Largest fungal fruit bodies

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The fruit body of the Chinese fungus Phellinus ellipsoideus, discovered in 2008, is the largest recorded fungal fruit body in the world. Fomitiporia ellipsoidea.jpg
The fruit body of the Chinese fungus Phellinus ellipsoideus , discovered in 2008, is the largest recorded fungal fruit body in the world.

The largest mushrooms and conks are the largest known individual fruit bodies.[ when defined as? ] These are known as sporocarps, or, more specifically, basidiocarps and ascocarps for the Basidiomycota and Ascomycota respectively. These fruit bodies have a wide variety of morphologies, ranging from the typical mushroom shape, to brackets (conks), puffballs, cup fungi, stinkhorns, crusts and corals. Many species of fungi, including yeasts, moulds and the fungal component of lichens, do not form fruit bodies in this sense, but can form visible presences such as cankers. Individual fruit bodies need not be individual biological organisms, and extremely large single organisms can be made up of a great many fruit bodies connected by networks of mycelia (including the "humongous fungus", a single specimen of Armillaria solidipes ) can cover a very large area.

Contents

The largest identified fungal fruit body in the world is a specimen of Phellinus ellipsoideus (formerly Fomitiporia ellipsoidea). The species was discovered in 2008 by Bao-Kai Cui and Yu-Cheng Dai in Fujian Province, China. In 2011, the two of them published details of extremely large fruit body of the species that they had found on Hainan Island. The specimen, which was 20 years old, was estimated to weigh between 400 and 500 kilograms (880 and 1,100 lb). This was markedly larger than the previously largest recorded fungal fruit body, a specimen of Rigidoporus ulmarius found in the United Kingdom that had a circumference of 425 cm (167 in).

Polypores

Polypores are fungi forming fruiting bodies that are often thick and hard on the sides of trees, without a stalk. Many of them form a roughly semicircular projecting bracket; others form a thick crust.

Species and familyDistributionWidthThicknessWeightComments
Phellinus ellipsoideus (formerly Fomitiporia ellipsoidea), Polyporaceae Southern China10.85 m (35.6 ft) long by 84 cm (33 in) broad by 5 cm (2.0 in) thick. [1] [2] Between 401.9 and 515.7 kg (886 and 1,137 lb).
Rigidoporus ulmarius (formerly Polyporus actinobolus), Polyporaceae [3] Western and Southern Europe.1.7 m (5 ft 7 in) wide by 1.47 m (4 ft 10 in) broad by 21 cm (8.3 in) top to bottom. [4] [5] 21 cm (8.3 in) top to bottom.284.5 kg (627 lb).
Phellinus pachyphloeus (or Inonotus pachyphloeus), PolyporaceaeThe Indian subcontinent.4 ft 11.5 in (151.1 cm) in width, 4 ft 8 in (142 cm) in breadth and 22.5 inches (57 cm) top to bottom. [6] [7] 57 cm (22 in) top to bottom.Weight not stated.
Bridgeoporus nobilissimus , Polyporaceaewestern Washington state, western Oregon and northwestern California.1.42 m (4 ft 8 in) wide by 94 cm (37 in) broad 91.5 cm (36.0 in) top to bottom.91.5 cm (36.0 in) top to bottom.140 kg (300 lb).
Serpula lacrymans , PolyporaceaeOriginally native to Himalayan foothills, but now of pan-temperate distribution.3.66 m (12.0 ft) wide by 4.57 m (15.0 ft) top to bottom. Thickness not stated.4.57 m (15.0 ft) top to bottom.Weight not stated.Found growing from an Oak beam in a tunnel in Doncaster, Yorkshire, England in 1858. [8] [9] [10] [11]
Inonotus obliquus, PolyporaceaeMuch of the Northern Hemisphere.Circumference of 42 inches (110 centimeters).78.2 pounds (35.5 kilograms). [12] Approximately 15 additional pounds (6.8 kilograms) was left on the host tree for regrowth, bringing the total weight to around 93 pounds (42 kg).
Ganoderma lucidum , Ganodermataceae, Polyporales China.Cap 107 cm (42 in) wide. Stem short; only ±7 cm (±3 in ) thick. [13] [14] By one report 14.9 kg (33 lb) but by another 7.45 kg (16.4 lb).
Grifola frondosa Polyporaceae North Temperate Zone.63 pounds (29 kilograms). [15]
Meripilus giganteus , PolyporaceaeEurope

Up to three feet (0.91 meters) wide, usually accompanied by smaller ones. [16]

