Folk signs about mushrooms: why are there a lot of mushrooms in the forest, a lot of porcini mushrooms, picking mushrooms in a leap year, mushrooms in a flower pot, on a grave, a witch’s circle?

Autumn is known not only for the beauty of nature preparing for a long winter sleep, but also for its many generous gifts. And today we are not talking about those products that you can grow in your garden, but about what our forests are rich in. More specifically, about mushrooms. These amazing natural creatures are associated with many folk signs and superstitions, noticed by mushroom pickers and passed on from generation to generation. Today we will talk about the sign that many mushrooms appear.

A lot of mushrooms - to war, death

Why have mushroom pickers for many years now been suspicious of the bumper harvest that they enjoyed in the old days? There is a saying “many mushrooms - many coffins.” In this case, mushroom abundance is associated with an approaching bloody war that will claim many human lives.

It is interesting that the above-mentioned sign is directly related to the Great Patriotic War; it did not exist before it. In 1940, an unprecedented mushroom harvest was noted, and already in 1941, the armed forces of Nazi Germany invaded the territory of the USSR. Since then, the abundance of mushrooms has invariably been considered by the people as a negative omen.

White mushrooms

There is another popular folk sign. A lot of porcini mushrooms is a sure sign that next year there will not be an abundance of harvest. This is explained by the periodic degeneration of the mycelium, and therefore the annual high yield of boletus mushrooms is not possible.

Another sign unites porcini mushrooms and fly agaric mushrooms. Having discovered a fly agaric in the forest, a mushroom picker should carefully look around. There is a high probability that boletus mushrooms grow nearby. This belief has existed for many centuries. It is also believed that thickets of ferns indicate that boletuses are lurking nearby.

Mushroom hunting rules

Experienced mushroom pickers advise: “If you find a white one, stop.” This rule for collecting boletus can be extended to other representatives of this kingdom. If one fungus is found, you need to stop and look around very carefully, examine everything, study it. Surely you can find a second, a third nearby... The structural features of the root system - the mycelium - lead to the fact that mushrooms grow in large families. Moreover, young specimens grow away from those that appeared first.

As a result, a circle is formed, which people call the witch circle. It is expanding from year to year. By its size you can judge how ancient this mycelium is. The witches' circle has given rise to many superstitions. The Slavs thought that such rings appeared where witches danced in circles. In Europe, the appearance of mushroom circles was explained by the peculiarities of the life of dancing gnomes. There is a belief that they danced not just in a circle, but around a buried treasure. Another name for the witch's circle is the ring of elves, the circle of fairies, the witch's ring.

In Germany, such a natural feature was correlated with the site of a witches' Sabbath. In these circles, dried grass was considered the result of dances of mystical creatures, who with their feet not only trampled the green cover, but also burned it out. Scientists explain the drying of the grass by the action of the mycelium, which absorbs all the moisture and nutrients, as a result of which there is nothing left for the grass and it dies.

Seasons

A lot of mushrooms is a bad omen, but it can warn not only about upcoming bloody battles and deaths. If this situation continues throughout the summer, people should prepare for a long and harsh winter in order to survive it without loss. If June is hot, you shouldn’t count on abundant appearance of boletus mushrooms; there will be very few of them. If there are a lot of midges in the summer, then there is no doubt that mushroom pickers will have an unprecedented harvest.

The sign associated with autumn leaf fall is also popular among people. Its beginning warns that the time has come to collect the last layer of mushrooms this year; there may not be another chance. Surprisingly, a harsh and cold winter, according to popular belief, promises an unprecedented harvest of mushrooms. Having discovered them in late autumn, you can be sure that the cold will not come soon.

Instead of output

Should we unconditionally trust the signs described in this article? Many of them are not at all a figment of someone’s imagination, but the result of many years of observations by our ancestors of the plant world, as a result of which certain natural patterns were discovered. Consequently, they help mushroom pickers reap a rich harvest and save time spent searching. Whether to rely on them or not is up to everyone to decide for themselves.

Autumn time is famous not only for the beauty of nature preparing for hibernation, but also for its gifts. And we will not talk about what we grew in our garden, but about what our forests are rich in. Namely, about mushrooms. Moreover, these amazing creatures of nature are associated with a lot of folk signs and superstitions that mushroom pickers have noticed.

