Mushrooms - special shape life, combining the characteristics of plants and animals. Among them there are record holders for height and weight. Biologists believe that giant mushrooms are not an anomaly. Any mushroom can become a giant if it grows in favorable conditions. And oddly enough, most of the largest mushrooms are edible, which by some miracle did not end up in the mushroom picker’s basket and were not eaten by animals.
The list includes the most big mushrooms in the world, which became known to the media.
10
Calvatia gigantea from England weight 2 kg
Unlocks ten large mushrooms Calvatia gigantea from England. The record holder was discovered by a young gardener, Terri Hodson-Walker, after the rainy season. The width of the giant's cap was approximately 46 centimeters, and he weighed 2 kilograms. After the discovery, the girl decided to submit an application to the Guinness Book of Records so that the macromycete would be officially recognized as the largest mushroom in the world. Scientific name discovered mushroom – Calvatia gigantea. This is an ordinary raincoat that can be found almost all over the world. This type can reach colossal sizes, but often becomes a victim of forest animals who are not averse to feasting on the raincoat.
9
Boletus from Russia weight 2.4 kg
Another contender for the title of the largest mushroom in the world is boletus from Russia, discovered in the Tomsk region. Local mushroom picker Alexey Korol found a giant boletus mushroom in the forest near his village. The diameter of the giant mushroom cap was 36 centimeters, and the height of the stem was 28 cm. The weight of the record holder was 2 kilograms 400 grams! As the Rossiya TV channel noted, this is not some mutant alien from outer space, but common boletus, not even wormy.
8
Lingzhi from China weight 7.5 kg
Found a huge lacquered tinder fungus, or as it is called in China - lingzhi(Ganoderma lucidum) - weighs 7.5 kg, and its diameter is 107 cm. The find was discovered in one of the provincial Chinese cities of Hezhou. This mushroom belongs to the genus Ganoderma, which has been used in Chinese medicine for over 2000 years. It is also called the “mushroom of immortality.” Lingzhi is believed to improve immunity due to active compounds, called polysaccharides, which can increase the activity of white blood cells. The impressive size and weight of the tinder fungus allow it to occupy one of the positions in the ranking of the most large mushrooms in the world.
7
Raincoat from Russia weight 12 kg
The largest mushroom in Russia is raincoat, found by mushroom picker Vladislav Grabosinsky in the fall of 2011 in Perm region. The diameter of the giant's cap was 1 meter and 72 centimeters, and the height was about half a meter. The weight of the find exceeded 12 kilograms. Biologists do not consider this find to be rare. Raincoats grew in size and reached 20 kg in weight. Puffballs are eaten when they are still young. Since it was too late to eat the giant, Vladislav took him to the Department of Botany of Perm University for study. This edible miracle was included in the Guinness Book of Records.
6
Champignon from Italy weight 14 kg
In Italy, a kind of record was also recorded. A huge champignon, weighing approximately 14 kilograms, was found by Francesco Quito, a resident of the province of Baria. Despite the fact that the mushroom was discovered near the village, Francesco could hardly carry it on his shoulder, so he had to use a car. The mushroom turned out to be unspoiled and edible. I had to call my neighbors to eat such a giant.
5
Macromycete from China weight 15 kg
A giant giant was discovered in Yunnan Province, China. macromycete, weighing 15 kilograms. The mushroom not only turned out to be huge, but also had unusual shape. Outwardly, it resembled a hundred small mushroom caps growing on one stem! The diameter of the cap reached almost 1 meter. Scientists have not yet determined what species the eccentric fungal organism belongs to.
4
Macrocybe Titans from USA weight 20 kg
If we talk about traditional macromycetes in the usual sense, then the leader in size can be called Macrocybe Titans, which grows in the Caribbean and the United States. In one of the southern Mexican states in 2007, a specimen was found whose mass was 20 kg and height - about 70 cm. However, this find is not the only one. In 2005, in the United States, Mexican biologist and mushroom specialist Rene Andrade came across the same mushroom, which also grew on a coffee plantation, and its weight was as much as 28 kilograms. Such big sizes make this macromycete an object close attention scientific community.
3
Macromycete from Canada weight 26 kg
Canadian macromycetes can also compete in size. Canadian resident Christian Therrien discovered a raincoat weighing 26 kilograms. A man discovered a mushroom while walking with his son in the forest. The Canadians were amazed by their discovery and admitted that they had never seen such large raincoats in their lives. They took the mushroom home and had a photo shoot with it.
2
Fomitiporia ellipsoidea from China weight 500 kg
Another mushroom, found and studied by Chinese mycologists, grew 10.85 meters in height with a cap width of 82-88 cm. Scientists believe that this outstanding representative mushroom kingdom has been growing for at least 20 years. The giant tinder fungus with the world's largest fruiting body was found on Hainan Island in 2010, and has now been studied and classified. The brown monster turned out to be a perennial tree fungus - a representative of the species Fomitiporia ellipsoidea. One of the authors of the discovery, Yu Cheng Dai, from the Institute of Applied Ecology (IAE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, says that he and his colleagues first found solid specimens of the same mushroom in Fujian province back in 2008. But still, those macromycetes were not as large as the giant from Hainan. Interestingly, the authors of the study did not intentionally search for a record holder, but simply studied diversity tree mushrooms in the forests of the island. “None of us ever imagined that a mushroom could grow so huge,” says Professor Dai. “We didn’t recognize him right away in the forest because he was too big.” Biologists estimated the volume of this mushroom at 409-525 thousand cm3, and its weight at approximately 500 kilograms. Discovered by scientists, F. ellipsoidea grows underground, so it for a long time remained unnoticed and was able to grow to such an impressive size.
