Sarah Brown
A mushroom is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or another food source. The standard for the name mushroom is the cultivated white button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus. However, some mushrooms are much larger than the ones we find in grocery stores. The largest mushroom in the world is a specimen of Phellinus ellipsoideus (formerly Fomitiporia ellipsoidea) found in China. The largest mushroom colony in the world, spanning an area of 3.5 square miles (2,200 acres; 9.1 km2) and weighing 35,000 tons, is a fungus in the Malheur National Forest in the Strawberry Mountains of eastern Oregon.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Definition | A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or another food source. |
| Identification | The color of the powdery print, called a spore print, is useful in both classifying and identifying mushrooms. |
| Spore print colors | White (most common), brown, black, purple-brown, pink, yellow, and creamy, but almost never blue, green, or red. |
| Common types | Bolete, truffle, puffball, stinkhorn, and morel. |
| Largest mushroom | Armillaria ostoyae, also known as the "humongous fungus," is considered the largest known organism in the world. It was discovered in Oregon's Blue Mountains in 1998 and is estimated to be 2,400 to 8,650 years old. It covers an area of 3.5 square miles (9.1 km2) or 2,200-2,384 acres (965 hectares) and may weigh up to 35,000 tons. |
| Second largest mushroom | Armillaria gallica, also known as the "Crystal Falls fungus," was discovered in Michigan in 1992 and covers 91 acres (0.37 km2). |
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What You'll Learn
Armillaria ostoyae, a large fungus found in Oregon
Armillaria ostoyae, also known as the "shoestring fungus", is a large fungus found in Oregon, specifically in the Malheur National Forest in the Strawberry Mountains. It is believed to be the largest single living organism on Earth by biomass, covering 3.7 square miles or 2,385 acres. It is one of five individual noncontiguous and genetically distinct occurrences of Armillaria ostoyae in that part of the forest, covering areas ranging from 50 to 2,385 acres.
Armillaria ostoyae is characterised by its long, thin, black filaments called rhizomorphs that spread through the soil, infecting and killing tree roots. The fungus colonises and feeds off the root systems of both coniferous and hardwood trees. It reproduces sexually, with spores released into the environment by a mature mushroom. These spores can be dispersed by the wind or carried by animals. Once the spores come into contact with complementary mating types of the same species, they fuse together to form dark brown, flat colonies.
The fungus produces honey mushrooms, which are typical gilled brown mushrooms with stalks two to four inches tall and caps two to five inches across. They are considered edible but may cause stomach distress for some individuals if not well cooked. Armillaria ostoyae fruits in the fall, and the mushrooms grow in clumps out of the base of infested trees.
The pathogenicity of Armillaria ostoyae varies depending on the age and location of the trees. Younger conifer trees are more susceptible to infection and mortality, while more mature trees have a higher chance of survival. The fungus spreads slowly, growing at a rate of 0.7 to 3.3 feet per year. It may take between 20 to 50 years for the fungus to kill a tree, and it continues to feed on the dead wood even after the tree dies.
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The world's largest mushroom, Phellinus ellipsoideus
A mushroom is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or another food source. Toadstool generally refers to a poisonous mushroom. The standard for the word "mushroom" is the cultivated white button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus.
Now, that's out of the way, let's talk about the largest mushroom in the world, the Phellinus ellipsoideus. This species of polypore fungus, found in China, produced the largest fungal fruit body ever recorded. The fruit bodies produced by Phellinus ellipsoideus are brown, woody basidiocarps that grow on dead wood, where the fungus feeds as a saprotroph. The basidiocarps are perennial, allowing them to grow very large under favourable circumstances. They are resupinate, measuring 30 centimetres (12 inches) or more in length, though they typically extend less than a centimetre from the surface of the wood.
Phellinus ellipsoideus has been recorded growing on the fallen wood of oaks of the subgenus Cyclobalanopsis, as well as the wood of other flowering plants. The species favours the trunks of trees, where it feeds as a saprotroph, causing white rot. The species is found in the tropical and subtropical areas of China, including Fujian Province and Hainan Province. It is not a common species, and fruit bodies are only occasionally encountered.
In 2010, researchers uncovered a very large Phellinus ellipsoideus fruit body on a fallen Quercus asymmetrica log, which turned out to be the largest fungal fruit body ever documented. Phellinus ellipsoideus is also used to make MuSkin, a mushroom leather that serves as a vegan alternative to leather.