You can eat all mushrooms, but only some of them - only once in your life.

Many signs about mushrooms are not familiar to modern people, but everyone knows this one. The point is that you should never take mushrooms that you don’t know. It is very easy to get poisoned with this delicious dish. But it's not just about that. There are mushrooms that you can eat for a year, two, three, and then suddenly get very sick and even die. These mushrooms include pig mushrooms. Previously, they were collected, salted, pickled and eaten with pleasure. But today it has already been proven that they are poisonous, only their poison does not act immediately, but accumulates in the body for several years, and then it can “shoot” so that it is no longer possible to save a person.

If mushrooms grow on the wall of a house, then the person who lives in it will become rich.

It has been noticed that often what a person believes in with all his soul necessarily comes true. But in this case it is completely unrelated to this sign. You can believe that you will become rich if you get fired from your job, but if you don’t believe it with all your heart, then nothing will work. So, for those who listen to signs, but do not blindly believe in them, it should be noted that mushrooms that have grown on the wall of a house will bring nothing but the destruction of the walls. If you have to renovate a wall, or even build a new house, will you really become richer? It’s best to get rid of this wall disease right away, otherwise you can end up with a lot of everyday problems.

If you saw a small mushroom and left it to grow further, then it will not grow anymore.

People believe that a mushroom grows only as long as no one sees it. Any person’s gaze is an evil eye that prevents him from growing further. Of course, centuries of human observations cannot be ignored. But no one sat and watched every little mushroom that they saw. Maybe someone cut off a grown mushroom, and another, small one grew next to that place. After all, they grow very quickly. Where there was nothing two days ago, today there may be a magnificent forest creature.

If a person loves to bow to the earth, then he will not be left without mushrooms.

There is no need to argue here. It's about hard work. How do mushrooms grow? They can hide under leaves, under fallen pine needles. In order to find a good mushroom, you need to look under each tubercle, but so as not to damage the mycelium. To do this, you need to not only dig into the ground with a stick, but also bend down and carefully look under the leaf. Look, the most beautiful mushroom will be found. And someone can go around the entire forest and still not find anything.

A mushroom torn from the ground is lost forever.

This statement only looks like a sign, but in fact it is a real rule that should be followed by any person who goes into the forest to collect the “harvest.” If you collect mushrooms that have plates under the cap, for example, russula, then you only need to cut them off with a knife. But if you find those specimens that have a sponge under the cap, for example, white boletus, boletus, boletus, polish or oiler, then they need to be twisted out of the ground. And be sure to cover the place where you picked the mushroom with earth and preferably trample it down. In this case, in this place and next year you will be able to harvest a good harvest, and the mycelium will remain intact. We once encountered the fact that lazy people came to buy mushrooms. They simply walked through the forest and dragged rakes behind them. They took everything that was good. But after them, in the most mushroom places, nothing grew for seven years, neither edible nor poisonous. It’s easy to spoil, but it’s better to get a harvest every year.

Where you find one mushroom, look for another.

The mycelium really stretches far. Therefore, if you find a good mushroom, be sure to squat down, and while you clean the found mushroom, look around. If you look carefully, you will definitely find at least one more, and if you are lucky, even more. This rule has been tested many times and has always worked.

When the midges start flying, then you need to prepare the baskets.

Mushrooms can be found at almost any time of the year. They begin to appear in the spring, as soon as there is heavy rainfall. Some varieties of mushrooms also grow in summer. Even in winter, you can dig up mushrooms under the snow if you know the places where they grow. One of our friends went for mushrooms exclusively in winter. He said that at this time the mushrooms, although glass, were not eaten by worms. But the best time to pick mushrooms is autumn. It is at this time that midges begin to pester people, sensing the approach of cold weather. That’s why people say that if midges have become annoying, then it’s time for mushrooms.

When the pine trees are sprinkled with golden pollen, that year the boletus will come in droves.

In this case, it is a figurative expression. Pine is an evergreen plant and is rarely seen with yellow needles unless the tree is diseased. People have noticed that once every three to four years, strange pollen of a mysterious golden color falls next to fallen pine needles. Biologists also do not explain this phenomenon in any way. But it is precisely in these years that you can harvest the largest harvest of boletus - the most delicious mushrooms for marinade.

If the clouds begin to cling to the tops of the forest, then take a basket and go for mushrooms.