1
Armillaria ostoyae from the USA, weight more than 600 kg
The first line of the rating is occupied by the most big mushroom in the world that mycologists discovered in the relict forests of the USA. It is considered the largest living creature on the planet. This giant belongs to the Armillaria family, whose representatives have been known for their size for quite some time. Most of this living organism was underground; only small mushrooms could be clearly seen on the surface. The name of these macromycetes is Armillaria ostoyae or otherwise they are called honey mushrooms. One such honey fungus fits easily in the hand and is not too noticeable. But its mycelium, which is a single organism, occupied 880 hectares of area in the Oregon National Park! Its tentacles are located underground and entangle an area equal in size to 1,665 football fields. The mycelium grew throughout the Oregon forests for about 2,500 years, destroying root systems trees on its way. That is why this macromycete is considered the largest on the planet.
There are many interesting facts associated with mushrooms. Japanese researchers have established for certain that a mushroom can think and remember, and the mycelium is a unique natural underground “Internet”! It is also interesting that the mycelium itself can grow indefinitely, sometimes reaching monstrous sizes. About 10 years ago, in Michigan (USA), a 2,000-year-old mushroom network was discovered; it spread underground over 900 hectares, which is equal to approximately 1,800 football fields. Considering that the mycelium is the vegetative body of a mushroom, we can safely say that the “Michigan miracle” is the largest mushroom in the world.
There are several other similar monster myceliums on earth:
- dark honey fungus or, scientifically, Armillaria ostoyae, has in national park in Switzerland, near the Ofena pass, a huge mycelium with an area of 35 hectares. The mycelium is at least 1000 years old and is the largest in Europe;
- in 1992, researchers in Washington state accidentally stumbled upon mycelium that covered 600 hectares;
- Before the discovery of the “Michigan diva,” the title “Largest Mushroom” belonged to an organism that scientists found in 2000 in a relict forest in Oregon (USA). The mycelium of honey mushrooms has simply grown to gigantic size: occupied 880 hectares, which is equal to 1,700 football fields, while its threads go about one and a half meters deep. The age of this mycelium is 2500 years!
From the outside we see only representatives of this huge living creature - mushrooms with a stem and a cap, of normal size and familiar to the eye. Meanwhile, huge mushrooms (in the usual sense of the word) are also found in nature. Below are the largest mushrooms in the world, which amaze the imagination with their size and weight.
Giant mushrooms
A huge puffball from the champignon family was found in 1987 by Canadian Jean Guy Richard. This giant mushroom had a circumference of 2.6 meters and weighed 24 kg! A photo of a mushroom picker with his trophy immediately went onto the Internet and spread all over the world. Scientists, having assessed the find, concluded: the raincoat could produce such a number of spores that the mushrooms that grew from their generation could cover the entire area of our planet three times.
The mushroom “lost” to the raincoat by only 1 kg, which local found in 2007 in southern Mexico in the state of Chiapas. With a height of 67 cm, he weighed 23 kg. A year later, in 2008, again in Mexico, a biologist discovered a mushroom weighing 22 kg. These are giants! They can feed the whole village!
The largest mushroom (with stem and cap) ever found in Europe is considered to be a champignon weighing 14 kg. It grew quietly in a field in the Italian province of Bari until local farmer Francesco Quito found it and cut it. Together with his wife, they brought the find home by car, cleaned it, cut it, fried it, and invited all the neighbors for a treat! This was a feast for the whole world!
On last place there is a rather modest find of a 25-year-old girl, Terri Hodson Walker. She found the fungus on her land in the English county of Staffordshire in 2011. In fact, the fungus is indeed very modest in size compared to the giants described above. Its diameter was only 47 cm, and its weight was just over 2 kg. But for some reason this find received a lot of attention; a photo of a girl with a mushroom is circulating all over the Internet under the loud title “The largest mushroom in the world”! Maybe the girl is pretty, because the mushroom is clearly not the biggest and does not deserve such interest...
Russian record holders
This is again a puffball mushroom. He was found in 2011 in the Perm forest by an amateur “ quiet hunt» Vladislav Grabosinsky. After measurements and weighing, it turned out that the giant has a hat with a diameter of no less than 1 meter 72 cm, its height is 52 cm, and it weighs 12 kg 150 grams. Vladislav did not eat the find, but delivered it intact to the Department of Botany at Perm University. Let them study for your health!
Another record holder is the Russian boletus, found in the forest in the Tomsk region. It was discovered by local mushroom picker Alexey Korol while picking mushrooms near his village. The man was simply shocked by the discovery: the height of the giant mushroom’s leg was 28 cm, and the diameter of its cap was 36 centimeters, while it weighed 2.4 kilograms! Interestingly, the mushroom was absolutely clean, without wormholes or damage.
If large raincoats or tinder fungi are found periodically, then such a giant boletus is an incredible rarity. Until now, not a single similar mushroom has been officially recorded. Although maybe the whole point is that simple people Those who find something like this do not understand the full value of the find. They simply rejoice at the big mushroom, take pictures with it as a souvenir and eat the unique mushroom together. Photos from the Internet prove that such giants do exist in Russia.
For example, this photo from the Internet is clearly real. On it, two charming ladies represent just a huge mushroom, but no information about it has been found... Therefore, it is advisable to report such finds to specialists, although it is not a fact that the giant will not be taken away, then there will be no need to try it, and it will be a little offensive...
Giant tinder fungus
Another giant mushroom was found in 2015 in China. Its scientific name is Ganoderma Lucidum or Lacquered Polypore. The Chinese call it “Lingzhi” or “mushroom of immortality”, claiming that this species prolongs life, preserves eternal youth, improves health, relieves hypertension and allergies, cures asthma and even oncology.
The diameter of the find’s cap is 107 cm, and the “mushroom” weighed 7.5 kg. Experts valued it at $900.