Cerioporus squamosus , PolyporaceaeCosmopolitan distribution.226 cm (89 in) in circumference. [17] 15.46 kg (34.1 lb).
Fomes fomentarius , PolyporaceaeWidespread in north temperate zone.88 cm (35 in) in width by 62 cm (24 in) top to bottom. [18] 62 cm (24 in) top to bottom.Weight not stated.
Laccocephalum mylittae , PolyporaceaeAustralia.Up to 18.18 kg (40.1 lb). [19]
Laetiporus sulphureus , PolyporaceaeWidespread in Northern Hemisphere.Approximately half of a specimen was 76 cm (30 in) wide by 41 cm (16 in) top to bottom. [20] [21] [22] 41 cm (16 in) top to bottom.This portion weighed 25.46 kg (56.1 lb)The other half fell into a creek and could not be recovered.
Buglossoporus magnus , Fomitopsidaceae, Polyporales Apparently endemic to the Malay Peninsula.23.5 inches (60 cm) in width. [23] Weight not stated.

Mushroom-shaped fungi

Many families of fungi have fruiting bodies consisting of a roughly circular cap supported on a stalk, like the edible mushroom.

Species and familyDistributionDimensionsHeightWeightComments
Fomitiporia expansa , Hymenochaetaceae Probably endemic to French Guiana and neighboring Suriname.40 inches (1.0 m). [24] Weight not stated.
Phlebopus marginatus , Boletaceae Native to humid regions of Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Sumatra and Java.One found in South Australia prior to 1934 had a cap 61 cm (24 in) wide by 46 cm (18 in) broad.32.34 kg (71.3 lb) [25] Another, at Hall's Gap, Victoria in 1939 weighed 28.6 kg (63 lb) but was 77.5 cm (30.5 in) across the cap. [26] The heaviest in recent years may be one discovered in Victoria in July 2012, which was found to weigh forty-four pounds (twenty kilograms). [27]
Sparassis crispa , Sparassidaceae EuropeOne found in Mayres, France in October 2000. Dimensions not stated. [28] [29] 28.8 kg (63 lb).
Macrocybe titans , Tricholomataceae Found from northern Florida to southern BrazilOne found in Chiapas measured 68.8 cm (27.1 in) across the cap and 68.8 cm (27.1 in) in height. Another in Costa Rica measured 1 m (3 ft 3 in) in width. [30] [31] [32] 68.8 cm (27.1 in) in height.20 kg (44 lb).This species was discovered in 1980. [33]
Macrocybe gigantea , TricholomataceaeNative to China, India, Pakistan, and Nepal.83.5 cm (32.9 in) in height and 40 cm (16 in) in width. [34] [35] 83.5 cm (32.9 in) in heightWeight not stated.
Bondarzewia berkeleyi , Bondarzewiaceae [36] Eastern North America, Europe, China, New Zealand and New Guinea among other places. Nowhere is it common.Total width up to 1 m (3 ft 3 in). [37] [38] Tuber and funnels can total up to 22.7 kg (50 lb).One found in Lawrence, Kansas in 2008 was 90 cm (3.0 ft) wide and weighed 6.8 kg (15 lb), but it is not clear whether the sclerotium was included. [39]
Termitomyces titanicus , Lyophyllaceae Zambia, and the Katanga (Shaba) region of Congo (Zaire), in Central Africa.63 cm (25 in) across the cap, and 56 cm (22 in) in height. [40] [41] 56 cm (22 in) in height.Weight not stated.Others are stated to be up to 1 m (3 ft 3 in) in diameter. [42]
Phlebopus colossus , Boletaceae Eastern Madagascar.60 centimetres (24 inches) across the cap and ten inches (25 centimeters) in height. [43] 25 cm (9.8 in) in height.13 lbs (six kg).
Leucocoprinus gongylophorus , Agaricaceae Panama 20 inches (51 centimeters) across cap by twelve inches (30 centimeters) in height. [44] 30 cm in height.Weight not stated.
Cantharellus californicus Endemic to Oak forests in California.Cap up to twenty inches (fifty cm) in width. [45] Approx. same height.4.4 pounds (two kilograms).
Aspropaxillus giganteus northern temperate zoneCap up to 18 inches (46 centimeters) in width, [46] and about twelve inches (30 cm) in height.30 cm (12 in) in height.Weight not stated.
Boletus edulis , BoletaceaeWidespread in northern temperate zone.42 cm (17 in) across the cap atop a stem 14 cm (5.5 in) thick. [47] It weighed 3.2 kg (7.1 lb)
Agaricus campestris , AgaricaceaeThroughout northern temperate zone.4 feet 5 inches (135 centimetres) in circumference. [48] Weight not stated.
Morchella esculenta , Morchellaceae Widespread in northern temperate zone.15 inches (38 centimeters) in height and 14 inches (36 cm) in cap girth. [49] 37 cm (15 in) in heightIt weighed 1.5 pounds (680 grams)

Puffballs

Puffballs are roughly spherical fungi that when ripe release spores through an opening in a puff of air.

