Sarah Brown
Mushrooms are neither plants nor animals; they are fungi. They are typically umbrella-shaped and bear gills on the undersurface of the cap from which spores are shed. However, not all mushrooms are gilled, and some have pores, spines, or warts on the undersurface of the cap. There are about 14,000 species of mushrooms, and they come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colours. Mushrooms play a vital role in nature and to humans, as they are responsible for breaking down dead materials and keeping the ecosystem in balance. Some mushrooms are edible and nutritious, while others are poisonous and deadly.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Definition | Mushrooms are the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or another food source. |
| Types | Mushrooms include the familiar mushroom-forming species, as well as yeasts, molds, smuts, and rusts. Some common types include white button, crimini, portabella, shiitake, straw, oyster, enoki, morel, and chanterelle. |
| Nutrition | Mushrooms are more than 90% water, with small amounts of protein, carbohydrates, fat, mineral salts, vitamins, and amino acids. They are cholesterol-free and contain the vitamin D precursor ergosterol, which converts to vitamin D2 upon exposure to light. |
| Identification | Mushrooms can be identified by their macroscopic structure, including the presence of gills, stalks, and caps. They can also be identified by their microscopic spores, which leave a powdery print with various colours. Other characteristics like juices, bruising reactions, odours, tastes, shades of colour, habitat, and season are also considered for identification. |
| Uses | Mushrooms are used as food and are also employed in the creation of drugs and antibiotics. |
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What You'll Learn
Mushrooms are a type of fungus
Mushrooms are biologically distinct from plant- and animal-derived foods and constitute their own kingdom: the Fungi. They lack chlorophyll and obtain their nutrients from other materials, such as soil or wood. Before developing into the familiar mushroom structure, the fungus exists as a mycelium, a mat-like or net-like network of filaments. When conditions are favourable, the mycelium produces a mushroom, which emerges from the ground or a tree.
Mushrooms produce spores, which are microscopic and help the fungus spread. The gills on the underside of the cap are an important feature of mushroom morphology and play a role in spore dispersal. The colour of the spore print is also useful in classifying and identifying mushrooms. While modern identification methods are becoming increasingly molecular, traditional identification techniques, such as examining the presence of juices, bruising reactions, odours, tastes, shades of colour, habitat, and season, are still commonly used.
Mushrooms are nutritionally unique and are classified into food grouping systems by their use as a vegetable. They contain small amounts of essential amino acids and B vitamins, vitamin D, potassium, dietary fibre, and calcium. They are cholesterol-free and have a delicate flavour and agreeable texture, making them a popular specialty food.
There are over 2000 varieties of edible mushrooms, including commonly consumed species such as Agaricus bisporus (white button mushroom), crimini, portabella, shiitake, straw, oyster, and enoki. However, it is important to accurately identify mushrooms intended for consumption, as poisoning by wild mushrooms can be fatal or cause allergic reactions.
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They are not plants
Mushrooms are not plants. They are a kingdom of their own: the Fungi. While mushrooms may appear similar to plants, they lack chlorophyll, which is essential for plants to obtain energy from sunlight. Instead, mushrooms must absorb nutrients from other materials, such as soil or wood.
Mushrooms are the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting bodies of fungi. They emerge from an underground network of thread-like strands called mycelium when conditions are favourable. This network can live for hundreds of years, producing a new crop of mushrooms annually during its fruiting season. Mushrooms produce spores, which are almost as fine as smoke, instead of seeds. These spores help the fungus spread across the ground or its occupant surface.
The term "mushroom" is typically used to refer to those fungi that have a stem (stipe), a cap (pileus), and gills (lamellae) on the underside of the cap. However, the term also encompasses a variety of other gilled fungi, with or without stems. Some mushrooms, like puffballs and truffles, may not have a stalk. The gills of a mushroom are an important feature of its morphology, with some having free gills that do not extend to the top of the stalk, while others have decurrent gills that extend down the stalk.
Mushrooms come in a variety of shapes and sizes, with colours ranging from white to brown, black, purple-brown, pink, yellow, and creamy. While some mushrooms are edible and prized for their delicate flavour and texture, others are poisonous and can cause mild gastrointestinal issues or even be fatal. Therefore, accurate identification of mushrooms intended for consumption is crucial.