In general, large tinder fungi are not that uncommon. For example, in Great Britain, on the territory of the Institute of Mycology, a tinder fungus grows, the diameter of its cap has already reached 4 meters!
Highest
Most tall mushroom in the world it is a motley umbrella. It can be found in the forests of many European countries, as well as in Russia. On average, this fungus has a cap with a diameter of up to 30 cm, which is attached to a stem up to 40 cm high. But this is on average. Finds up to 1 meter high have been recorded! A waist-deep mushroom is already from the land of giants!
From the Guinness Book of Records
There are two amazing entries in this Book:
- According to the first, in 1946 in Washington (USA) a tinder fungus was found, a real giant, the dimensions of which were 140x94 cm, and it weighed as much as 136 kg!
- the second entry says that in 1985, again in the USA, in Wisconsin, a raincoat with a girth of almost 195 cm grew.
It's hard to even imagine this. But the Guinness Book of Records is trustworthy...
Mushrooms are a special form of life that combines the characteristics of plants and animals. Among them there are record holders for height and weight. Biologists believe that giant mushrooms are not an anomaly. Any mushroom can become a giant if it grows in favorable conditions. And oddly enough, most of the largest mushrooms are edible, which by some miracle did not end up in the mushroom picker’s basket and were not eaten by animals.
The list includes the largest mushrooms in the world, which became known to the media.
10
Calvatia gigantea from England weight 2 kg
Unlocks ten large mushrooms Calvatia gigantea from England. The record holder was discovered by a young gardener, Terri Hodson-Walker, after the rainy season. The width of the giant's cap was approximately 46 centimeters, and he weighed 2 kilograms. After the discovery, the girl decided to submit an application to the Guinness Book of Records so that the macromycete would be officially recognized as the largest mushroom in the world. The scientific name of the discovered mushroom is Calvatia gigantea. This is an ordinary raincoat that can be found almost all over the world. This species can reach colossal sizes, but often becomes a victim of forest animals that are not averse to feasting on the raincoat.
9
Boletus from Russia weight 2.4 kg
Another contender for the title of the largest mushroom in the world is boletus from Russia, discovered in the Tomsk region. Local mushroom picker Alexey Korol found a giant boletus mushroom in the forest near his village. The diameter of the giant mushroom cap was 36 centimeters, and the height of the stem was 28 cm. The weight of the record holder was 2 kilograms 400 grams! As the Rossiya TV channel noted, this is not some mutant alien from outer space, but an ordinary boletus, not even worm-eaten.
8
Lingzhi from China weight 7.5 kg
Found a huge lacquered tinder fungus, or as it is called in China - lingzhi(Ganoderma lucidum) - weighs 7.5 kg, and its diameter is 107 cm. The find was discovered in one of the provincial Chinese cities of Hezhou. This mushroom belongs to the genus Ganoderma, which has been used in Chinese medicine for over 2000 years. It is also called the “mushroom of immortality.” Lingzhi is believed to boost immunity through active compounds called polysaccharides, which can increase the activity of white blood cells. The impressive size and weight of the tinder fungus allow it to occupy one of the rankings of the largest mushrooms in the world.
7
Raincoat from Russia weight 12 kg
The largest mushroom in Russia is raincoat, found by mushroom picker Vladislav Grabosinsky in the fall of 2011 in the Perm region. The diameter of the giant's cap was 1 meter and 72 centimeters, and the height was about half a meter. The weight of the find exceeded 12 kilograms. Biologists do not consider this find to be rare. Raincoats grew in size and reached 20 kg in weight. Puffballs are eaten when they are still young. Since it was too late to eat the giant, Vladislav took him to the Department of Botany of Perm University for study. This edible miracle was included in the Guinness Book of Records.
6
Champignon from Italy weight 14 kg
In Italy, a kind of record was also recorded. A huge champignon, weighing approximately 14 kilograms, was found by Francesco Quito, a resident of the province of Baria. Despite the fact that the mushroom was discovered near the village, Francesco could hardly carry it on his shoulder, so he had to use a car. The mushroom turned out to be unspoiled and edible. I had to call my neighbors to eat such a giant.
5
Macromycete from China weight 15 kg
A giant giant was discovered in Yunnan Province, China. macromycete, weighing 15 kilograms. The mushroom not only turned out to be huge, but also had an unusual shape. Outwardly, it resembled a hundred small mushroom caps growing on one stem! The diameter of the cap reached almost 1 meter. Scientists have not yet determined what species the eccentric fungal organism belongs to.
4
Macrocybe Titans from USA weight 20 kg
If we talk about traditional macromycetes in the usual sense, then the leader in size can be called Macrocybe Titans, which grows in the Caribbean and the United States. In one of the southern Mexican states in 2007, a specimen was found whose mass was 20 kg and height - about 70 cm. However, this find is not the only one. In 2005, in the United States, Mexican biologist and mushroom specialist Rene Andrade came across the same mushroom, which also grew on a coffee plantation, and its weight was as much as 28 kilograms. Such large sizes make this macromycete the object of close attention of the scientific community.
3
Macromycete from Canada weight 26 kg
Canadian macromycetes can also compete in size. Canadian resident Christian Therrien discovered a raincoat weighing 26 kilograms. A man discovered a mushroom while walking with his son in the forest. The Canadians were amazed by their discovery and admitted that they had never seen such large raincoats in their lives. They took the mushroom home and had a photo shoot with it.
