Deer truffle

The generic name Elaphomyces is formed from ancient Greek. ἔλαφος - “ deer ” and μύκης - “ mushroom ”, and the specific epithet granulatus points to the tubercles covering the fruiting bodies ^[6] . The Russian name “deer truffle” is associated with eating the fungus by deer and its similarity to truffle (it is similarly called in some other languages) ^{[7] [2] [8]} .

Fruit bodies are rounded cleistothetia , 1-4 cm in size ^{[7] [2]} , located in the ground at a depth of 2-8 (sometimes from 1 to 15) cm, in or under the humus layer ^{[4] [9]} . They have a yellow-brown color (white or yellowish at a young age, dark brown or black in the old). The smell is sharp ^{[2] [7]} , earthy ^[10] , somewhat resembles the smell of potatoes ^[4] . Fruit bodies are covered with a dense two-layer shell ( peridium ^{[11] [12] [com. 1]} ) 2-4 mm thick ^[9] with a fine-tuberous (smooth ^[4] ) surface in young and old fungi. The outer layer of the shell is yellow-brown and thinner; the inner layer is white (sometimes brown or black) and thicker ^{[10] [12]} . Pyramidal superficial tubercles, up to 0.4 mm high ^{[10] [11]} . Inside the fruit bodies there is a spore powder and a few capillary threads (before ripening - a juicy light mass). Young fruit bodies are divided into compartments by bright partitions ^{[10] [4]} .

Aski round or pear-shaped, 35-45 microns in size, usually with 6 spores, are destroyed before the spores mature (when they reach approximately half of the final size). Spores are spherical, 20–32 µm in diameter, with a wall thickness of up to 10 µm, brown-black or red-brown, covered with spines 2–2.5 µm in height, sometimes combined into small groups ^{[10] [11]} .

Mycelium is yellow, thickly penetrates the soil around the fruit bodies and twists the roots of trees ^{[7] [10]} .

Deer truffle is the most common species of the genus Elaphomyces ^{[7] [11]} and the most common underground fungus in the Northern Hemisphere ^[13] . It is widely distributed in Europe and North America ^{[8] [14]} , there are reports of finds in Chile (where it may have been recorded by humans) ^[8] , China ^[8] , Japan ^[15] and in Taiwan ^[11] . It occurs from the subarctic and subalpine belts to the tropics ^[13] . It prefers coastal areas ^[8] , although it grows in mountains at an altitude of up to 2700–2800 m ^[7] . It is more common in places with acidic sandy or podzolic soil ^{[7] [4] [12]} . Most numerous in pristine forests , but grows in planted forests ^[8] . Mycorrhiza-forming species , prefers coniferous trees, but is also found under chestnuts , beeches and oaks ^{[16] [10] [2]} . It occurs in all seasons ^{[10] [8]} , mostly in the late summer and autumn ^{[4] [7]} .

The fungus is sensitive to the destruction of old forests, where it grows most often, soil disturbance and pollution ^{[8] [12]} . Despite widespread in Europe, in some of its countries it is rare, and in Bulgaria it is listed in the Red Book as a species under critical threat ^{[12] [8]} .

For humans, deer truffle is inedible ^[2] , but it is eaten by forest animals, in particular, deer , hares , squirrels ^[2] , wild boars ^[17], and various invertebrates ^[10] . Hares and squirrels find it by smell even under snow (squirrels - and with a snow thickness of 70-80 cm) ^[4] . Proteins include this mushroom in their food supplies (a red squirrel warehouse with 52 reindeer truffles is described) ^[14] . They eat mainly the shell of fruit bodies ^[14] . Although animals eat this fungus willingly ^[2] , its nutritional value is low due to its low digestibility (for example, the Cascade Mountain gopher learns 30% of its protein and 52% of its energy) ^{[18] [14] [8]} .

Mushroom-eating animals spread his spores. Their germination during the passage of animals through the digestive tract increases ^[14] . It is possible that the distribution of the spores by the wind after the destruction of the fruit bodies by animals ^{[14] also} plays a role.

Deer truffle accumulates a lot of cesium . According to a study in the Bavarian Forest , this mushroom makes up only 6% of the stomach contents of boars, but is responsible for more than 75% of Chernobyl cesium-137 entering their bodies. There was much more cesium in it than in the other studied fungi and plants: deer truffle radioactivity ranged from 5,000 to 122,000 (average 25,000 ) Bq / kg, while for other fungi it ranged from 24 to 6,300 Bq / kg, and plants - usually up to 1000, sometimes up to 4300 Bq / kg ^[17] . Similar results were given by other studies ^[8] . The shell of the fruit bodies accumulates more cesium per unit mass than spores ^[8] (according to one study, 8.6 times) ^[9] .

Deer truffles often parasitize mushrooms of the genus Elaphocordyceps ^{[comm. 2]} : E. canadensis (= E. longisegmentis ), E. capitata , E. ophioglossoides , E. rouxii and E. valliformis ^{[14] [19] [20]} , whose fruit bodies rise above the ground and (along with the excavations of animals ) make it possible to detect it ^{[21] [7]} .

The fungus is used by hunters as bait for squirrels ^[4] . Sometimes it is sold, giving out a truffle ^[13] . Previously used in medicine ^[22] . There is evidence of its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects ^[13] .

•  

  Fruit bodies

•  

  Fruit Cord Infected With Cordyceps Fungus

•  

  Controversy

Comments

Sources