9/27/2023 0 Comments Indigo milk cap growthWhile fungi come in a wondrous assortment of colors and forms, the vast majority are not only beneficial but necessary. They’re also beautiful! Consider the delicate banded Turkey Tail ( Trametes versicolor), the lacey petticoat of bridal veil stinkhorn, or the artists’ favorite, Amanita muscaria. If you knew the gargantuan effort it takes to assemble this many single-celled organism you might just leave them be to finish out their lifecycle. Is that dog vomit? No, it might be an aptly named slime mold, Fuligo septica. Technically not a fungus, this protist appears suddenly, much like a lawn mushroom, and disappears almost as fast. Some are scary or downright disgusting when you first encounter them. Mycoremediation – using fungi to help break down environmental contaminants – is particularly effective at removing heavy metals such as copper, lead, mercury, arsenic, and nickel from contaminated soils. Mutagens and carcinogens, these metals contaminate food and water supplies, threatening the health of animals and humans, alike. Certain fungi also play a role in degrading pesticides, pharmaceutical wastes and even petroleum products. The kin (called mycorrhizae) form a synergistic relationship with 95% or more of all plant species. The mycorrhizae gather nutrients from far beyond the grasp of plant roots in turn, plants release surplus sugars from photosynthesis to support the fungal symbiotes. Only 10% of the estimated 5 million species of fungi produce mushrooms, but many more are important nutrient cyclers, turning detritus into soluble forms for living plants. Move a stick or log, and you’ll notice fuzzy, cobwebby threads stretching everywhere – that’s mycelium, a network of fungal threads that are the foundation of the food web, supporting other soil microbes like bacteria and invertebrates. The truly poisonous ones can literally kill you if you ingest even a small amount. Take photos, but don’t touch mushrooms in the wild.While field guides are wonderful, don’t depend on photos alone to positively identify a mushroom.Never trust your identification unless you have LOTS of experience and are 100% certain you know they’re edible.Always cook mushrooms to aid digestion and unlock their nutrients.Want to look up mushrooms in online field guides? Try Michael Kuo’s Mushroom Expert or Dr. It is a good edible and, amazingly, stays blue when cooked! Be aware, in some soils the color can mislead. This summer through fall fruiting body is blue all over: the cap, gills, stem and the blue milky substance that exudes when it is cut or broken. So this is a great image of Lactarius indigo, the blue milky mushroom. Nature tends not to work that way though. It would be hard to mistake this beautiful mushroom for anything else if it always looked just like the one in this photo. We’ll talk again soon about more possible edible mushrooms, but meantime, get out there to see some of these amazing organisms! Here are two fascinating examples of mushrooms commonly considered “edible” you may find in our forests. The golden rules are “don’t assume you are correct in your identification,” and even if you eat a mushroom you feel certain about be sure to keep an uncooked sample for the ER, just in case of an adverse reaction. Even the best human-edible mushrooms may not be well tolerated by everyone. Always consult someone you are 100% certain can correctly identify what you find, please! Many animals use mushrooms for food, so don’t let that fool you into thinking humans can safely eat them. But that doesn’t mean good to eat in all cases. Nobody breaks down nutrients for plants as well as fungi do! When soil moisture and temperatures are right, you may find the fruiting bodies of the fungi popping up aboveground – mushrooms! Think of them as you would an apple: they spread new fungal growth by releasing spores, just as an apple spawns new apple trees when the fruit drops and seeds are spread. That is great for the health of soil organisms and the vegetation that relies on the work they do. Mushrooms are indicators that the fungal network within the soil is in place and functioning. Let’s try to stir up some of that fascination… Most people either find them fascinating or fear-inspiring. Mushrooms are just so interesting! Intriguing, really. Rain is good for spring mushrooms, so expect to find a good variety starting now and continuing well into the fall. Spring mushrooms? Yes, they’re out there and they’re beautiful, but let’s talk before you consider eating one.
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