2
Fomitiporia ellipsoidea from China weight 500 kg
Another mushroom, found and studied by Chinese mycologists, grew 10.85 meters in height with a cap width of 82-88 cm. Scientists believe that this outstanding representative of the mushroom kingdom has been growing for at least 20 years. The giant tinder fungus with the world's largest fruiting body was found on Hainan Island in 2010, and has now been studied and classified. The brown monster turned out to be a perennial tree fungus - a representative of the species Fomitiporia ellipsoidea. One of the authors of the discovery, Yu Cheng Dai, from the Institute of Applied Ecology (IAE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, says that he and his colleagues first found solid specimens of the same mushroom in Fujian province back in 2008. But still, those macromycetes were not as large as the giant from Hainan. Interestingly, the authors of the study did not deliberately look for the record holder, but simply studied the diversity of tree fungi in the forests of the island. “None of us ever imagined that a mushroom could grow so huge,” says Professor Dai. “We didn’t recognize him right away in the forest because he was too big.” Biologists estimated the volume of this mushroom at 409-525 thousand cm3, and its weight at approximately 500 kilograms. Discovered by scientists, F. ellipsoidea grows underground, so it went unnoticed for a long time and was able to grow to such an impressive size.
1
Armillaria ostoyae from the USA, weight more than 600 kg
The first place in the ranking is occupied by the largest mushroom in the world, which mycologists discovered in the relict forests of the USA. It is considered the largest living creature on the planet. This giant belongs to the Armillaria family, whose representatives have been known for their size for quite some time. Most of this living organism was underground; only small mushrooms could be clearly seen on the surface. The name of these macromycetes is Armillaria ostoyae or otherwise they are called honey mushrooms. One such honey fungus fits easily in the hand and is not too noticeable. But its mycelium, which is a single organism, occupied 880 hectares of area in the Oregon National Park! Its tentacles are located underground and entangle an area equal in size to 1,665 football fields. The mycelium has been growing throughout Oregon forests for about 2,500 years, destroying the root systems of trees in its path. That is why this macromycete is considered the largest on the planet.
Its weight is more than 20 kilograms, and its height is about 75 centimeters...
Scientists say that this is macrocybe titans and this specimen is one of the largest edible mushrooms that have ever been found on our planet...
However, it does not reach the record: in 1985 in American state Wisconsin found a galvatia gigantea mushroom weighing 140 kilograms and spanning almost two meters. This giant was included in the Guinness Book of Records.
The unusual find has already been taken to a special laboratory. Usually in such cases, giant mushrooms are dried and research is carried out to determine their chemical composition...
But this is the largest of the edible mushrooms, and here is an example of truly giants!
So, the top 10 giant mushrooms.
10. Calvatia gigantea from England. Weight 2 kg
Discovers ten large mushrooms Calvatia gigantea from England. The record holder was discovered by a young gardener, Terri Hodson-Walker, after the rainy season. The width of the giant's cap was approximately 46 centimeters, and he weighed 2 kilograms. After the discovery, the girl decided to submit an application to the Guinness Book of Records so that the macromycete would be officially recognized as the largest mushroom in the world. The scientific name of the discovered mushroom is Calvatia gigantea. This is an ordinary raincoat that can be found almost all over the world. This species can reach colossal sizes, but often becomes a victim of forest animals that are not averse to feasting on the raincoat.
9. Boletus from Russia. Weight 2.4 kg
Another contender for the title of the largest mushroom in the world is the boletus from Russia, discovered in the Tomsk region. Local mushroom picker Alexey Korol found a giant boletus mushroom in the forest near his village. The diameter of the giant mushroom cap was 36 centimeters, and the height of the stem was 28 cm. The weight of the record holder was 2 kilograms 400 grams! As the Rossiya TV channel noted, this is not some kind of alien - a mutant from outer space, but an ordinary boletus, not even wormy.
8. Lingzhi from China. Weight 7.5 kg
The found huge lacquered tinder fungus, or as it is called in China - lingzhi (Ganoderma lucidum) - weighs 7.5 kg and its diameter is 107 cm. The find was discovered in one of the provincial Chinese cities of Hezhou. This mushroom belongs to the genus Ganoderma, which has been used in Chinese medicine for over 2000 years. It is also called the “mushroom of immortality.” Lingzhi is believed to boost immunity through active compounds called polysaccharides, which can increase the activity of white blood cells. The impressive size and weight of the tinder fungus allow it to occupy one of the rankings of the largest mushrooms in the world.
7. Raincoat from Russia. Weight 12 kg
The largest mushroom in Russia is the raincoat, found by mushroom picker Vladislav Grabosinsky in the fall of 2011 in the Perm region. The diameter of the giant's cap was 1 meter and 72 centimeters, and the height was about half a meter. The weight of the find exceeded 12 kilograms. Biologists do not consider this find to be rare. Raincoats grew in size and reached 20 kg in weight. Puffballs are eaten when they are still young. Since it was too late to eat the giant, Vladislav took him to the Department of Botany of Perm University for study. This edible miracle was included in the Guinness Book of Records.
6. Champignon from Italy. Weight 14 kg
In Italy, a kind of record was also recorded. A huge champignon, weighing approximately 14 kilograms, was found by Francesco Quito, a resident of the province of Baria. Despite the fact that the mushroom was discovered near the village, Francesco could hardly carry it on his shoulder, so he had to use a car. The mushroom turned out to be unspoiled and edible. I had to call my neighbors to eat such a giant.
5. Macromycete from China. Weight 15 kg
A giant macromycete weighing 15 kilograms was discovered in the Chinese province of Yunnan. The mushroom not only turned out to be huge, but also had an unusual shape. Outwardly, it resembled a hundred small mushroom caps growing on one stem! The diameter of the cap reached almost 1 meter. Scientists have not yet determined what species the eccentric fungal organism belongs to.
4. Macrocybe Titans from the USA. Weight 20 kg
If we talk about traditional macromycetes in the usual sense, then the leader in size can be called Macrocybe Titans, which grows in the Caribbean countries and the USA. In one of the southern Mexican states in 2007, a specimen was found whose mass was 20 kg and height - about 70 cm. However, this find is not the only one. In 2005, in the United States, Mexican biologist and mushroom specialist Rene Andrade came across the same mushroom, which also grew on a coffee plantation, and its weight was as much as 28 kilograms. Such large sizes make this macromycete the object of close attention of the scientific community.
