Five Mind-Blowing Fungi

The world of fungi is vast and magnificent. While many people's knowledge of fungi only stretches so far as to include everyday encounters such as bread mold, button mushrooms, or even house molds, there are some very interesting varieties that captivate mushroom enthusiasts and fungal experts alike. Here is a brief introduction into the world of mushrooms, an introduction that will consist of some of the most mind-boggling fungi known to man.

Many people don't know this, but the largest living organism on Earth isn't a whale, isn't even an animal, it's a fungus! The Northwest is a gigantic breeding ground for mushrooms due to the abundance of rain and ideal weather conditions for fungal growth. Therefore, it should be of no surprise that the largest of all fungi (and majority of American fungal enthusiasts) make their homes in this region. Back in the 90's it was believed that the whopping 1,500-acre-large Armillaria ostoyae of Washington State was the largest being on the planet. However, there was a far larger Armillaria monster lurking in the rainy, mushroom-riddled state of Oregon. In August 2000, the current largest living organism on Earth was found. According to Extreme Science, " This most recent find was estimated to cover over 2,200 acres (890 hectares) and be at least 2,400 years old, possibly older."

If that doesn't amaze the mushroom layman, perhaps a splash of color will do the trick. There is a mushroom
known for it's brilliant blue hue and it's called the Entoloma hochstetteri, or the Blue Entoloma of New Zealand. This genus is characterized by the pink spore prints they produce and reddish tinted gills. However, the Entoloma mushrooms are native to New Zealand and India, so unless you live there, you might not stumble upon one anytime soon.

Size and color are impressive characteristics, but there's a mushroom that has the previous two beat in terms of peculiar secretions. There is a mushroom that is known for producing what looks like drops of blood! The scientific term for this mushroom is Hydnellum peckii and the liquid it secretes actually has anticoagulant properties. It's known by several nicknames including Strawberries and Cream and Devil's Tooth, and to top it off, it can be found in North America around the base of coniferous trees.

Amongst some of the most interesting fungi known to man, is one fungi whose appearance is particularly odd. The Bearded Tooth Mushroom, scientifically known as the Hericium erinaceus, looks a bit like a shag rug made into a light fixture! Like many fungi, it grows in close association with trees, but this is the first fungi on the list that is widely consumed (mainly in China). It's also used as a medicinal mushroom because of its antioxidant effects. With it's striking appearance and beneficial health properties, this is one impressive shroom!

The last incredible fungi sounds like it would be used to apply face powder. The Calvatia gigante, otherwise known as the Giant Puffball, is quite extraordinary indeed.This round ball of a mushroom can range from the size of a golf ball to the size of a watermelon! Not only that, but an exceptionally large specimen can have around 7 trillion spores. According to USU.edu, "For comparison, there are about 31.6 million seconds in a year. If you held your breath for 7 trillion seconds, you'd be breathless for 221, 817 years!" This is another fungi that is reknowned for it's medicinal qualities. The Lakota tribe of Native Americans were known to use the powder of this fungus to heal the sick (USU.edu).

So there we have it- an introduction into the world of fungi. These many be some incredible and bizarre fungi, but there are many more interesting varieties to discover. Big or small, ghostly white or bioluminescent green, fungi offer an exciting world to delve into.

Works Cited

"Entoloma hochstetteri." Right Health. 2 Feb. 2011. http://www.righthealth.com/topic/Entoloma_hochstetteri

Fogel, Robert . "Fun Facts About Fungi." Utah State University. 2 Sep. 1996. 2 Feb. 2011. http://herbarium.usu.edu/fungi/funfacts/funfacts.htm

Hui, Y. H.. Handbook of Vegetable Preservation and Processing. Marcel Dekker, 2003. '

"Hydnellum peckii." Medicinal Mushrooms. 17 Aug. 2008. 2 Feb. 2011. http://healing-mushrooms.net/archives/hydnellum-peckii.html

"Largest Living Organism...Fungus (Armillaria ostoyae)." Extreme Science. 2 Feb. 2011. http://www.extremescience.com/zoom/index.php/largest-living-thing