Sarah Brown
Mushrooms are the above-ground fruiting bodies of fungi that live in the soil. They are a diverse group of organisms, with approximately 14,000 species described. Some mushrooms are common and can be found in many environments, while others are rare and found only in specific locations. The rarity of certain mushrooms can be attributed to various factors, including their specific habitat requirements, the impact of human activities such as deforestation, and their unique life cycles. The demand for rare mushrooms in culinary and medicinal applications further highlights the importance of understanding their ecology and conservation. This introduction sets the stage for exploring the question, 'Why are mushrooms so rare?' and delving into the fascinating world of these enigmatic fungi.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Scarcity | Some mushrooms are scarce and only found in specific regions, such as grasslands, or certain parts of specific countries. |
| Growing Conditions | Mushrooms are picky about their growing conditions and require specific environments, such as certain types of trees or soil conditions. |
| Cultivation | Some rare mushrooms are cultivated in specific places, such as the United States, using techniques like rice or silkworm moth growing sources. |
| Edibility | Rare mushrooms may be edible and used in cooking, medicine, or as a food ingredient, but they can also be poisonous or unpalatable. |
| Price | The rarity of certain mushrooms makes them expensive, with prices ranging from $600 to $800 per pound or even up to $4,000 to $7,000 per pound. |
| Identification | Identifying rare mushrooms can be challenging and may require microscopic examination, chemical tests, or expert knowledge due to their unique characteristics and potential lookalikes. |
| Environmental Factors | Mushrooms are sensitive to environmental conditions, such as weather patterns, and typically fruit when it is warm and moist. |
| Radioactivity | In certain regions, like Europe, mushroom picking is affected by nuclear fallout from disasters like Chernobyl, resulting in the accumulation of radioactive caesium-137. |
| Health Benefits | Some rare mushrooms are believed to have health-boosting qualities and have been used in traditional medicine practices to improve breathing, reduce colds, and strengthen the immune system. |
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What You'll Learn
Rare types of mushrooms: Devil's Cigar, Eastern Cauliflower, Amanita nouhrae, and Wrinkled Peach
Mushrooms are considered rare due to their sparse and wide distribution, often limited to very specific locations. They may also be rare because they are picky about where they grow, with specific requirements for their host and environment. Additionally, some mushrooms are rare because they are threatened by human activities, such as deforestation.
Devil's Cigar Mushroom
The Devil's Cigar mushroom (Chorioactis geaster) is one of the rarest mushrooms, found only in select locales in Texas and Japan. It gets its name from its resemblance to a dark brown or black cigar before it splits open into a star-like arrangement of four to seven leathery rays. The young, partially formed mushroom looks like a cigar, and when it matures, it may smoke with a distinct hissing sound and a release of a smoky cloud of spores. This mushroom is very picky about where it grows, typically choosing the dying stumps of Cedar elms in Texas or dead oaks in Japan.
Eastern Cauliflower Mushroom
The Eastern Cauliflower mushroom (Sparassis) is rare and only grows in some parts of Japan, Korea, Australia, and the United States. It gets its name from its resemblance to the head of cauliflower, with thick, white, wrinkly bodies that also resemble brains or corals. Despite being rare, they are edible and have a light, savoury taste, making them popular in Asian dishes like ramen, soups, and salads. They are also one of the most expensive mushrooms in the world.
Amanita nouhrae Mushroom
Amanita nouhrae is a rare mushroom species reportedly found in only three specific localities: two in protected areas within national parks in Chile and Argentina, and one in Puyehue National Park, Chile. Experts estimate there are only about 600 mature individuals globally. While it is believed that this mushroom should be able to grow in many regions, it only grows in these specific locations. The mushrooms become truffles that grow underground, and their white, ruffled bodies resemble golf balls. This mushroom is listed as "vulnerable" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and is threatened by deforestation in the Nothofagus forests where it grows.
Wrinkled Peach Mushroom
The Wrinkled Peach mushroom, or Rhodotus palmatus, is a rare species with a unique appearance. Its cap is initially convex before flattening with age, typically reaching widths of 2-6 centimetres. The edges of the cap are rolled inwards, and the surface has a network of lightly coloured ridges or veins that outline deep grooves, resembling the lines in the palm of a hand. The colour of the cap can vary from salmon-orange to pink to red, and the mushroom may sometimes be seen bleeding a red or orange liquid. This mushroom has a complex taxonomic history due to its distinctive characteristics, and its classification has been the subject of dispute.
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Mushrooms are picky about where they grow
The eastern cauliflower mushroom is another example of a picky mushroom. It only grows in some parts of Japan, Korea, Australia, and the United States. These mushrooms are rare but have a light, savoury taste, making them a popular ingredient in Asian dishes like ramen, soups, and salads. They are also one of the most expensive mushrooms in the world.
Some mushrooms are even pickier about their growing conditions. For instance, the lobster mushroom is found only in the forests of North America, typically under conifer trees. The bleeding tooth mushroom is found in forested and mountainous regions of North America, Europe, Iran, and South Korea, often near the roots of coniferous trees.
While mushrooms can be picky about where they grow, they are also resilient and adaptable. They are the fruiting bodies of fungi that live in the soil, breaking down dead and decaying organic matter. They emerge when environmental conditions are just right, often after prolonged periods of wet and humid weather. They can also be found in diverse habitats, from grasslands to forests, and on various surfaces, including soil, insects, and other parasites.
Mushroom picking is a popular activity in many parts of the world, including Eurasia, Australia, and temperate regions of North America. It is a family tradition in Slavic and Baltic countries and a "national sport" in Southern Lithuania. However, it is important to exercise caution when picking and consuming wild mushrooms, as many are poisonous or unpalatable.
