cut or broken stem base, especially if that stem is buried deep in the substrate or soil.

Sources

  1. 1.Зерова М.Я. та ін. Визначник грибів України. 1979
  2. 2.Roger Phillips. Mushrooms (Roger Phillips)
  3. 3.David Arora. Mushrooms Demystified
  4. 4.Index Fungorum