Rõuge mushroom week

Text and photos Urmas Tartes
Translation: Liis
 
Dark-winged fungus gnat (Sciaridae species) between the gills of a Russula

The Rõuge mushroom week took place differently this year. Events for the public could not be carried out but the mushrooms did not take a holiday year; this year’s mushroom forests offered searching labours as well as finding joys.
 
All summer months have provided less rain than usual. Because of this the Rõuge forests were extraordinarily dry and relatively poor in mushrooms in early September. There were mushroom caps of course, but compared to last year they were about ten times more sparse and the species diversity much more modest.
 
Alder scalycap (Pholiota alnicola) cluster on tree stump in the Luhasoo nature protection area

This however did not mean that the forest was totally empty of mushrooms. In addition to the traditional chanterelles and Amanitas there were also boletes and milk caps. Tree stumps in several places were garnished with handsome clusters of Pholiota mushrooms. The activity of insects at the mushrooms was brisk because there was serious competition around the small number of fruiting bodies for laying eggs in. There was enough to do in the forest both for the culinary-minded and for enjoyers of the mushroom world.
 
Hopefully next year the Rõuge mushroom week will again take place with its customary diversity.
 

Orange birch boletes (Leccinum versipelle) at the Pähni hiking trail



 

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