It appears already in early spring and even late winter, if it is warm enough. Most often, this species of fungus can be found right after the thaws, in mountainous regions, in mainly coniferous forests - pine, spruce, fir. But there are exceptions and we can also meet the fungus in deciduous forests - mainly in areas where oaks grow.

The mushroom, or rather its cap, has a convex cap at the beginning, often with a knob, and with time it becomes flat, concave irregular, bent. It can reach up to 12 cm in diameter.

The hat is grayish in color, sometimes turning into dark navy blue or even almost black. It is slippery in the rainy season.

The most fascinating thing about this mushroom is the lamellae, which appear to undulate beneath the mushroom's surface and form wrinkled interlamellar junctions. They are quite rare, usually white in color, but turn gray with age.

The thick stem narrows at the base, is usually white, with grayish insets, curved. You can see the fibers and villi on it. It's empty inside. It can be up to 8 cm high and about 3 cm thick.

The white flesh is practically odourless, and the taste is slightly mushroom-like. It is gray under the skin. In the kitchen, this mushroom is valued for its quite compact consistency, it is a very tasty edible mushroom, ideal for vinegar marinades.

Good luck 😉