Low clouds are the formation of fog. When there is thick fog over the ground, therefore the ground is wet. What is the best way to ensure good mushroom growth? Of course, moisture! So it turns out that under such conditions you can always return from the forest with a good harvest.

If it's raining lightly and without wind, then it's time to pick mushrooms.

Strong winds with heavy rains are typical for summer, but not for autumn. It rains in autumn. Abundant? Yes. But extreme situations can no longer be expected. Therefore, any rain will be considered quiet. So, every rain is a signal, grab a basket and run into the forest.

There are a lot of fly agarics in the forest, which means you can expect a lot of white ones.

Indeed, the growth conditions of these fungi are very similar. The only difference is that some of them are poisonous, while others can be eaten and not be afraid. However, there really is a connection. However, fly agarics are always in sight, and white ones are hiding. But the one who searches, knowing about this sign, will always be able to collect a full basket of porcini mushrooms, and maybe even more than one. In this regard, there is one more sign - the red fly agaric shows the way to the porcini mushroom. Go for fly agarics - you are sure to find the most elite mushrooms.

When it rains in the evening, expect mushrooms in the morning.

Mushrooms really grow very quickly. And they grow mainly at night. It’s not for nothing that people talk about everything that quickly appears and grows like mushrooms. Quite often, those who go for mushrooms every day during the season notice that where there was nothing yesterday, mushrooms are already growing today.

When you find a white one, stop.

Mushrooms don't grow like regular plants. Their roots - mycelium - can stretch for several tens of meters. Therefore, a mushroom can appear anywhere. If you are lucky enough to find a white mushroom, and not only white mushrooms, be sure to stop and carefully look around. It cannot be that he is the only one in this place. When an attentive mushroom picker looks around, it almost always turns out that he has found himself in a good fruitful clearing.

If the paths in the forest are covered with mold, then there will be a lot of mushrooms this year.

People believe in this sign sacredly. The fact is that mushrooms are also mold, although it’s tasty. If mold appears on forest paths, it means that the weather is most suitable for a good mushroom harvest.

And in winter I would eat a fungus, but the snow is deep.

Usually no one picks mushrooms in winter. You can't see anything under the snow. However, old people claim that an experienced mushroom picker can always find mushrooms under the snow. Most often, this experience is used in the case when, by force of circumstances, you have to spend the night in the forest near a fire. Under the snow, mushrooms left over from the fall are very well preserved, but in the spring, when the snow begins to melt, they spoil very quickly. You can't eat spring mushrooms. It is believed that they, like a sponge, absorb all the dirt that has accumulated on the ground during the winter.

The mushroom has outgrown - the man has found danger on his nose.

Everything has its time. It is better to collect fewer mushrooms, but those that are tasty and safe. The older the mushroom, the greater the likelihood of poisoning from it, even if it is completely edible. The most delicious and safest mushrooms are only when they are small and young. Old mushrooms absorb all the bad things from the earth, in addition, worms love them very much.

There are many signs among people about mushroom pickers. And this is not all that knowledgeable people talk about. But every person who is going to go into the forest should know the basic signs about mushrooms. Firstly, this is useful in order not to waste your time, and secondly, with such knowledge you can collect much more good and tasty mushrooms.

Source : Superstition.ru

It would seem that the appearance of a lot of boletuses, russula, or russula in the forest should only please, but those who know the signs, seeing a lot of mushrooms, are only upset, because according to popular belief, such a phenomenon does not bode well.

Why do many mushrooms appear in the forest according to signs?

Popular signs say that a lot of mushrooms promise nothing more than the beginning of hostilities. Whether to believe that there are a lot of mushrooms for war, or whether this sign is not at all true, will, of course, be up to everyone to decide for themselves, but it is worth noting that confirmation of this fact does exist. Many people asked their grandparents whether this superstition was confirmed before the start of one of the bloodiest wars in human history. Thanks to the stories of veterans, the memories of those who survived the Second World War have reached us, and judging by them, in 1940, the harvest of forest meat was truly unprecedented, and in many regions of different countries. The reviews of grandparents about that summer and autumn are really impressive, because listening to them one can draw an unambiguous conclusion: in the last pre-war year, mushrooms grew not only in the thicket of the forest, many of them could be seen on the streets of towns and villages, near highways and even in city parks. It is thanks to these stories that many of our contemporaries believe that a lot of mushrooms is a bad omen, and it promises the beginning of hostilities, bloodshed, hunger and death.