3. Macromycete from Canada. Weight 26 kg
Canadian macromycetes can also compete in size. Canadian resident Christian Therrien discovered a raincoat weighing 26 kilograms. A man discovered a mushroom while walking with his son in the forest. The Canadians were amazed by their discovery and admitted that they had never seen such large raincoats in their lives. They took the mushroom home and had a photo shoot with it.
2. Fomitiporia ellipsoidea from China. Weight 500 kg
Another mushroom, found and studied by Chinese mycologists, grew 10.85 meters in height with a cap width of 82-88 cm. Scientists believe that this outstanding representative of the mushroom kingdom has been growing for at least 20 years. The giant tinder fungus with the world's largest fruiting body was found on Hainan Island in 2010, and has now been studied and classified. The brown monster turned out to be a perennial tree fungus - a representative of the species Fomitiporia ellipsoidea. One of the authors of the discovery, Yu Cheng Dai, from the Institute of Applied Ecology (IAE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, says that he and his colleagues first found solid specimens of the same mushroom in Fujian province back in 2008. But still, those macromycetes were not as large as the giant from Hainan. Interestingly, the authors of the study did not deliberately look for the record holder, but simply studied the diversity of tree fungi in the forests of the island. “None of us ever imagined that a mushroom could grow so huge,” says Professor Dai. “We didn’t recognize him right away in the forest because he was too big.” Biologists estimated the volume of this mushroom at 409-525 thousand cm3, and its weight at approximately 500 kilograms. Discovered by scientists, F. ellipsoidea grows underground, so it went unnoticed for a long time and was able to grow to such an impressive size.
1. Armillaria ostoyae from the USA. Weight more than 600 kg
The first line of the ranking is occupied by the largest mushroom in the world, which mycologists ( Mycology(from ancient Greek μύκης - mushroom) - a branch of biology, the science of mushrooms.) were discovered in relict forests of the USA. It is considered the largest living creature on the planet. This giant belongs to the Armillaria family, whose representatives have been known for their size for quite some time. Most of this living organism was underground; only small mushrooms could be clearly seen on the surface. The name of these macromycetes is Armillaria ostoyae or otherwise they are called honey mushrooms. One such honey fungus fits easily in the hand and is not too noticeable. But its mycelium, which is a single organism, occupied 880 hectares of area in the Oregon National Park! Its tentacles are located underground and entangle an area equal in size to 1,665 football fields. The mycelium has been growing throughout Oregon forests for about 2,500 years, destroying the root systems of trees in its path. That is why this macromycete is considered the largest on the planet.
Scientists consider mushrooms to be the most diverse living creatures on our planet. There are so many of them that for each type of plant there are 6 types of mushrooms; with the most approximate calculation, it turns out that there are about 2 million species of mushrooms. They can be predators, move around, treat diseases...
At the same time, only 100 thousand have been studied, and even less have been classified.
mushrooms are an independent kingdom.
The long debate about whether mushrooms are plants or animals ended in 1960, when they were identified as separate kingdom mushrooms In terms of protein content, mushrooms are closer to animals, and in terms of the composition of carbohydrates and minerals - to plants.
Most of the mushroom is not visible to us.
The body of the mushroom is the mycelium located in the ground. It can extend over vast distances. And the mushroom itself is a fruit intended for the implementation of a reproduction program.
mushrooms are older than dinosaurs.
It has been proven that mushrooms existed 400 million years ago, that is, long before the appearance of dinosaurs. They are one of the ancient inhabitants planets, along with ferns. But if the giant ferns that survived from the same period were significantly reduced, then the mushrooms, adapting, changed and, it seems, all these species still exist.
mushrooms are very tenacious.
If mushrooms were less tenacious, they would not retain their diversity. Anyone who has ever suffered from a fungal infection or struggled with fungal damage to walls can imagine how tenacious they are. It is extremely difficult to remove the fungus. Still would! Mushrooms survive at an altitude of 30 thousand meters above the ground, withstand high radiation (mushrooms survived at the center of the Chernobyl accident) and pressure of 8 atmospheres. They can even live on the surface of sulfuric acid!
mushrooms sunbathe.
Surprisingly, mushrooms produce vitamin D, if, of course, they have enough sunlight. The color of the mushroom cap depends on this.
mushrooms move.
Not all, of course. Currently, only myxomycetes are classified as “walking” mushrooms. You can find them in middle lane Russia. This mushroom does not have a stem and in appearance resembles a shrunken jellyfish. It is translucent and gelatinous. Moves by waddling from side to side. The speed is low, but it can get to a more suitable place in a few days, sometimes even climbing a stump.
the mushroom grows at the speed of bamboo.
In Russian forests you can find a mushroom called “Veselka”, which is included in the Guinness Book of Records as the record holder for the fastest growth rate. Every 2 minutes it grows by a centimeter! On the first day it looks like a grayish egg, on the second it becomes an umbrella on a high leg, and on the third it is no longer visible.
mushroom - the most gigantic Living being on the ground.
Don't believe me? Very big White mushroom found in America (Wisconsin) in 1985. It weighed 140 kg and had a reach of two meters. But, as we remember, this is only visible part. A mycelium was found in Oregon, covering an area of 900 hectares and weighing several hundred tons! But in Switzerland they discovered a mushroom about 1000 years old - honey fungus. Its mycelium occupies 35 hectares of the Swiss national park in Ofenpass.
mushrooms are predators and killers.
