The common parasol or parasol is a species of mushroom found worldwide. In the following post, you will learn how to spot the edible mushroom flawlessly.
Table of Contents
Different names
Common parasol is the official name for this mushroom. But there are also other names for the fungus with the scientific name Macrolepiota procera. These can already provide initial information about the appearance:
- Parasol
- giant parasol mushroom
- drum beater
- Schoolmaster Mushroom
- schnitzel mushroom
The occurence
A common giant parakeet occurs in different places. The mushrooms are particularly common between July and October. Sometimes the harvest time extends into November. The fungi can occur individually or form a community with other specimens. The following locations are well-known and popular for Parasol specimens:
- grasslands
- pastures
- coniferous and deciduous forests
- roadsides
Typical appearance
If you want to recognize the common giant parakeet properly, you can rely on different criteria. The following features are typical for identification:
- stalk
- Hut
- scent
- taste
The spherical hat on young plants is typical of the parasol fungus . This expands over the course of life. At the same time, the surface also changes as time progresses.
stalk
The stalk of the common giant parasol is up to 50 cm long. In addition, the stem is relatively slender, but thicker at the bottom. There is a conspicuous ring around the stem in the upper third. This one is leathery and puffy. To identify the mushroom for sure, you can move the ring with your finger. The grey-brown stalk broadens at the bottom with time, becoming almost straight when young.
Hut
The hat can reach a diameter of up to 40 cm. There is a hump on this. The young hats have brown skin that becomes more scaly as they live. The surface of the hat is often mottled light beige or whitish.
scent
The mushrooms regularly have certain scent nuances. The nutty scent is known for the common giant parasol. Anyone who has recognized the external signs can do the smell test. A common giant parakeet typically smells like mushrooms and at the same time nutty.
Aroma
The aroma of the mushroom is mild. The taste is slightly nutty and reminiscent of peanut-based butter. The taste of the stems, on the other hand, is woody. The flesh of the parasol is juicy and soft.
Beware of confusion
The common giant parasol looks confusingly similar to other mushrooms. From a visual point of view, there are both poisonous and non-poisonous types of mushrooms that pose a risk of confusion. You should take a second look at the following types of mushrooms:
- Spitzschuppiger Stachel-Schirmling (Lepiota aspera)
- Safranschirmling (Macrolepiota rachodes)
- Pantherpilz (Amanita pantherina)
- Giant Parakeet (Macrolepiota mastoidea)
- Ackerschirmpilz (Macrolepiota excoriata)
