John Miller
Mushrooms are the fruiting bodies of fungi and come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. While the anatomy of a mushroom varies depending on the species, most share a similar basic structure. The toadstool mushroom, for example, contains a cap, stem, and gills. The cap, or pileus, sits on top of the mushroom and holds the gills or pores that produce spores. The gills are small, thin-walled structures that surround the mushroom's stem, with openings on one side. The stem, or stipe, is a stalk-like feature that supports the cap. Some mushrooms, like the lion's mane, have teeth or shaggy hair-like structures that hang around the mushroom and produce spores, instead of a cap. Mushrooms are cultivated and sold for culinary purposes, with some recipes calling for just the caps, leaving the stems to be discarded. However, both the caps and stems can be used in cooking, with stems being added to stocks or frozen for later use.
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What You'll Learn
Mushrooms are the fruiting bodies of fungi
Mushrooms are a type of fungus that develop from a mass of thread-like structures called hyphae, which form a network called a mycelium that extends through the soil. The mycelium sends out these thin fibres, similar to plant roots, to find nutrients. The part of the fungus that we typically call a "mushroom" is the "'fruit'" of the fungi, and it exists only for a short phase of the fungus' overall lifespan. Its primary function is to spread mushroom spores at the end of its life cycle, so new mushrooms will start to grow nearby.
The mature fruiting body of a mushroom can have various structures, but the common image of a mushroom is a toadstool with a cap, stem, and gills. The cap normally houses the spore-producing surface of the fruiting body, which can consist of gills, pores, ridges, or teeth. The gills, or lamellae, are composed of two layers: the lamellae that reach from the stem to the edge, and the lamellulae, which are shorter gills that don't reach the stem. The gills produce microscopic spores, which help the fungus spread across the ground or its occupant surface. These spores fall off the gills and may travel some distance due to wind or animals before landing, thus restarting the life cycle of the mushroom.
While the toadstool is the standard image of a mushroom, the term "mushroom" is also used to describe a variety of other gilled fungi, with or without stems. For example, lion's mane mushrooms are tooth fungi, meaning they have "'teeth'" or shaggy hair-like structures that hang around the mushroom and produce spores, rather than a cap. Other mushrooms are not gilled at all, such as puffballs, jelly fungi, coral fungi, and stinkhorns.
The delineation between edible and poisonous fungi is not always clear, and the term toadstool first appeared in 14th-century England to refer to an inedible, poisonous fungus.
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The stem of a mushroom is called a stipe
Mushrooms have a cap and stem structure, with the cap sitting on top of the stem. The stem of a mushroom is also called a stipe. The stipe is the stalk-like feature that supports the cap of a mushroom. The stipe is composed of sterile hyphal tissue. However, the fertile hymenium sometimes extends down the stipe to some distance. The stipe is an important feature to examine when identifying wild mushrooms. Its characteristics, such as texture (fibrous, brittle, chalky, leathery, firm, etc.), and the presence of a partial veil (such as an annulus or ring) or universal veil, can help distinguish different types of mushrooms.
The primary function of the stipe is to support the cap and the spores it contains. The stipe also plays a role in spore dispersal. An elevated mushroom will more easily release its spores into wind currents or onto passing animals. This evolutionary advantage is believed to be the reason why mushrooms developed stipes. However, not all mushrooms have stipes. Examples of mushrooms without stipes include cup fungi, puffballs, earthstars, some polypores, jelly fungi, ergots, and smuts.
The mushroom stem usually has an annulus or volva attached to it. These structures protect the spores during the development of the mushroom. In the early stages of growth, some mushrooms develop a partial veil that surrounds and protects the underside of the cap. As the mushroom matures and expands, the partial veil breaks away from the cap and remains hanging around the stem, forming the annulus or mushroom ring. Other types of mushrooms have a universal veil that encapsulates the entire mushroom during early development.
The underside of a mushroom can have gills, teeth, ridges, or pores. The gills are small, thin-walled structures that surround the mushroom's stem and are usually found in clusters. They are composed of two layers: the lamellae, which reach from the stem to the edge, and the lamellulae, which are shorter gills that do not reach the stem. Not all mushrooms possess lamellulae. The gills can be attached to the stem or free, and they can have various forking or branching patterns. Knowing the difference between true gills and false gills is important for identifying different types of mushrooms.
