Tricholoma ustaloides

Tricholoma ustaloides

Tricholoma ustaloidesis a mushroom growing in forests of fagaceae, specifically in the green oak woods of district of Bages. It belongs to the large genus Tricholoma as the edible T.terreum that’s appreciated in Catalonia, matsutake (T.terreum) from the Japanese food and many more –T.atrosquamosum, T.aurantium, T.caligatum, T.pessundatum, T.scalpturatum…- until more than one hundred species from the forests of northern hemisphere.

The cap of Tricholoma ustaloides is 5-7 cm diameter with rolled edges, mahogany or orange colour, shining in wet condition. The grills outstand below in white; they do not weld to the stipe. The stipe is cylindrical, thick and same colour or deeper than the cap until the ring line that marks the insertion level of the partial veil, near the top, where it clearly changes to the white of the grills.

Tricholoma ustaloides grows in groups in autumn in green oak forests. There are hesitations whether it’s fully edible.

[photos Jordi Badia]