But there are other beliefs associated with a large accumulation of mushrooms in one place. For example, some people involved in quiet hunting claim that a lot of mushrooms is a sign that someone’s grave is nearby. This superstition appeared after the First World War, but it became widely known relatively recently, around the 1950s of the last century. By the way, biologists find a completely reasonable explanation for the fact that mass graves, old cemeteries or graves are often discovered not far from accumulations of mushrooms. Scientists say that forest meat grows best where the soil is sufficiently saturated with various minerals and biologically active substances. When a human body or animal remains decomposes, these substances are released, which leads to the fact that many mushrooms often grow at burial sites, official or unknown. Of course, after the corpse has completely decomposed, and approximately another 15-20 years have passed, such an accumulation of forest gifts will no longer be observed in such a place, since the composition of the soil will change again.

Should we believe the beliefs about mushrooms and war?

Scientists claim that there is no connection between the appearance of a large number of forest gifts and military operations; this opinion is shared not only by biologists, but also by historians, who also have not found any evidence of the veracity of this. There have been many wars in the world, but not before all of them, according to the recollections of the participants, it was noticed that the harvest of forest gifts was truly impressive.

Biologists say that the number of mushrooms in the forest depends on two main factors, firstly, what the previous summer was like, and secondly, how much precipitation falls in August of the current year. If the past summer months were warm and humid, and the eighth month of this year brought rain, then the harvest will most likely be rich. On average, the appearance of many mushrooms is noted every 4-5 years, and wars in areas where they are concentrated are much less common. Therefore, the sign of war does not have any scientific or statistical confirmation, but many people still believe in it.

Search and find

How else do folk omens help experienced mushroom pickers? It turns out that the clothes and shoes in which a person goes into the forest to collect the harvest also play a role. If he remains barefoot during the search, only old mushrooms await him, or even poisonous ones, so do not forget about shoes.

Another sign says that grass helps to find mushrooms. For a successful hunt, you need to put several blades of grass in your pocket, choosing different ones. Popular rumor also recommends sticking branches from three trees into a scarf before going into the forest for a mushroom harvest. Instead of a scarf, you are allowed to use any hat.

Collect mushrooms

What other folk signs are associated with mushrooms? If you touch a mushroom but do not pick it, its growth will certainly stop. The same power is attributed to the look cast on him. If you see a hare while picking mushrooms, you should definitely follow it; the animal will certainly lead you to mushroom places. However, it is forbidden to step on the trail of an animal without first picking up one or another object from the ground, for example, a stone. The lifted object must be thrown over the trail.

Collecting a lot of mushrooms in the forest is a sign of war, which should soon break out. This sign has also existed since the infamous 1941; many mushroom pickers still believe in it.

Growing up in the yard at the doorstep: signs

If mushrooms grow at your doorstep, wait for news. This is what the folk saying says. Mushrooms on the doorstep are also associated with wealth or an addition to the family. If the mushrooms are edible, the news will be good, if the toadstools are probably bad. In any case, it is not worth removing these mushrooms, especially if they do not interfere with walking and do not grow. If the mycelium begins to actively grow and becomes a strong nuisance, dig up the soil. But this should only be done with toadstools. Edible mushrooms grown at the doorstep can be safely eaten after heat treatment.

In a mushroom year, mushrooms can grow both in the garden and on the doorstep of the house

Mushrooms on the wall

Of course, people did not always associate a bountiful mushroom harvest with an approaching war. Initially, their appearance in large numbers was considered a good omen. This was especially true in cases where mushrooms began to grow on the (external) wall of a private house. It was believed that mushrooms promised abundance, wealth, and joy to the owners of the premises.

Why were mushrooms growing on the wall associated with the material well-being of the homeowners? The belief is based on another sign, which states that a bountiful mushroom harvest predicts a bountiful grain harvest. Consequently, the inhabitants of the house will not know a shortage of bread, they will always be full and satisfied. Now it is believed that seeing a lot of mushrooms not only in the forest, but also on the wall is a sign of war.

What does a woman’s dream portend?

Many dream books interpret the meaning of such a dream as the imminent joy of motherhood. A dream is considered especially reliable when a woman puts the mushrooms she finds in a bucket or in her hem.

