Radish-like

Mushrooms that smell of radish

The sharp, pungent, rawish smell of black radish can't be mistaken for anything else. In her works, M.Ya. Zerova very clearly associates this smell with a few specific genera of fungi, most of which are toxic.

David Arora and Roger Phillips describe the main carriers of this aroma:

1. Hebeloma: This genus is often called "poison pies" (poison pie). For example, the poisonpie (Hebeloma crustuliniforme) is a poisonous mushroom with a very strong, piercing smell of radish or horseradish. It grows in forests in large numbers and is often confused by beginners with edible Tricholoma (knights).

2. Webcaps (Cortinarius): A huge number of species in this genus smell of radish. For example, the poisonous blood red webcap (Cortinarius sanguineus) and many other species give off this characteristic aroma when you rub the gills.

3. Bonnets (Mycena): Some small woodland bonnets smell of pure radish (for example, Mycena pura - the lilac bonnet, which contains muscarine).

Why a radish smell is dangerous

From an evolutionary point of view, the pungent smell of essential oils resembling mustard glycosides (as in radish or cabbage) often accompanies toxin production in fungi. It is a natural mechanism for deterring mycophagous animals (those that feed on fungi).

If you pick up a gilled mushroom, rub its flesh and notice a sharp smell of radish salad, in 95% of cases you are better off throwing that mushroom away. Among first-rate edible mushrooms (porcini, chanterelles, Agaricus mushrooms, slippery jacks) a radish smell never occurs.