Species and familyDistributionDimensionsHeightWeightComments
Calvatia gigantea , Lycoperdaceae Of cosmopolitan distribution.One found in Herkimer County, New York was 1.63 m (5 ft 4 in) wide by 1.37 m (4 ft 6 in) broad by 24 cm (9.4 in) high. [50] [51] Another found along the banks of the Kaministiquia River was 81 inches (210 cm) in girth. [52] 24 cm (9.4 in) high.One found in Montreal weighed 22 kg (49 lb), [53] and was 2.64 m (8 ft 8 in) in circumference [54] , while another had a weight of 25.9 kg (57 lb). [55]

Unidentified specimens

Two large specimens are excluded from the list above. The first, a polypore photographed in 1903 at Yeerongpilly, Brisbane, Queensland, measured about 2 m (6 ft 7 in) in width by 1 m (3 ft 3 in) top to bottom, emerging from a tree about two 2 m (6 ft 7 in) thick. It was sturdy enough to support the weight of two average women. [56]

The second is more speculative. Somewhere in his world travels, writer/naturalist/explorer Ivan T. Sanderson encountered reports of a species of fungi which "weigh a ton, and upheave large trees". [57] The earliest report appears to have been in the writings of James Brooke. [58]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Dai, YC; Cui, BK (September 2011). "Fomitiporia ellipsoidea has the largest fruiting body among the fungi". Fungal Biology. 115 (9): 813–814. Bibcode:2011FunB..115..813D. doi:10.1016/j.funbio.2011.06.008. PMID   21872178.
  2. ↑ "BBC Nature - Giant fungus discovered in China". bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on August 1, 2011. Retrieved 2016-03-06.
  3. ↑ "Kew Magazine Blog - Come On A Fungal Foray". Archived from the original on 2011-10-02. Retrieved 2016-03-06.
  4. ↑ Guinness Book of World Records (1998 Am. edition)p. 143.
  5. ↑ Colin Tudge, The Variety of Life (Oxford, Eng.: Oxford Univ. Press, 2000) p. 159.
  6. ↑ Kumar, Manoj; et al. (26 December 2017). "Largest fungal fruit body from India" . Retrieved 26 December 2017.[ permanent dead link ]
  7. ↑ Kumar, Manoj; et al. (26 December 2017). "Largest fungal fruit body from India". Journal of Threatened Taxa. 9 (12): 11085–11086. doi: 10.11609/jott.3591.9.12.11085-11086 .
  8. ↑ Gardener's Chronicle Vol. 18 (first series)(May 15, 1858) p. 400.
  9. ↑ Frank Leslie's Sunday Magazine (1878) p. 604
  10. ↑ Frank Vincent, The Plant World (D. Appleton & co., 1897) p. 227.
  11. ↑ Hartwig, Dr. George (1885). The Subterranean World. London: Longmans, Green and Co. p. 158.
  12. ↑ anonymous (2021). "Chichaga - World's Largest Chaga Mushroom" . Retrieved October 22, 2022.
  13. ↑ "Around the nation: massive lingzhi mushroom found in Guangxi". scmp.com. 2015-01-06. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  14. ↑ "Giant Mushroom Over 100cm Wide Found in China, Reactions - chinaSMACK". chinasmack.com. 11 January 2015. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  15. ↑ Graszak, Ralph (n.d.). "Saint Louis Post Dispatch - Our Own Oddities" . Retrieved November 12, 2009.[ permanent dead link ]
  16. ↑ Harris, J.C. (October 2011). "Mushroom Diary - The Slippers - The Giant Polypore" . Retrieved February 16, 2023.
  17. ↑ Sir William J. Hooker, "Flora Scotica" (London: Archibald Constable and Co., 1821) Vol. 2 p. 27.
  18. ↑ "Les Plus Grands Champions - Champignons Passion". canalblog.com. 29 June 2009. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  19. ↑ "Fungus - Blackfellow's Bread". Archived from the original on 2012-10-09. Retrieved 2016-03-24.
  20. ↑ ahistory. "Mid Missouri Morels and Mushrooms". missourimorels.blogspot.com. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  21. ↑ "Chicken of the Woods Mushroom - Nutrition & Health Benefits". January 22, 2020.
  22. ↑ "45 lb edibles?! - Wild Mushrooming: Field and Forest". mycotopia.net. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  23. ↑ anonymous (March 23, 2017). "Buglossoporus magnus" . Retrieved June 12, 2018.