Fungi feed on nematode worms, placing traps on them from mycelial rings. If a worm touches such a trap, it sticks to it and immediately becomes entangled in the threads of the mycelium. There is no chance of escape. Fungal spores can germinate inside living things. But if a person gets sick, then the caterpillar, for example, dies. And the mushroom develops. One small toadstool is enough to kill 4 people. But you will need several fly agarics. Cooked from mushrooms potent poisons and were actively used to eliminate opponents. Emperor Claudius was poisoned by his wife Agrippina by making toadstool soup.
mushrooms are healers.
Mushrooms with ancient times used as medicines. Even now, in many homes, “tea” or “milk” mushrooms grow in jars, a drink from which improves immunity and fights inflammatory diseases. In 1940, A. Flemming isolated penicillin from yeast fungi, opening the era of antibiotics. Medicinal properties mushrooms, violet rows, meadow and autumn honey mushrooms, milkweed, and chaga. And the skin of raincoats is used instead of an adhesive plaster - its inner part is sterile and has bactericidal properties.
Most Russians eat mushrooms.
Half of Russian residents collect mushrooms for food on their own. Every fifth person buys them on the market. 16% - in the store. 14% of Russians have never eaten mushrooms and do not plan to do so.
mushrooms are a valuable nutritious product.
Mushrooms are a source of protein and, to a lesser extent, carbohydrates, and contain absolutely no cholesterol. By the way, precisely because mushrooms do not contain animal saturated fats, they cannot be classified as animals. In addition to protein and carbohydrates, mushrooms are rich in vitamins B1, B2, D, selenium, potassium and antioxidants
mushrooms are hallucinogens.
Many mushrooms contain substances that cause euphoria and hallucinations. The ancient shamans and Vikings knew this. Shamans used this property of mushrooms to perform rituals, and the Vikings used it to give themselves courage and attack the enemy with all fearlessness and power.
billions of fungal spores fly in the air.
Fungi reproduce by spores. By taking air samples in almost any room, you can detect fungal spores. If we talk about traditional mushrooms, then an ordinary champignon releases up to 40 million spores! Dung fungus – 100 million spores. The record holder is the puffball mushroom, which releases more than seven trillion spores! In this case, the spores are thrown at a distance of more than two meters and they fly at the speed of a car: 90 km/h or 25 meters per second.
the mushroom can “pierce” the marble.
During the growth period, the pressure of the fungus reaches seven atmospheres (equal to the pressure in the tires of a dump truck). Therefore, a seemingly soft mushroom cap can break through not only asphalt and concrete, but also harder surfaces such as marble and iron. If the cap itself does not pass, then the mycelium will gradually destroy the barrier.
mushrooms are taller than trees.
These mushrooms grow in the tundra. The trees there are dwarf, 20-25 cm high and bend to the ground. And the mushrooms are standard, so they rise above the treetops. It’s interesting that they grow up almost at the same time, rushing to have time to release spores during the period short summer, and the view is very spectacular. Most of all, this period pleases the deer, who happily eat the caps of these mushrooms.
mushrooms glow in the dark.
Some mushrooms have luminous mycelium. For example, autumn honey fungus growing on rotten stumps. At the same time, the mycelium penetrates the stump thickly. In the dark you can see how the rotten ones glow - phosphorescent. This sight used to greatly frighten people, who immediately populated the forest with witches and goblins. What’s interesting is that the flickering of such lights resembles the movement of living creatures, as it changes with every tilt and every turn of the head.
mushrooms ladies and gentlemen.
It turns out that mushrooms are divided into male and female. This is evidenced by the structure of fungal DNA, which resembles human sex chromosomes. This was reported by Joseph Heitman, who studies the fungi Phycomyces blakesleeanus in Medical center Duke University. Sexually mature mushrooms can produce common offspring. Not all mushrooms have similar genes, which means that among mushrooms there are also evolving individuals, and who knows what such evolution will lead to.
mushrooms in legends, traditions and dream books.
It is interesting that in those places where mushrooms grow actively, including in Russia, there are many legends and traditions involving mushrooms. At the same time, mushrooms can be good: “Forest Mushroom” and evil: “Witch’s Mushroom”. Mushrooms helped people survive in the forest.
The largest mushrooms in the world
If you ask people, then to the question “What is the largest creature on Earth,” almost everyone will answer that blue whale. Some scientists even claim this. But they are only partially right. Yes, the blue whale is a large animal. But most great creature living on earth is a mushroom. Moreover, it has been on the planet for several thousand years. In fact, mushrooms are amazing creatures nature. They differ from animals in physiology and the inability to move independently, but from plants in that they do not take energy and carbon from carbon dioxide And sunlight. Moreover, mushrooms typically contain chitin, which is found in invertebrates. Mushrooms are a huge kingdom of living beings. Today people know about one hundred thousand mushrooms, and some of them bring a lot of benefits to humanity. Here we should not forget about antibiotics and penicillin. Well, besides medicine, mushrooms are used as food. Almost all mushrooms grow in the form of a community of cells, which gathers into a thread of mycelium. And when they grow into a plant, they can develop a pressure of 800 tons per square meter. And these same mushroom threads play the role of the mouth and stomach of mushrooms. They release enzymes that break down potential food into components and eat the nutrients. It turns out that mushrooms grow inside the food they eat. By the way, when you cut a mushroom above the ground, a whole mycelium remains underneath it. The mycelium is an invisible, but very large part of the mushroom. Meanwhile, desperate botanists and the most sophisticated gourmets are in shock. The size to which mushrooms can grow can be so impressive that no questions arise after what you see. It is unknown what factors can provoke the growth of fungi to unimaginable sizes. But it is clear that such anomalies are extremely rare; at least, only a few cases are known today.