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Mushrooms are the fleshy, spore-bearing fruit of a fungus
The term "toadstool" generally refers to a poisonous mushroom. However, there is no scientific distinction between the two names, and either can be properly applied to any fleshy fungus fruiting structure. The delineation between edible and poisonous fungi is not clear-cut, so a "mushroom" may be edible, poisonous, or unpalatable.
Mushrooms develop from a nodule, or pinhead, less than two millimetres in diameter, called a primordium, which is typically found on or near the surface of the substrate. It is formed within the mycelium, the mass of thread-like hyphae that make up the fungus. The primordium enlarges into a roundish structure of interwoven hyphae, roughly resembling an egg, called a "button". The button has a cottony roll of mycelium, the universal veil, that surrounds the developing fruit body. As the egg expands, the universal veil ruptures and may remain as a cup, or volva, at the base of the stalk, or as warts or volval patches on the cap.
Mushrooms are also classified by the colour of the powdery print, called a spore print. Spore print colours include white (most common), brown, black, purple-brown, pink, yellow, and creamy, but almost never blue, green, or red. While modern identification of mushrooms is quickly becoming molecular, standard methods for identification are still used by most and have developed into a fine art.
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The standard mushroom is the cultivated white button mushroom
The white button mushroom is the same as the crimini or brown mushroom, as well as the portabella. The difference is simply their age—the brown crimini and the large, brown portabella are more mature versions of the white button mushroom. The white mushroom was discovered in 1925 at the Keystone Mushroom Farm in Coatesville, Pennsylvania. It was seen as a more attractive food item than the brown mushrooms and soon became widely cultivated and distributed.
White button mushrooms are 92% water, 3% carbohydrates, 3% protein, and contain negligible fat. They are an excellent source of B vitamins, including riboflavin, niacin, and pantothenic acid, and a good source of the dietary minerals phosphorus and potassium. Their vitamin D content increases substantially after exposure to UV light.
White button mushrooms are versatile in cooking and can be used in a variety of dishes. Their flavor intensifies when cooked, and their texture becomes tender and juicy. They are relatively inexpensive, easy to find, and have a great taste. They can be purchased at grocery stores or cultivated at home using mushroom kits.
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Distinguishing between edible and poisonous mushrooms is not always clear-cut
Mushrooms are the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting bodies of fungi, typically produced above ground on soil or another food source. The term toadstool is generally used to refer to a poisonous mushroom. The standard for the name "mushroom" is the cultivated white button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus. However, the word "mushroom" is also used to describe a variety of other gilled fungi, with or without stems.
- Select mushrooms without red on the cap or stem. Many red mushrooms are poisonous.
- Look for mushrooms without scales on the cap. Avoid mushrooms with patches or scaling of a lighter or darker shade on the cap, which may appear like spots.
- Seek out mushrooms without a ring around the stem. Check beneath the cap of the mushroom for a second veil-like ring of tissue that looks like a mini-cap beneath the cap.
- Some edible mushrooms have highly distinctive features, but some are very similar to species that are highly poisonous. For example, Chanterelles may look similar to the poisonous Jack O’Lantern Mushroom, but the latter has true gills, while Chanterelles have folds.
- The colour of the powdery print, called a spore print, is useful in both classifying and identifying mushrooms. Spore print colours include white (most common), brown, black, purple-brown, pink, yellow, and creamy, but almost never blue, green, or red.
- Other factors to consider are the presence of juices upon breaking, bruising reactions, odours, tastes, shades of colour, habitat, and season.
It is important to note that there is no single, obvious trait that will indicate if a mushroom is poisonous. Therefore, it is always recommended to consult a knowledgeable expert to identify any mushrooms you are unsure about. You can connect with a mushroom expert through a local mycological group or at a local university. Additionally, it is advisable to try a small amount of any new mushroom species before consuming a full meal, as individuals may experience allergies or sensitivities to different mushrooms.
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Frequently asked questions
A large mushroom is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or another food source. The standard for the name "mushroom" is the cultivated white button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus.
Armillaria ostoyae, found in Oregon's Blue Mountains, occupies around 2,384 acres (965 hectares) of soil, making it one of the largest known organisms. Another example is a specimen of Phellinus ellipsoideus, which is the largest identified fungal fruit body in the world.
Yes, a few notable mentions include a 20-year-old specimen found in Hainan Island, China, estimated to weigh between 400 and 500 kilograms, and a colony of honey mushrooms discovered in Michigan, weighing approximately 9,525 kilograms and spanning 37 acres. These large mushrooms often rival the sizes of blue whales and dinosaurs!