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They are the fruiting bodies of fungi that live in the soil
Mushrooms are the fruiting bodies of fungi that live in the soil. They are a type of Basidiomycota or Ascomycota, characterised by having a stem (stipe), a cap (pileus), and gills (lamellae) on the underside of the cap. The gills produce microscopic spores, which help the fungus spread across the ground or its occupant surface. Mushrooms only grow when environmental conditions are just right, such as prolonged periods of wet and humid weather. The fruiting bodies emerge from the soil when the fungi are ready to reproduce, dispersing spores to new areas via wind.
While most mushrooms grow in soil, some species are parasites that extend from insects' bodies and other parasites. For example, Cordyceps militaris is a rare mushroom that grows in the United States and is used in medicine and as a food ingredient. Similarly, the devil's cigar mushroom, found in some areas of Japan and Texas, grows on the stumps of dying Cedar elms.
The majority of fungi are beneficial to the environment as decomposers, breaking down dead and decaying organic matter. However, some mushrooms are poisonous, and even those that are edible can make certain people very ill. Therefore, it is important to be cautious when consuming wild mushrooms and only eat a small amount initially. Traditional Chinese medicine has utilised the properties of certain mushrooms, such as wood ears, for hundreds of years to improve breathing, reduce colds and fevers, and strengthen the immune system.
Mushroom hunting, or mushrooming, is a popular activity in many parts of the world, including Eurasia, Australia, and temperate regions of North America. In Slavic and Baltic countries, it is a common family tradition to go mushroom picking after heavy rain during the mushroom season. However, due to the Chernobyl disaster, mushroom picking in Europe carries the risk of exposure to radioactive caesium-137, which accumulates in certain wild mushroom species.
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Mushrooms are difficult to identify
The standard for the name "mushroom" is the cultivated white button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus, which has a stem, a cap, and gills. However, the term "mushroom" is also used to describe other gilled fungi, with or without stems. Therefore, the term is used more commonly to describe the fleshy fruiting bodies of some Ascomycota rather than having a precise taxonomic meaning. Other terms like "bolete", "truffle", "puffball", "stinkhorn", and "morel" are used to describe forms that deviate from the standard morphology of a mushroom.
Mushroom identification requires a basic understanding of their macroscopic structure, and most are basidiomycetes and gilled. Their spores, called basidiospores, are produced on the gills and fall in a fine rain of powder from under the caps. At the microscopic level, the basidiospores are shot off basidia and then fall between the gills. Therefore, microscopy is sometimes needed to differentiate between similar-looking species. A common identification technique is the spore print, where a mushroom is placed on a surface, and the spores are allowed to fall underneath. This technique is often used by mycologists and mushroom hunters to identify the genus or species of a specimen.
Additionally, some mushrooms are referred to as Little Brown Mushrooms (LBMs) or Boring Ubiquitous Mushrooms (BUMS) due to their lack of distinguishing macromorphological characteristics, making them difficult to identify. Experienced mushroom hunters may be able to discern more subtle traits that help identify the mushroom's genus or species. However, exact identification of LBMs often requires a close examination under a microscope.
It is important to be able to identify mushrooms correctly as many are poisonous, and even edible mushrooms can make some people very ill.
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They can be poisonous, edible, or have medicinal properties
Mushrooms are a diverse group of organisms, with an estimated 14,000 species. They can be poisonous, edible, or have medicinal properties. The delineation between edible and poisonous fungi is not always clear-cut, and even mushrooms that are purportedly edible can make some people very ill. Therefore, it is important to be cautious when consuming wild mushrooms and to only eat a small amount initially. Some mushrooms, such as the Amanita nouhrae, are rare and potentially toxic, and experts do not recommend consuming them.
Some mushrooms have medicinal properties that have been utilized in traditional medicine for hundreds of years. For example, wood ear mushrooms, which grow on older trees or on living and dead ash, spindle, and beech trees, are believed to improve breathing, soothe sore throats, and reduce colds and fevers. Recent research has also found that they may strengthen the immune system and exhibit antimicrobial activity. Turkey tail mushrooms, which grow on various types of wood, have been shown to provide health benefits to both humans and pets, and they are often consumed as a powdered supplement.
Lobster mushrooms, which resemble and taste like lobster, are edible and commonly used in vegetarian lobster rolls and other lobster recipes. Bleeding tooth mushrooms, on the other hand, are peculiar due to their appearance and the bright red sap they produce, which contains a compound that can help stop blood clots from forming.
In addition to their medicinal and culinary uses, mushrooms play an important ecological role as decomposers that break down dead and decaying organic matter. They typically grow when environmental conditions are favourable, such as during prolonged periods of wet and humid weather.
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Frequently asked questions
Mushrooms are not always rare. They are the above-ground fruiting bodies of fungi that live in the soil, and they emerge when the environmental conditions are right. However, some mushrooms are rare, such as the devil's cigar, which only grows in some areas of Japan and Texas.
Researchers are unsure why the devil's cigar mushroom is so rare, as its distribution is sparse and wide. These mushrooms are very particular about where they grow. In Texas, for example, they grow on the dying stumps of cedar elms in central and northern parts of the state.
Yes, the Amanita nouhrae mushroom is reportedly very rare, with only about 600 mature individuals worldwide. They only grow in Argentina and Chile, and they are vulnerable to threats such as deforestation.
The eastern cauliflower mushroom is also considered rare, as it only grows in some parts of Japan, Korea, Australia, and the United States.