I found a very large mushroom - an acquaintance with a representative of the stronger sex is on the horizon, which can develop into a serious relationship.

If you come across an inedible specimen, you should check the integrity of your partner. A clearing filled with beautiful mushrooms means a peaceful and happy married life.

Vegetable world

When can you count on a boletus harvest, if you go by popular belief? It is believed that you can start collecting them immediately after the first fluff begins to fly from the aspen tree. The flowering of the pine indicates that the time has come to start looking for a grainy oiler; the efforts of mushroom pickers will certainly be crowned with success. In winter, you should definitely pay attention to whether there is a lot of snow on the tree branches. If there is little snow, you should not hope for a bountiful harvest in summer and autumn; this applies not only to mushrooms, but also to berries.

What folk signs about mushrooms are associated with flowers? For example, it is believed that the flowering of lilacs predicts the imminent appearance of field champignons in large numbers. You can go for harvest about two weeks after it begins to bloom. Popular rumor associates the flowering of jasmine with the upcoming appearance of porcini mushrooms.

What can mushroom hunters expect from heather blooms? Popular rumor claims that this event foreshadows the appearance of saffron milk caps. It is also worth paying attention to the flowering of fireweed. This suggests that it is time to go into the forest for boletus and aspen mushrooms.

Special dates

Christmas Eve is traditionally celebrated on the sixth of January. Mushroom pickers should definitely pay attention to how many stars there are in the sky on the night before Christmas. If so, then there is no doubt that there will be a large number of mushrooms in the summer. A similar sign is associated with the appearance of berries.

Midsummer's Day, which is celebrated on May 21, is also considered a special date. A rainfall on this day predicts a bountiful mushroom harvest. Lukyan the windy day (June 16) also makes a prediction for mushroom pickers; it’s great if the rain doesn’t stop all day on June 16.

The seventh of July is another day that helps you understand whether a lot of mushrooms are expected. The sign says that if the night is starry, you can count on an unprecedented harvest. Natalia Fescue Day has been celebrated on September 8th for many centuries; popular rumor tells us to go into the forest to pick mushrooms at this time.

Igor

resident of Gatchina

- [I do “silent hunting”] because I like it. During the mushroom season, I spend almost all my time in the forest, walking for 4–5 hours. So I rest.

[When I see the first mushroom], I feel adrenaline. This means that there will be a second and a third. But I don’t collect more baskets at a time, since the mushrooms still need to be processed at home and left for the rest of the mushroom pickers. The exception is honey mushrooms: four days ago I collected four baskets, in two batches.

We dry the mushrooms, boil them, package them in bags and put them in the freezer. We also make mushroom caviar. There was no such thing as staying up all night because of the large number of mushrooms. We quickly process everything together with our mother; the mushrooms are distributed among relatives.

My grandmother was an avid mushroom picker. I inherited all the baskets from her. I walked with the same basket for about ten years until the bottom became leaky. [Now in our family] I’m the only mushroom maniac.

If I meet other mushroom pickers in the forest, I ask them how their catch was. But more often I try not to meet anyone. I have a camouflage suit, so I am invisible in the forest.

Rain and mushrooms

Rain is another factor that popular signs recommend taking into account. For example, if April is rich in showers, the summer months promise to be mushroom-filled. Rain falling on Annunciation also predicts a bountiful harvest that will delight mushroom pickers.

If July turns out to be rainy, you can be sure that there will be plenty of mushrooms in the next few months. If spring and summer are rich in showers, you should count on an abundance of milk mushrooms. At any time of the year, evening rain is considered a sure prediction of mushroom day.

Various signs

Of course, people are interested not only in the time of appearance of mushrooms, but also in the place where they grow. When can you find a lot of mushrooms under the trees? The sign insists that you should look for them there in the heat. This is due to the fact that they need shade. If it is warm and damp, they mainly concentrate in the clearings. The first summer fog signals the onset of mushroom season. Experienced mushroom hunters also pay attention to the steamy fog hanging over the forest. If the summer is rich in fogs, there will be no shortage of mushrooms.

It is believed that on a waning moon it is useless to go to the forest to pick mushrooms; the harvest will be very meager. Whereas the gatherer will not return to the waxing moon without rich spoils. Approximately on the tenth day after the full moon, you can count on an abundance of boletus mushrooms. If russula appear earlier than porcini mushrooms, mushroom pickers will have a bad period.

