Rowers are mushrooms widely distributed in Russia and Asia. Among the representatives of this genus there are both edible and non-edible specimens. Today we will talk about a mushroom called May row. Why is it called that, why is it interesting and is it possible to eat it? The following article will answer these questions for novice mushroom pickers.
May row (Calocybe gambosa) belongs to the family Ryadovka, to the genus of the same name Ryadovka. It is also called May mushroom, May kalocybe, St. George's mushroom. It got its name because of the early fruiting period. This is an edible and good-tasting representative of the mushroom kingdom, which often ends up in the mushroom picker’s basket. Ryadovka is a lamellar mushroom, slightly reminiscent of an ordinary russula.
- The cap is round in shape, convex or hump-shaped, becoming flat with age. It has inwardly curved edges, is dense and fleshy. Sometimes the cap becomes deformed and bent - this is due to the high density of growth of individual fruiting bodies. Its surface is slightly oily and smooth to the touch. The skin color ranges from creamy white to cream or brown-orange. The diameter usually does not exceed 12 cm;
- the leg is smooth to the touch, cylindrical in shape, quite thick, dense and fleshy, expanding towards the lower part. Its thickness in diameter is up to 2.5 cm, and its height is up to 7 cm. The color is white or yellowish, with a hint of butter, in the ground area it is rusty, red;
- The pulp is thick, dense, white. When damaged, it emits a bright powdery aroma - this is the main distinguishing feature of the species. It also tastes like fresh wheat flour;
- the plates are located very often, thin, narrow, well adhered to the stem. Color white-cream;
- spores are creamy white.
Spreading
The May mushroom lives in the European part of our country, most often in pastures and meadows, but it also feels great in mixed forests, groves, parks, and near roads. Sometimes it is found even within the city in flower beds or lawns. Easily breaks through to the light through the grass. The fruiting season begins in late spring and ends in mid-summer.
The best time to hunt for the May row is the month of May, as the name implies. During this period, the “catch” will definitely be good and will not disappoint any mushroom picker, since you just have to find the mycelium of the row and the basket will be full, because this species usually grows in large groups or rows, “witch circles.”
Similar types and differences from them
It is quite difficult to confuse the May mushroom with any other representative of the mushroom kingdom due to the fact that it does not grow in the fall, like many other species, but in spring and summer. There is some similarity with the light-colored varieties of poisonous entomola (Entoloma sinuatum), but the differences are easy to notice if you look closely: the latter have pink plates, a thin stalk and are slightly darker in color.
According to external data, the May mushroom is also similar to the cherry blossom (Clitopilus prunulus), a little-known edible mushroom. It is larger and has a weak fluff on the cap, and when damaged, its flesh changes color, becoming darker.
Primary processing and preparation
May mushroom belongs to category IV edible mushrooms. It is best suited for frying, but exhibits its taste well when salted and pickled. It must be boiled before frying. After heat treatment, the May row can be frozen for the winter.
Sometimes soups, broths, sauces are prepared from this mushroom; some gourmets even dry it. Although the best taste of the May row is revealed precisely during frying.
May row is a mushroom that, in terms of the amount of nutrients it contains, is not inferior to beef liver. It contains useful substances, vitamins and microelements in optimal proportions, which is not typical for other mushrooms. Therefore, eating it has a beneficial effect on human health.
The May row is popularly called the May mushroom, T-shirt. But it has another name - St. George's mushroom, because active fruiting of this row usually occurs in the first half of May, when Christians celebrate St. George (May 6). Scientific name - Calocybe gambosa, or May calocybe.
This mushroom appears in the third ten days of April, bears fruit throughout May and leaves in early June until next year. It grows well in deciduous and mixed forests and plantings, in particular in the Kumzhenskaya Grove and in the Shchepkinsky Nature Reserve. Mike can be found in parks, in gardens, and on lawns and flower beds within the city; it grows both on completely bare soil and in dense thickets of grass. Unpretentious mushroom.
And incredibly productive. From one mycelium, the “witch’s circle,” I once collected more than a hundred fruiting bodies. And it was a very modest mycelium. And the T-shirt grows in a good mycelium very closely, cap to cap. Its mycelium penetrates any obstacles, the T-shirt often gets into the very jungle, in the windfall.
I met her many years ago on one rainy day at the end of April. I went to the Kumzhenskaya grove, and I saw people collecting some porcini mushrooms, which they came across almost at every step. No one could really say what kind of mushrooms they were. “We’ve been collecting for a long time.” Well, I collected it. And the next day the whole family ate an unusually delicious mushroom stew in sour cream.
This mushroom has some features that make it difficult to confuse it with other mushrooms. Firstly, there is a strong, distinct “floury” smell. Not everyone likes this smell. And in my opinion, this is the most mushroom smell. Very nice.
The mushroom itself is dense, strong, white or beige, relatively short-legged, of medium size: the caps are rarely more than 10 cm in diameter. The plates are frequent, also white or beige, sometimes with a yellowish tint.