Mushrooms can grow to incredible sizes Monster mushroom For the first time about the giant mushrooms Armillaria general public I found out only on April 2, 1992. One of the record holders ended up on the front page of the most popular newspaper, the New York Times. The publication described the discovery, according to reports, the interweaving of underground threads and above-ground mushrooms covered as many as 15 hectares of land. And all this was a single whole, which experts were able to prove. Armillaria - small mushrooms with a huge mycelium. In the same year, another giant mushroom of the same species was found. It occupied a space of approximately 6 square kilometers. But even he was not the real record holder. The largest mushroom on the planet grew in Malheur National Park in Oregon in the Blue Mountains. “Mushroom” covered an area of 890 hectares, which is approximately 1220 football fields. Scientists even calculated how long it took him to grow so huge. It turns out that the mushroom is at least 2400 years old. It belongs to the species Armilaria ostoyae, and is also known as a honey mushroom. However, you definitely cannot make soup from such a record holder, since it is inedible. On the surface, the mushroom leaves only dead trees and small mushrooms, the rest is underground.
The oldest mushroom in the world
Giant mushrooms
But the largest edible mushroom was found by a certain Jean Guy Richard in Canada. In his basket was a unique raincoat (Calvatia gigantean). And he was truly gigantic. The mushroom weighed exactly 22 kilograms and was 2.64 meters in circumference. A giant mushroom weighing 22 kg However, the Mexicans are truly lucky. In the summer of 2007, a mushroom weighing approximately 20 kilograms and more than 60 centimeters long was found on coffee plantations in the state of Chiaps in southeastern Mexico. It is noteworthy that he grew up right among coffee trees. Another edible record holder, which was found in Italy, weighed 14 kilograms. It was discovered by Francesco Quito in the province of Bari. And it was champignon. To bring such a find home, the mushroom picker had to look for a car.
The largest mushroom in Italy
Well, the previous giant mushroom turned out to be a truffle. True, he weighed a little less than his predecessors, only 7 kilograms. And the most interesting thing is that the people who found the mushroom did not find anything better than to fry their find and eat it with their neighbors. And this is taking into account the fact that mushrooms in Italy are valued quite expensively, so the forest miracle could be sold profitably. Another natural miracle met in the forests of Switzerland. Interesting fact, the huge mushroom turned out to be a simple mushroom. Scientists were truly amazed by its size, because no one had ever suspected that mushrooms such as honey mushrooms could become giants. And in fact, the size of the mushroom can inspire respect. Its length is 800 meters and its width is about half a kilometer. Its size covered 35 hectares. In principle, his age is not small, according to the most conservative estimates, one thousand years.
The largest mushroom in the world
In 2011, there were reports that scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences on Hainan Island discovered a mushroom weighing approximately 402-516 kilograms. Since then, it has been called the largest mushroom on the planet. Yu Cheng Dai and his colleagues made the discovery completely by accident. The company went on an expedition with one goal - to study representatives of the mushroom kingdom as a whole, they were especially interested in those that, of course, are found in the forests of their native island. The largest mushroom in the world was found in China. It was Fomitiporia ellipsoidea. The mushroom was assigned to the species Fomitiporia ellipsoidea, and its age was estimated at 20 years. Over the years, he managed to grow almost 11 centimeters in length, 88 centimeters in width and 5 centimeters in thickness. The mushroom has an unprecedented volume - 409-535 thousand cubic centimeters. However, three years earlier, also in China, but on another island of Fujian, similar huge mushrooms were discovered, although they were very different in size from their counterpart from Hainan.
Useful tips about mushrooms
Never eat too many mushrooms (in any form). Although edible mushrooms are tasty, they still require good digestion; the most best mushrooms, eaten in excessive quantities, can cause severe and even dangerous stomach upsets in people with weakened and improper digestion.
For aging mushrooms, you should always remove the bottom layer of the cap before cooking them: lamellar mushrooms- plates, in spongy mushrooms - the sponge found in a ripe mushroom for the most part becomes soft and easily separates from the cap. Mature spores, contained in abundance in the plates and sponge of a ripe mushroom, are almost not digested.
Cleaned mushrooms should be placed in cold water for 30 minutes to soak off the sand and dry leaves that have stuck to them, and washed thoroughly 2-3 times, pouring fresh water each time. It’s good to add a little salt to it - it will help get rid of worms in the mushrooms.
There are fewer mushrooms in the shady wilderness than in sunlit areas.
Don't try raw mushrooms!
Do not eat overripe, slimy, flabby, wormy or spoiled mushrooms.
Remember about false honey mushrooms: Avoid mushrooms with brightly colored caps.
Champignons are well preserved if they are soaked for several hours in cold water, then cut off the contaminated parts of the legs, rinse in water with the addition of citric acid and boil in water with a small addition of salt to taste. After this, place the hot champignons along with the broth into glass jars, close (but do not roll up!) and store in a cool place (in the refrigerator). These champignons can be used to prepare various dishes and sauces.
Never pick, eat or taste mushrooms that have a tuberous thickening at the base (like the red fly agaric).
Be sure to boil the morels and strings and rinse thoroughly with hot water.
Milky mushrooms before salting or eating in fresh Boil or soak for a long time.
Raw mushrooms float, cooked mushrooms sink to the bottom.
When cleaning fresh mushrooms, only the lower, contaminated part of the stem is cut off.
The top skin of the cap is removed from the boletus.
The caps of morels are cut off from the stems, soaked for an hour in cold water, washed thoroughly, changing the water 2-3 times, and boiled in salted water for 10-15 minutes. The decoction is not eaten.
Broths and sauces are prepared from porcini mushrooms; they are tasty when salted and pickled. Regardless of the cooking method, their inherent color and aroma do not change.
Only a decoction of porcini mushrooms and champignons can be used. Even a small amount of this decoction improves any dish.
Boletus and aspen mushrooms are not suitable for making soups, as they produce dark decoctions. They are fried, stewed, salted and pickled.