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The stipe supports the cap of a mushroom
Mushrooms are the fruiting bodies of fungi, and they come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colours. The part of the mushroom that we eat is the "fruit" of the fungi. The primary function of the mushroom is to spread mushroom spores at the end of its life cycle, so new mushrooms will start to grow nearby.
The mushroom, or sporophore, is made up of a cap and a stem, also called a stalk or stipe. The cap, or pileus, is the structure on top of the mushroom that holds the gills, pores, ridges, or teeth. The underside of a mushroom can have gills, teeth, ridges, or pores, and this is where spores are found. The gills are composed of two layers: the lamellae that reach from the stem to the edge, and the lamellulae, which are shorter gills that don't reach the stem. The stipe or stem supports the cap of the mushroom.
The mature fruiting body of the mushroom can have various structures. The toadstool mushroom that most people picture contains a cap, stem, and gills. The cap normally houses the spore-producing surface of the fruiting body. Many mushrooms produce spores on their gills, on the underside of the mushroom's cap. These spores fall off the gills and may travel some distance before landing and starting the life cycle of the mushroom again.
Some mushrooms, like lion's mane, do not have a cap. Instead, they have "teeth" or shaggy hair-like structures that hang around the mushroom and produce spores. These "teeth" grow from the stem.
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Mushrooms without stems include cup fungi and puffballs
Mushrooms are fleshy fruiting bodies that produce spores. The standard image of a mushroom is that of a toadstool mushroom, which contains a cap, stem, and gills. However, not all mushrooms have this structure. The term "mushroom" is used more as a common name for macroscopic fungal fruiting bodies than as a precise taxonomic term.
Puffballs, or Lycoperdaceae, are another type of mushroom that lacks a stalk. Instead, they may have a supporting base. They are characterised by their powdery fertile portion, called a gleba. Common puffball mushrooms (Lycoperdon perlatum) grow on the forest floor.
Other mushrooms that typically lack stalks include truffles, jellies, earthstars, and bird's nests. These mushrooms have their own specialised vocabulary for describing their parts. For example, truffles (Morchella, Verpa) and false morels or lorchels (Gyromitra, Helvella) are included with true mushrooms due to their shape and fleshy structure, resembling a deeply folded or pitted conelike sponge at the top of a hollow stem.
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Mushroom stems can be cooked and used in recipes
Mushrooms have a cap and stem structure, with the cap sitting on top of the stem. The mushroom that we eat is the "fruit" of the fungi, and its primary function is to spread mushroom spores at the end of its life cycle.
Mushroom stems can be used in a variety of recipes. They can be chopped and added to soups, stir-fries, rice bowls, sauces, and salads. They can also be used to make a mushroom powder that can be added to dishes for an earthy flavour. Stems can be cooked in several ways, including sautéing, simmering, grilling, and roasting.
One way to use mushroom stems is to create a French condiment called duxelles, which consists of a combination of finely chopped mushrooms, shallots, and fresh herbs cooked together slowly to create intense flavours. Duxelles can be used to flavour soups and sauces, fill omelettes and ravioli, and work as a spread on toast.
Another option is to use mushroom stems as a filling for pasta dishes like stuffed shells, ravioli, and manicotti. They can also be used to stuff vegetables like peppers, tomatoes, and zucchini. Mushroom stems can also be added to ground beef dishes like meatballs, meatloaf, and tacos.
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Frequently asked questions
No, many mushrooms do not have stems, including cup fungi, puffballs, earthstars, some polypores, jelly fungi, ergots, and smuts.
The stem, or stipe, supports the cap of a mushroom. It also helps with spore dispersal, as an elevated mushroom will more easily release its spores into wind currents or onto passing animals.
Mushroom stems can be cooked and used in recipes such as risotto, soup, stir-fries, sauces, and rice bowls. They can also be frozen and used later to make a mushroom broth.
