Wrinkled Peach: Red Data Book of Armenia

Category. EN – Endangered.

Brief description. Cap is 4–8 cm, at first bright coral–coloured, reddish or apricot–pink, sided with folded edges/margins. The surface covered with gelatinous cuticle when moist. When dry it is achromatic, reticulate, wrinkled. Flesh is pink with pleasant apricot smell and bitter taste. Gills are 0.5 cm width, paler then cap, bulky, free or adnexed. Stipe is 1–5 x 0,5–1,5 cm long with pink colour, eccentric, sometimes central, mealy in the upper part, striped in the lower part. Spore print is pink. Spores are 5–8 µm which are light pink or yellowish–pink, subglobose.

Distribution. Generally in Europe, Asia, Northern Africa, Northern America, Southern Caucasus (Armenia). In Armenia it is discovered in Ijevan floristic region – in "Dilijan" National Park.

Ecological, biological and phytocenological peculiarities. In Armenia it is rarely found, on the dead wood, trunks or stumps in broad– leaved oak and hornbeam forests, on the altitude of 1700 m above sea level, in the month of October. Xylotrophic fungi.

Main factors of endangering. Intensive forest use, loss of habitats caused by uncontrolled felling in Armenia.

Nature conservation measures. It is conserved in corresponding ecosystems of "Dilijan" National Park. It is necessary to carry out monitoring of the state of the known populations and discovery of new habitats. Collecting of the mushroom mycelium culture is possible.