Mushrooms | Drumstick Mushroom, Macrolepiota procera
DRUMSTICK
Known by the common name "drumstick" due to its
shape when young, it is among the largest mushroom species. In optimal climatic conditions, some specimens can reach 40 cm in height at the stem, and even exceed 30 cm in diameter at the cap! A good edible species; the fibrous stem (which is suitable for drying and making aromatic powders) is removed; it should be eaten cooked first, as raw or undercooked mushrooms can sometimes be indigestible or even cause mild, short-lived gastrointestinal discomfort. It can be distinguished from Chlorophyllum rhacodes, a species with variable toxicity, by its broader and deeper cap scales, a stem without stripes, and its flesh, which takes on a reddish-orange hue when cut or scratched. Related to M. procera, in addition to the other species of the genus with an undecorated stem (M.excoriata, M.mastoidea), numerous ecological forms have been described over the decades, with flesh that reddens in the air (fo. permixta), with a brownish and velvety stem without stripes (fo. fuliginosa), with greenish halos (fo. pseudo-olivascens).