Another feature: the hats on T-shirts are rarely even. But all sorts of “squiggles” and “ruffles” are in the order of things.
And another interesting thing. There are mushrooms with yellowish caps, often uneven in color (yellower towards the center). What this is connected with is unknown. There was even an opinion that mushrooms with yellowish caps were a different species altogether. But I often saw May rows with both white and yellowing caps, and the mushrooms clearly grew from the same mycelium. So yellowness is simply a sign of variation of one species, nothing more.
The mushroom does not lose its density even during cooking. Therefore, it is universal: it’s good in a frying pan, great as a stew, and looks beautiful in a jar, among other things! Of course, during dry periods, even the friendly and unpretentious T-shirt grows sluggishly, reluctantly, and even grows small, very dense, with cracked caps.
And during periods of excess moisture, especially in thick grass, the May mushroom is often large but flimsy.
However, these are extreme cases. In their normal state, these are very pleasant mushrooms in all respects. Don't miss the opportunity to meet them!
P.S. May row is often confused with garden entoloma, which grows at the same time. It’s not a big deal to get confused: Entoloma is an edible mushroom. It differs from the May row: it grows under rosaceae (thorns, hawthorns, fruit trees, very often under poles, which is why it is popularly called “porcelain”), the caps usually have a tubercle in the center, never turn yellow, the color is off-white or ivory bones, to grayish, plates are wide and rather sparse, turning slightly pink over time. The smell of entoloma does not have the intensity of a T-shirt. If you wet the cap of an entoloma, it becomes slippery, as if soaped. This effect is not observed in the May row.
May row is an edible mushroom that grows in the spring during the season of collecting strings and morels. It chooses a variety of places for growth: illuminated areas of the forest, the sides of field and forest roads, sparse grass along the edges of fields, meadows and gardens. It can even be found in urban environments, for example, in flower beds or lawns.
How to identify the May row, because this mushroom does not grow along with the usual types of rows in the autumn? It is worth noting that the fruiting body has a rather modest appearance, because its cap, stem and plates are the same color - whitish or cream. Sometimes novice mushroom pickers confuse the May row with champignons. According to them, the taste of this mushroom is not inferior to even the best autumn species.
The description of the May row is reminiscent of the poisonous white row, which is very toxic. Apparently, this is why the May mushroom is not as popular as others. And not every lover of “silent hunting” is ready to wander through the forest in the spring in search of this species. But there are gourmets who happily collect this particular row and fill their baskets with it to capacity.
It is known that the poisonous white rower has the same color as the Mayweed. However, it begins to bear fruit at the end of August and continues until the first frost. The smell of this mushroom is very unpleasant and pungent, reminiscent of mold. Compare the photo showing the May row mushroom and the white row mushroom under natural conditions.
Since May mushrooms belong to rows, they also grow in groups, forming “witch rings.” The fruit body smells like fresh flour, although some mushroom pickers claim that its aroma is cucumber or reminiscent of the smell of cut grass.
The mushroom is considered edible, but not everyone prefers it due to its specific taste and smell.
Let us note that the May row mushrooms are completely unpretentious in growth. They do not select any particular forests or soil types. That is why they are found in any forest areas and forest plantations. However, it is worth remembering that in mid-June these mushrooms completely disappear, giving way to their other brethren.
We invite readers to familiarize themselves with the description and photo of the May row, which will help to correctly identify this edible type of mushroom. 
Latin name: Calocybe gambosa.
Family: Lyophilized.
Synonyms: T-shirt, May mushroom, St. George's mushroom, May kalocybe.
Hat: at a young age it has a flat-convex or hump-shaped shape, the size varies from 3 to 10 cm. Over time, it becomes semi-prostrate and acquires a flocculent-fibrous appearance. The surface is dry to the touch, white or pale cream in color. Very old specimens of mushrooms acquire an ocher color. Pay attention to the photo of the edible May row mushroom, as well as the shape of the cap at different stages of development.
Leg: cylindrical in shape, narrowed or widened downwards. White or pale cream in color, slightly yellowish when mature. At the base it usually has a rusty ocher tint. Height from 3 to 9 cm, width from 1.5 to 3.5 cm. The presented photo of the May row in natural conditions will help every novice mushroom picker to distinguish an edible mushroom from the poisonous white row.
Pulp: dense, white, color does not change until old age. It has the taste of fresh flour with a specific smell of cucumber or cut grass.
Records: narrow, thin and frequent, white in color, becoming creamy in adulthood.
Application and distribution of the May row
Application: not suitable for consumption raw. Excellent for winter preparations and other culinary preparations.
Edibility: belongs to the edible species of category 4, but in terms of useful qualities it is not inferior even to beef liver.
Similarities and differences: its fruiting season begins in May and lasts only about a month, so the mushroom has no similar counterparts. However, it is sometimes confused with the spring poisonous species of entomola, although its color is much darker than that of the rower and the leg is much thinner.