Milk mushrooms and saffron milk caps are used mainly for pickling.
Russulas are boiled, fried and salted.
Honey mushrooms are fried. The small caps of these mushrooms are very tasty when salted and pickled.
Chanterelles are never wormy. They are fried, salted and pickled.
Before stewing, the mushrooms are fried.
Mushrooms should be seasoned with sour cream only after they are well fried, otherwise the mushrooms will turn out boiled.
Champignons have such a delicate taste and smell that adding pungent spices to them only worsens their taste. They are the only mushrooms of their kind that have a light, slightly sour taste.
It’s better to season such native Russian food as mushrooms sunflower oil. All tubular mushrooms are fried on it, as well as russula, chanterelles, and champignons. It is seasoned with salted milk mushrooms and trumpet mushrooms. Oil is poured into glass jars with pickled butter and honey mushrooms so that a thin layer of it protects the marinade from mold.
Do not leave fresh mushrooms for a long time, they contain substances that are hazardous to health and even life. Immediately sort and start cooking. IN as a last resort, put them in a colander, sieve or enamel pan and, without covering with a lid, put them in the refrigerator, but for no more than a day and a half.
Mushrooms collected in rainy weather, especially quickly deteriorate. If you leave them in the basket for several hours, they will soften and become unusable. Therefore, they must be prepared immediately. But also ready mushroom dishes You can’t store them for a long time - they will spoil.
To prevent peeled mushrooms from turning black, place them in salted water and add a little vinegar.
It is easy to remove the skin from russula if you first pour boiling water over it.
Be sure to remove the mucus-covered film from the butter before cooking.
Spices are added to the marinade only when it is completely cleared of foam.
To prevent the marinade from boletus and boletus from turning black, pour boiling water over them before cooking, hold in this water for 10 minutes, rinse, and then cook in the usual way.
To prevent peeled champignons from darkening, place them in water slightly acidified with lemon or citric acid.
Be aware of the possibility of botulism and other bacterial diseases if sanitary and hygienic requirements are not followed when preserving mushrooms.
Do not cover jars with pickled and salted mushrooms with metal lids; this can lead to the development of the botulinus microbe. It is enough to cover the jar with two sheets of paper - plain and waxed, tie it tightly and put it in a cool place.
It should be remembered that botulinum bacteria produce their deadly dangerous toxin only with severe lack of oxygen (i.e. inside hermetically sealed tin cans) and at temperatures above +18 degrees. C. When storing canned food at temperatures below +18 degrees. With (in the refrigerator) the formation of botulinum toxin in canned food is impossible.
For drying, young, strong mushrooms are selected. They are sorted through and cleaned of adhering soil, but not washed.
The stems of porcini mushrooms are cut off completely or partially so that no more than half remains. Dry them separately.
The stems of boletus and aspen mushrooms are not cut off, but the entire mushroom is cut vertically in half or into 4 parts.
All edible mushrooms can be salted, but most often only lamellar mushrooms are used for this, since tubular mushrooms become flabby when salted.
The marinade from boletus and boletus will not turn black if you pour boiling water over the mushrooms before cooking, soak in this water for 5-10 minutes, then rinse with cold water.
To keep the marinade light and transparent, you need to remove the foam during cooking.
Salted mushrooms cannot be stored in a warm place, nor should they be frozen: in both cases they darken.
Store dried mushrooms in a sealed container, otherwise the aroma will evaporate.
If dry mushrooms crumble during storage, do not throw away the crumbs. Powder them and store them in a well-sealed glass jar in a cool, dry place. This powder can be used to prepare mushroom sauces and broths.
It’s good to keep dried mushrooms in salted milk for several hours - they will become like fresh.
Dried mushrooms are much better digestible if they are crushed into powder. This mushroom flour can be used to prepare soups, sauces, and add to vegetable stew, meat.
Dried chanterelles boil better if you add a little baking soda to the water.
Before cooking, the strings and morels must be boiled for 7-10 minutes, and the broth (it contains poison) must be poured out. After this, the mushrooms can be boiled or fried.
Before marinating, boil the chanterelles and valui in salted water for 25 minutes, place in a sieve and rinse. Then put it in a saucepan, pour required quantity water and vinegar, add salt and boil again.
Cook the mushrooms in the marinade for 10-25 minutes. Mushrooms are considered ready when they begin to sink to the bottom and the brine becomes clear.
Salted mushrooms should be stored in a cool place and at the same time ensure that mold does not appear. From time to time, the fabric and the circle with which they are covered must be washed in hot, slightly salted water.
Pickled mushrooms should be stored in a cool place. If mold appears, all mushrooms should be drained in a colander and washed with boiling water, then make a new marinade, boil the mushrooms in it and, putting them in clean jars, pour vegetable oil and cover with paper.
Dried mushrooms easily absorb moisture from the air, so they should be stored in a dry place in moisture-proof bags or tightly closed jars.
When pickling mushrooms, do not neglect dill. Feel free to add it when marinating boletus, salting russula, chanterelles, and valui. But it’s better to salt milk mushrooms, saffron milk mushrooms, white mushrooms and white mushrooms without fragrant herbs. Their natural aroma is more pleasant than dill.
Don't forget about horseradish. Horseradish leaves and roots placed in mushrooms not only give them a spicy pungency, but are reliably preserved without becoming soggy.
Green branches of black currant give the mushrooms an aroma, and cherry and oak leaves add appetizing fragility and strength.
Most mushrooms are best salted without onions. It quickly loses its aroma and sours easily. Chop onions (you can also use green ones) only into salted mushrooms and milk mushrooms, as well as into pickled honey mushrooms and boletus mushrooms.
A bay leaf thrown into boiling honey mushrooms and boletus will give them a special aroma. Also add a little cinnamon, cloves, and star anise to the marinade.
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