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They are neither edible nor inedible
Mushrooms are a type of fungus that have been consumed by humans for thousands of years. While they are commonly thought of as vegetables, mushrooms actually belong to a separate kingdom of organisms that includes fungi and bacteria. There are thousands of known mushroom species, and they play important ecological roles, forming mutually beneficial relationships with plants and breaking down organic matter.
When it comes to edibility, mushrooms can generally be categorized as edible, inedible, or poisonous. However, it is important to note that this classification is not always clear-cut and there are many shades of grey when it comes to mushroom safety. The phrase "neither edible nor inedible" is often used to describe mushrooms that fall into a sort of grey area. This might include mushrooms that are not toxic but may be unpleasant to eat, as well as those that are edible in certain contexts but require special preparation to be safe.
For example, some mushrooms may be edible when cooked but toxic when raw, or they may be edible for most people but cause allergic reactions in some individuals. In other cases, a mushroom may be considered inedible simply because it has no distinct flavour or an unpleasant texture, even if it is not harmful. Additionally, a mushroom that is edible for one species may be toxic for another; for instance, some mushrooms are safe for humans but poisonous to dogs or cats.
The "neither edible nor inedible" category can also include mushrooms that are simply unknown or untested. Just because a mushroom has not been documented as edible does not necessarily mean it is poisonous. In fact, there may be many edible mushrooms out there that we simply don't know about yet because they haven't been properly identified or studied. On the other hand, just because a mushroom is rare or unknown, doesn't mean it's safe either. It's always important to exercise caution when consuming any wild mushroom.
So, while the phrase "neither edible nor inedible" may seem like a vague or unhelpful description, it actually encapsulates an important aspect of mushroom identification and foragers' constant learning process. It highlights the complexity and nuance of mushroom edibility, reminding us that our understanding of fungi is still evolving and that caution and thorough research are always necessary when it comes to wild foods.
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Mushrooms have stalks and caps
Mushrooms are the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting bodies of fungi, typically produced above ground on soil or another food source. The standard definition of a "mushroom" is the cultivated white button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus. However, the term mushroom is used to describe a variety of gilled fungi, with or without stems.
Mushrooms have stalks (stipes) and caps (pilei). The stalk may be central and support the cap in the middle, or it may be off-centre or lateral, as in species of Pleurotus and Panus. Some mushrooms, such as puffballs, truffles, jellies, earthstars, and bird's nests, typically do not have stalks. The gills of a mushroom are an important feature of its morphology. Some mushrooms have free gills that do not extend to the top of the stalk, while others have decurrent gills that extend down the stalk.
The caps of mushrooms are an important part of their structure and function. Underneath the caps are gills (lamellae) from which spores are shed. These gills produce microscopic spores that help the fungus spread across the ground or its occupant surface. The colour of the spore print is useful in classifying and identifying mushrooms.
The stalks and caps of mushrooms can vary in shape, size, and colour, and they can be central or off-centre. Some mushrooms have a more complex structure, with additional features such as veils or volvas. The stalks and caps of mushrooms are typically fleshy, but some mushrooms have a tough, leathery texture.
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They reproduce by producing spores
Mushrooms are neither plants nor animals; they are part of the Fungi kingdom. They lack chlorophyll and instead take nutrients from other materials.
Mushrooms produce spores, which are almost as fine as smoke. These spores are produced on the gills of the mushroom and fall in a fine rain of powder from under the caps. At the microscopic level, the spores are shot off basidia and then fall between the gills in the dead air space.
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.
When spores land in a suitable place, they germinate, developing the fine filaments that eventually become a new mycelium. The mycelium is a network of thread-like strands that form the fungus. The fungus then develops a fruiting structure, a mushroom, which emerges from the ground or a tree.
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Frequently asked questions
Mushrooms are a type of fungus that constitutes their own kingdom, separate from plants and animals. They are typically umbrella-shaped and produce spores, not seeds.
Mushrooms are saprophytes, meaning they digest nutrients from dead organic matter, such as leaves and fallen trees. Some mushrooms are parasites, digesting materials from living tissues.
There are about 10,000 kinds of mushrooms in North America, but approximately 14,000 species of mushrooms are described worldwide.
Mushrooms typically have a cap and a stalk. Most are gilled, but some have pores, spines, or tubes underneath the cap. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colours.
Some mushrooms are edible and delicious, while others are poisonous or unpalatable. Do not eat any mushroom unless you are certain it is safe to do so.
