Mushroom

A mushroom is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus. It grows above ground on soil or other food sources. The word "mushroom" often means the white button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus. It has a stem, a cap, and gills under the cap. These gills make tiny spores that help the fungus spread.

Mushrooms grow from underground mycelium. They can appear very fast when the weather is right. They come in many shapes and sizes. Some have special names like "bolete", "truffle", "puffball", "stinkhorn", and "morel".

People use mushrooms in many ways. Some are eaten and are tasty and good for you. Others can be harmful. Mushrooms also help nature and are used to make medicines.

Etymology

The words "mushroom" and "toadstool" have been used for many years. Long ago, people spelled them in many different ways, like mushrom and mussheron.

The word "mushroom" might come from the French word mousseron, which is related to moss (mousse). Some mushrooms are safe to eat, while others can be harmful. The word toadstool first appeared in 14th-century England and described a "stool" for toads. Today, toadstool usually means a poisonous mushroom.

Identification

To know if something is a mushroom, learn about its basic parts. Most mushrooms have a cap, a stem, and gills under the cap. They make tiny particles called spores on their gills. If you place the cap gill-side-down, the spores can leave a colored powder. This powder is called a spore print. It can be white, brown, black, or other colors. Scientists use this to identify different kinds of mushrooms.

People who study mushrooms look at things like color, smell, taste, and where they grow. They also use special tests and tools. Identifying mushrooms can be hard, especially for beginners, because some look very similar but are different.

Classification

Main articles: Sporocarp (fungus), Basidiocarp, and Ascocarp

Mushrooms are the fruit bodies of some fungi, especially those in the order Agaricales. Well-known mushrooms include the fairy-ring mushroom, shiitake, enoki, oyster mushrooms, and fly agarics. Some mushrooms, like the lobster mushroom, have unusual shapes.

The word "mushroom" is used for many types of fungi. This makes it a general word, not a specific science name. Scientists have found many kinds of mushrooms.

Morphology

A mushroom starts from a tiny pinhead called a primordium. This grows from threadlike structures called hyphae. As it grows, it becomes a small round shape called a button. Sometimes, this button has a layer of tissue around it called a veil. When the mushroom gets bigger, the veil may break. This can leave parts like a ring on the stem or patches on the cap.

The stem, or stipe, can be in the center or to the side. Some mushrooms do not have a stem at all. The gills — the blade-like parts under the cap — attach to the stem in different ways. This helps scientists identify different kinds of mushrooms. Some gills stop short of the stem, while others run down it. Tiny parts inside the mushroom, like spores and special cells, are important for scientists to study.

Growth

Many mushrooms seem to appear overnight because they grow very fast. This quick growth gave us expressions like "to mushroom" (meaning to grow rapidly) and "to pop up like a mushroom" (meaning to appear suddenly). In reality, mushrooms take several days to form their early stages, called the pin stage, before they grow quickly by soaking up water.

Some mushrooms, like the Parasola plicatilis, can grow fast overnight after rain and then shrink away by the afternoon. Other mushrooms, such as Pleurotus nebrodensis, grow much more slowly. Even though the mushroom part doesn’t live long, the hidden network of threads called mycelium can live for many years. One such network in Malheur National Forest in the United States is estimated to be over 2,400 years old and covers a huge area.

Nutrition

Raw brown mushrooms are mostly water. They have a little bit of carbohydrates, protein, and fat. They give you some calories and important nutrients like B vitamins, selenium, and copper.

Mushrooms can also give you vitamin D, especially if they are put in sunlight or ultraviolet light after being picked. This helps change a natural substance in mushrooms into vitamin D. This makes mushrooms a good source of this important nutrient.

Human use

Further information: Ethnomycology

Edible mushrooms

Main article: Edible mushroom

Mushrooms are used in cooking in many parts of the world, such as China, Korea, Europe, and Japan. People have eaten them for a very long time. Most mushrooms we buy in stores are grown on farms. The most common one is Agaricus bisporus, and it is safe to eat because it is grown in clean places. Other popular kinds include shiitake, maitake, and enoki. China grows more mushrooms than any other country.

Eating wild mushrooms can be dangerous because some are poisonous. It is important to know how to identify them before eating them.

Toxic mushrooms

Many mushrooms have chemicals that can be harmful. Only a few are very dangerous, but others can make you feel sick. These toxins might help protect the mushroom by making it taste bad or making animals ill if they try to eat it.

Psychoactive mushrooms

Mushrooms that can change how a person feels have been used for many years in rituals. One well-known type is the psilocybin mushroom, sometimes called a “magic mushroom.” These mushrooms are being studied to see if they can help with certain mental health problems. Another type, found in some Amanita species, can also change feelings, but it must be prepared very carefully.

Folk medicine

Some mushrooms are used in traditional medicine. Extracts from certain mushrooms are used in some countries as possible treatments, but more research is needed to know if they are safe and effective.

Other uses

Mushrooms can be used to color fabrics and to start fires. They are also being studied to help clean the environment and help plants grow. Scientists are trying to create mushrooms that are better for nutrition and medicine.