Imperial mushroomCatathelasma imperiale

Yes, it is an edible mushroom. But it is not a mushroom for beginners because of the risk of confusing it with amanitas — both genera have a ring on the stem. Put it in your basket only after confident identification: double ring, whitish-gray tone, massive rooting stem, mycorrhiza with conifers. If you find a similar mushroom in a deciduous forest — it is definitely not Catathelasma.

Clean and slice. Young mushrooms can be fried straight away for 15-20 min or stewed. Mature ones — first boil for 10-15 min in salted water, drain the broth (this removes the sharp mealy smell), then fry or stew with onion and cream. Pickles well. Suitable for drying — dried, it keeps its aroma for up to a year.

Two fundamental differences. (1) Volva at the base: an amanita (especially the death cap) always has a sac-like sheath (volva) at the base of the stem. Catathelasma has no volva, only a rooting bulbous stem. (2) Spore print: in Catathelasma it is white to cream; in amanitas it is also white, so this is not diagnostic. A better marker is the gills: in an amanita they are free (not touching the stem), in Catathelasma they are adnate or decurrent. And mycorrhiza: Catathelasma grows only with conifers, the death cap mostly with oak and beech.

In mountain coniferous forests — fir, spruce, fir-beech. Best of all in the Carpathians at altitudes of 700-1500 m, on north-facing slopes, in damp coniferous woodland with moss and thick litter. It likes acidic soils and mossy spots. It often grows on the roots of old firs — forming mycorrhiza with them.

Mainly the Carpathians (Zakarpattia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv and Chernivtsi regions) and Prykarpattia. Very rarely in Polissia (in old spruce stands of Volyn and the Rivne region). It is not found in the steppe, the Forest-Steppe or Crimea. This is a mushroom of mountain landscapes.

August to October, peaking in September. It likes a wet, cool autumn in the mountains. It tolerates the first frosts. It does not fruit in summer heat or in winter.

Most dangerous — with the death cap (Amanita phalloides), which also has a ring on the stem. How to tell them apart: the death cap has a volva at the base (a sac-like sheath), an olive-green tint to the cap, and mycorrhiza with oak/beech — not with conifers. Catathelasma has no volva, a gray-brown tone, and mycorrhiza with spruce/fir. It can also be confused with St George's mushroom (Calocybe gambosa) — but that one is much smaller and grows in spring.

Absolutely not. The death cap is the deadliest mushroom in Europe, and its toxins are not neutralized by any cooking. If you find a large, heavy mushroom with a ring on the stem and you lack experience — walk past it. Better to miss a good dinner than to make a fatal mistake. It is best to show your first 2-3 Catathelasma finds to an experienced forager for confirmation.