It’s bad if honey mushrooms appear ahead of time. Summer will be unfavorable for avid mushroom pickers. You should look for chanterelles under yellowed or yellowed leaves where they are hiding. An abundance of saffron milk caps predicts mold on old foliage.

Places of growth

Everyone knows that the mushroom harvest must be looked for in the forest. Growing champignons and some other species on an industrial scale will no longer surprise anyone. But sometimes you can find them in a flower pot. This happens when the purchased soil contained fragments of mycelium, and the owners took too much care of the flower and watered it a lot. Such an event does not foretell anything terrible, but it will be difficult to get rid of an unwanted neighborhood. If the fungus has grown, then there will be others. You can try changing the soil, using phytosporin.

There are signs about mushrooms growing on the grave. This happens quite often. Many have seen that in cemeteries, graves can be literally completely covered with champignons, russula, and cowsheds. But you can’t take them there, although the abundance of boletus or pigweed can be tempting. The consequences of such a gathering will be the saddest. The peace of the dead must not be disturbed. You can bring the dead ones home with the collected boletus mushrooms. Then an atmosphere of death will settle in the house. You can't take anything out of the cemetery at all.

Even the smallest fragment of earth from a cemetery that finds its way into a house means a grave has been brought into the home. Everything related to the cemetery belongs to the dead, who will never just give anything away. This superstition also has a logical explanation. Fungi accumulate all the harmful substances that exist in the place where they grow. And the soil around the graves contains a lot of corpse poison.

Finding mushrooms in a dream often portends prosperity. Finding white ones means prosperity. Morels - to good health. With red hats - good luck. Only with black hats - to sadness.

What else do you need to know?

What else does a person who wants to collect a lot of mushrooms need to remember? The sign says that before starting to hunt for the harvest, the gatherer must bow to the ground to the forest. Also, folk wisdom recommends going for mushrooms early in the morning; in this case, the mushroom picker will not return without spoils. Only fly agarics await those who neglect this advice.

In addition, there is a folk superstition that does not recommend using a plastic bucket for collecting mushrooms. It is much better to use a wicker basket for this. It is believed that thanks to this, the mushrooms are able to breathe, which has a beneficial effect on the taste of the harvested crop. Also, our ancestors believed that the one who walks slowly would find the greatest amount. Hunting for mushrooms does not tolerate fussiness or haste, otherwise they will simply “hide.”

How to avoid what is predicted in omens

Not all predictions should be taken seriously. Worrying about trifles often attracts trouble much more powerfully than prophecy. However, it is worth listening to signs that promise death or illness, since this can easily happen when poisoned by old, wormy or unfamiliar mushrooms.

If you strictly follow the following rules, poisoning can be avoided:

Do not collect overgrowths - they contain a lot of toxic substances.
When it’s hot, don’t go foraging for mushrooms—it’s easy to get poisoned by picking up forest gifts in the heat. In all types, incl. Edible ones contain microscopic doses of arsenic and hydrocyanic acid, the concentration of which increases in the heat. Heat triggers the aging process, and the products of fungal decomposition are similar to cadaveric poison.
Heat immediately, but no later than 4-6 hours after collection.
Do not ignore the process of sorting before cooking - this will help ensure that there are no old, wormy, damaged or poisonous specimens.
Cut smaller – the pieces will cook better, and well-softened mushrooms are easier to digest by the digestive system.
You need to boil it twice. During the first cooking, toxins contained in forest products are released into the water. The liquid is poured out and the pan is thoroughly rinsed. Repeated cooking lasts until they settle to the bottom.
Salting is allowed only in wooden containers.
You should not resort to airtight sealing - this can provoke the production of a toxin that causes botulism.
When opening a jar of pickles, you should not eat the marinade. Its role is to absorb toxic substances. After drinking this brine, you can go to another world.
People suffering from diabetes, as well as those with diseases of the liver, kidneys, intestines or gastrointestinal tract are prohibited from eating mushrooms. An exception is chronic gastritis with low acidity, in which mushroom broth stimulates the production of gastric juice.

Attention! You should not drink mushrooms with alcohol - when they react with a strong drink, they release a strong poison, and alcohol increases the rate of its absorption into the blood.