''Tricholoma robustum'' is an edible mycorrhizal mushroom in the family ''

Tricholomataceae The Tricholomataceae are a large family of mushrooms within the Agaricales. Originally a classic " wastebasket taxon", the family included any white-, yellow-, or pink-spored genera in the Agaricales not already classified as belonging to e.g. t ...

''. In Japan it is called ''matsutake-modoki'' (pseudo-matsutake), and colloquially referred to as ''obasan no matsutake'' ("old lady's matsutake"), because it resembles matsutake mushroom while being smaller and less aromatic and tasty.

Description

Resembles matsutake, but the fruiting bodies are much smaller in size. The cap is 4-10 cm, convex or flat of uneven reddish-brown color, with small, often upright scales. The gills are white, then dirty pink, red speckled. The stipe reaches 6-8 cm in length and 1.5-2.5 cm in thickness, with a narrow ring, white at the top, the color of a hat under the ring. The flesh is dense, white at first, slightly pink when cut, then red, stains brown and blackens when cooked. It has a strong smell of fresh flour. Spores ellipsoidal 6-7 x 3.5-4 µm, smooth.

Distribution and habitat

It is distributed throughout the northern hemisphere (including Polesia and

forest steppe A forest steppe is a temperate-climate ecotone and habitat type composed of grassland interspersed with areas of woodland or forest. Locations Forest steppe primarily occurs in a belt of forest steppes across northern Eurasia from the easter ...

s of

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian invas ...

), especially in the northern temperate zone. It is an endomycorrhizal fungus found in coniferous forests, forming relationship with pine trees (especially ''

Pinus densiflora ''Pinus densiflora'', also called the Japanese red pine, the Japanese pine, or Korean red pine, is a species of pine tree native to East Asia. Distribution and habitat ''P. densiflora'' has a home range that includes Japan, the Korean Peninsula, ...

''), on sandy soils. It often grows in the same forests as matsutake, although it fruits later (August-October).

Edibility

Edible mushroom. In Ukraine it is considered tasty and used fresh. In Japan it is considered to be mediocre in taste and smell, incomparable with real matsutake.

References

* Зерова М. Я., Єлін Ю. Я., Коз'яков С. М. ''Гриби: їстівні, умовно їстівні, неїстівні, отруйні.'' — Кyiv: Урожай, 1979. — p 134–135. {{Authority control robustum Edible fungi Fungi of Europe Fungi of Japan