  24. ↑ Amalfi, Mario; Decock, Cony (September 2014). "Fomitiporia expansa, an Undescribed Species from French Guiana". Cryptogamie, Mycologie. 35 (1): 73–85. doi:10.7872/crym.v35.iss1.2014.73. S2CID   86475895.
  25. ↑ John Burton Cleland M.D., "Toadstools and Mushrooms and Other Large Fungi of South Australia" (Adelaide: Gov't Printer, 1934) pp. 190-191.
  26. ↑ Correspondence from Dr. H. J. Swart of Melbourne University.
  27. ↑ Sampson, Alex (July 6, 2012). "Mushroom weighs in at 20 kg" . Retrieved July 2, 2013.[ permanent dead link ]
  28. ↑ "Earthweek - Diary of a Planet" for week of October 16, 2000, in ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER of that date.
  29. ↑ "Spore Prints Number 368, January 2001". www.psms.org. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  30. ↑ Rasmusen, Eric (February 8, 2006). "Eric Rasmusen's Weblog". Archived from the original on July 8, 2012. Retrieved January 18, 2012.
  31. ↑ http://www.fieldmuseum.org/expeditions/area_expedition/gallery_thumb13.html [ permanent dead link ]
  32. ↑ http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200707/r159235_580495'jpg [ permanent dead link ]
  33. ↑ Pegler DN, Lodge DJ, Nakasone KK (1998). "The Pantropical Genus Macrocybe Gen. nov". Mycologia . 90 (3): 494–504. doi:10.2307/3761408. JSTOR   3761408.
  34. ↑ "Giant wild mushroom spotted in southwestern China". yahoo.com. 22 October 2017. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  35. ↑ "云南发现XXXXXXXL号的口蘑！替吃货们问了，能吃！". www.sohu.com. 24 October 2017. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  36. ↑ Brill, Steven. "Home Wildman Steve Brill". Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2016-03-25.
  37. ↑ http://www.mesiah.edu/Oaks/fungi_on_wood/poroid%20fungi/species%20Bondarzewia_berkeleyi.html [ permanent dead link ]
  38. ↑ "Fungi with a dollar bill on it". Archived from the original on 2017-05-10.
  39. ↑ "Giant mushroom amazes Lawrence residents". ljworld.com. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  40. ↑ Kew Bulletin Vol. 35 # 3 (1980) pp. 479-482.
  41. ↑ http://www.spirit-of-the-land.photographer.htm [ permanent dead link ]
  42. ↑ Economic Botany Vol. 31 # 4 (Oct-Dec 1977) p. 436.
  43. ↑ Heim, Roger (February 1, 1936). "Trois Bolets Gigantesque d'Afrique et de Madagascar". Revue de Mycologie. 1(new series) (1): 6 & 8 (plus Plate 2).
  44. ↑ Wilson, Edward O. (1992). The Diversity of Life. New York: W. W. Norton & Co. p. On the tenth photo plate following p. 280.
  45. ↑ Arora, D.; Dunham, S.M. (2008). "A New Commercially Valuable Chanterelle Species (Cantharellus californica)....etc". Journal of Economic Botany. 62 (3): 376–391. doi:10.1007/s12231-008-9042-7.
  46. ↑ anonymous (11 August 2020). "Giant Funnel" . Retrieved February 5, 2022.
  47. ↑ G. R. Kozikowski, "Foray Report from Skye", MYCOLOGIST Vol. 10 #4 (1996) pp. 183-184.
  48. ↑ E.K.R. (September 14, 1907). "Mushrooms". Countryside. Vol. 5, no. 122. p. 10.
  49. ↑ Neuharth, Spencer (May 14, 2020). "Ten of the Biggest Morel Mushrooms Ever Found" . Retrieved February 5, 2022.
  50. ↑ American Naturalist Vol. 18 # 5 (May 1884) p. 530.
  51. ↑ Ernst A. Bessey Ph.D., Morphology and Taxonomy of the Fungi (Philadelphia: The Blakiston Co., 1950) pp. 551-552.
  52. ↑ "Puffball mushroom could be world record largest". tbnewswatch.com. 14 October 2016. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  53. ↑ Guinness Book of Records (1994 American Edition) p. 55.
  54. ↑ Thompson, Jon (October 28, 2016). "The World Record Mushroom that Wasn't" . Retrieved December 11, 2021.
  55. ↑ "CBC.ca | Radio West | Man discovers giant mushroom". Archived from the original on 2012-07-18.
  56. ↑ The Strand Vol. 26 # 151 (July 1903) p. 117 (Photo with human figures)
  57. ↑ Ivan T. Sanderson and David Loth "Ivan Sanderson's Book of Great Jungles" (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1965) p. 156.
  58. ↑ Gardener's Chronicle Vol. 18 (second series)(1858) p. 400
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