Taxonomy:- Division: Basidiomycota (Basidiomycetes)
- Subdivision: Agaricomycotina (Agaricomycetes)
- Class: Agaricomycetes (Agaricomycetes)
- Subclass: Agaricomycetidae (Agaricomycetes)
- Order: Agaricales (Agaric or Lamellar)
- Family: Lyophyllaceae (Lyophyllaceae)
- Genus: Calocybe
- View: Calocybe gambosa (St. George's mushroom)
- Other names for the mushroom:
Synonyms:
Kalotsibe May
Kalotsibe May
St. George's mushroom
St. George's mushroom(English) Calocybe gambosa) is an edible mushroom of the genus Ryadovka (lat. Calocybe) of the Ryadovka family.
Biological description
Hat:
With a diameter of 4-10 cm, in young mushrooms it is hemispherical or cushion-shaped, with a relatively regular round shape, as it grows it opens up, often losing symmetry - the edges can bend upward, take on a wavy shape, etc.; in dry weather, the cap of the May row may become covered with deep radial cracks. Crowded growth also leaves its mark: as they ripen, the caps become considerably deformed. Color - from yellowish to white, in the central part rather yellow, on the periphery more or less close to white, the surface is smooth, dry. The cap flesh is white, dense, very thick, with a strong mealy odor and taste.
Records:
Frequent, narrow, attached to the teeth, almost white in young mushrooms, light cream in adults.
Spore powder:
Cream.
Leg:
Thick and relatively short (2-7 cm in height, 1-3 cm in thickness), smooth, cap-colored or slightly lighter, whole. The flesh of the leg is white, dense, fibrous.
Spreading:
St. George's mushroom begins to bear fruit in the middle or end of May on lawns, forest edges and clearings, in parks and squares, on lawns; grows in circles or rows, forming clearly visible “paths” in the grass cover. Completely disappears by mid-June.
Similar species:
St. George's mushroom Calocybe gambosa - a very noticeable mushroom due to its strong powdery odor and fruiting time; in May-June this massive, numerous row can be confused with.
Edibility:
St. George's mushroom is considered a very good edible mushroom; One could argue with this (after all, it’s a smell!), but this requires at least practical experience.
Video about the mushroom St. George's mushroom:
Notes:
May mushroom, St. George's mushroom, St. George's mushroom, May kalocybe - how many names for one, even a very good, mushroom! It’s interesting with what tenacity and fearlessness the mushroom dedicated to St. George plows furrows in the capital’s lawns; the city allows him more than any other representative of the mushroom kingdom. After all, having your own people at the very top is a matter of utmost importance even for a mushroom.
Written by Nikolay Budnik and Elena Mekk.
May mushroom, Mike, St. George's mushroom, May row - these are the names of one mushroom. We know of only three myceliums of the May mushroom, and one of them bears fruit annually, and the other two only occasionally.
May row is a delicious edible mushroom. It is especially valuable because it appears in late May - early June, when there are very few other mushrooms.
1. May row - a delicious edible mushroom.
1a. This mushroom appears on Uloma Zheleznaya after the twentieth of May.
2. We had never seen the May row before this time.
3. The mushroom grows until the end of June.
4. May mushroom smells like fresh flour.
5. Those who collect greenfinches and gray rows are well acquainted with this smell, which cannot be confused with anything else. The smell goes away when cooked.
7. Mushrooms sometimes hide under the forest floor. There is only one mushroom visible in this photo.
8. It turns out that two other mushrooms are hiding under the needles.
9. Young May mushrooms are very cute.
10. They are not yet affected by insect larvae, but with age they become wormy.
12. And here Veronica flowers along with mushrooms make us happy.
13. May rows live up to their name. They grow in rows...
14. ...in groups and families.
16. They grow on the edges, lawns, clearings,...
17. ...on the sides of forest roads.
18. The size of the mushroom is not very large.
19. The color of the May row is light, almost white.
20. The top of the cap may have a slightly yellowish color.
21. Young May mushrooms have more yellowness than older ones.
22. In damp weather, the caps seem to be soaked in water.
23. Hats become loose.
23a. Young May rows have round caps with smooth edges.
23b. The old ones have wavy edges.
24. Pay attention to the records.
25. They are white or slightly yellowish in color.
26. The shape of the plates is the same as that of the rows, although scientists attribute this mushroom not to the rows, but to Kalocybe.
27. The records are very frequent.
28. This photo clearly shows the fit of the plates to the leg.
28a. Look again at the fit of the plates.
29. The legs of the T-shirts are the same color as the hat.
30. They are usually even along their entire length.
31. In youth, the legs are plump and strong.
32. They are elastic inside and quite edible.
33. With age, the legs become thin,...
34. ...fibrous and slightly hollow inside.
34a. Here you can see the leg's contact with the ground.
35. The flesh of T-shirts is dense and light.
36. Unfortunately, already in their youth many mushrooms are wormy.
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