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Olszówka (rolled krowiak) is a fungus that can lead to fatal poisoning. Even so, many pickers still consider alder to be an edible mushroom. There is a belief that boiling alderwood reduces its poisonous properties, which, unfortunately, is not true. Check what are the symptoms of alder poisoning (rolled krowiak) and what else you should know about this mushroom.

Olszówka( Paxillus involutus ) are colloquial termsrolled krowiak- a mushroom that can lead to fatal poisoning. However, until the end of the 1980s, alder vodka was considered an edible mushroom, after boiling it several times with pouring water (information about the edibility of boiled krowiaków is also given in the PWN Encyclopedia published in 1984).

However, the latest research clearly shows that Alder ismushroompoisonous .Eating these mushrooms for a long time (for many years) can lead to the breakdown of red blood cells and even death. The fungus is even more dangerous because in many people it does not cause symptoms of poisoning, which strengthens the belief of mushroom pickers that it is harmless.

Olszówka (rolled krowiak) - where and when does it grow? What does it look like?

Olszówka fructifies from July to the turn of October and November in damp deciduous or coniferous forests, as well as on peat bogs and thickets. Sometimes it can be found in old parks, most often under alders (hence the colloquial name of the mushroom) or birches.

The alder hat, 5 to 10 cm in diameter, is round, initially convex, and later concave. The distinctive feature of young fruiting bodies are the strongly rolled edges of the hat, which may be covered with a light, delicate cuticle (these are thick, tangled hairs).

In older copies, the edges of the hat are also folded up, but slightly less. The hat of a krowiak rolled up can be of various colors: yellow, beige or red-brown, and sometimes gray-brown or olive.

There are olive-brown or beige-brown gills under the hat. They taper down the shaft, which is short (3-5 cm), cylindrical, stocky, and tapered at the root.

Usually it takes the color of the hat or slightly lighter. In turn, the fleshAlder trees are yellow, yellowish-white or pale brown, and when damaged, they turn reddish-brown. It is also characteristic that it is hard at first and then becomes soft.

Important

Olszówka is a poisonous mushroom even after boiling!

Olszówka is the most poisonous in its raw state. Old, overripe and strongly softened mushrooms are especially dangerous. It is commonly believed that boiling alderwood reduces its poisonous properties.

That is why many collectors consider them edible. However, this is a myth and poisoning can occur despite cooking and pouring the broth several times.

Olszówka (rolled krowiak) - symptoms of poisoning

Olszówka, thanks to the toxic content ofmuscarine , can disrupt the nervous system and cause the so-called muscarinic symptoms: sweating, drooling, lacrimation, constriction of the pupils, slower heart rate and breathing problems. Symptoms of muscarinic poisoning appear shortly after consuming the mushroom (up to 2-3 hours). However, they are extremely rare.

Disease symptoms caused byinvolutin- another toxic substance contained in alderwood, appear much more often. In the first place, it leads to short-term stomach discomfort such as abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Then it contributes to the development ofhemolytic syndrome , the breakdown of red blood cells, which causes symptoms of anemia similar to leukemia syndrome, including hemoglobinuria (urine shows large amounts of hemoglobin released from decaying red blood cells), and acute renal failure. In addition, the toxin also attacks the liver.

This process is the result of an allergic reaction in the body - involutin is an antigenic protein. This means that you are not immediately allergic to them. This specific allergy is initiated after the first consumption of olszówka.

Then involutin causes the production of antibodies against its own blood cells. Then, when consuming this mushroom in turn, the immune system reacts violently (because the body is already allergic to it).

The antibodies start attacking the red blood cells, causing them to break down. Therefore,symptoms of alder poisoningmay appear after a few or a dozen (even 10-15!) Years, because the poison accumulates in the body and poisons the body slowly. When symptoms of intoxication occur depends on the body's sensitivity threshold to involutin.

In some people the poisoning can occur after the second or third consumption of the mushroom, in others only after the tenth consecutive consumption.

This will be useful to you

Olszówka can be confused with red pine nut!

Olszówka may be confused with edible pine. Both mushrooms are similar in color and have a concave cap with an turned upside down, which is set on a low stalk. However, unlike pine nut olive oil, it does not emit orange milk which turns green when the fungus is damaged. It is a characteristic only for rydz.

However, if in doubt, go to the Sanitary and Epidemiological Station closest to your place of residence. Mushroom experts employed in the Sanitary and Epidemiological Station provide free advice on the species belonging to mushrooms.

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