A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground, on soil, or on its food source. Toadstool generally denotes one poisonous to humans.
The shiitake is an edible mushroom native to East Asia, which is cultivated and consumed around the globe. It is considered a medicinal mushroom in some forms of traditional medicine.
Edible mushrooms are the fleshy fruit bodies of several species of macrofungi. Edibility may be defined by criteria including the absence of poisonous effects on humans and desirable taste and aroma. Mushrooms that have a particularly desirable taste are described as "choice". Edible mushrooms are consumed for their nutritional and culinary value. Mushrooms, especially dried shiitake, are sources of umami flavor.
The genus Amanita contains about 600 species of agarics, including some of the most toxic known mushrooms found worldwide, as well as some well-regarded edible species. The genus is responsible for approximately 95% of fatalities resulting from mushroom poisoning, with the death cap accounting for about 50% on its own. The most potent toxin present in these mushrooms is α-Amanitin.
Flammulina filiformis is a species of edible agaric in the family Physalacriaceae. It is widely cultivated in East Asia, and well known for its role in Japanese and Chinese cuisine. Until recently, the species was considered to be conspecific with the European Flammulina velutipes, but DNA sequencing has shown that the two are distinct.
Glis is a genus of rodent that contains two extant species, both known as edible dormice or fat dormice: the European edible dormouse (Glis glis) and the Iranian edible dormouse. It also contains a number of fossil species.
Cortinarius is a globally distributed genus of mushrooms in the family Cortinariaceae. It is suspected to be the largest genus of agarics, containing over 2,000 widespread species. A common feature among all species in the genus Cortinarius is that young specimens have a cortina (veil) between the cap and the stem, hence the name, meaning curtained. Most of the fibres of the cortina are ephemeral and will leave no trace once gone, except for limited remnants on the stem or cap edge in some species. All have a rusty brown spore print. The common names cortinar and webcap refer to members of the genus. Due to dangerous toxicity of several species and the fact that it is difficult to distinguish between various species of the genus, non-expert consumption of mushrooms from the genus is discouraged.
Russula is a very large genus composed of around 750 worldwide species of ectomycorrhizal mushrooms. They are typically common, fairly large, and brightly colored – making them one of the most recognizable genera among mycologists and mushroom collectors. Their distinguishing characteristics include usually brightly coloured caps, a white to dark yellow spore print, brittle, attached gills, an absence of latex, and absence of partial veil or volva tissue on the stem. Microscopically, the genus is characterised by the amyloid ornamented spores and flesh (trama) composed of spherocysts. Members of the related genus Lactarius have similar characteristics but emit a milky latex when their gills are broken. The genus was described by Christian Hendrik Persoon in 1796.
The Patamona are an Amerindian people native to the Pakaraima Mountains of Guyana and northern Brazil. They speak a Cariban language, Kapóng, and have often been referred to interchangeably as Akawaio or Ingariko. Patamona are considered a sub-group of Kapon people.
Lentinula is a small genus of wood-inhabiting agarics. The neotropical species Lentinula boryana is the type species. However, the best-known species is L. edodes, the shiitake. The genus was erected by Franklin Sumner Earle in 1909, and as of 2023 contains ten species, principally found in tropical regions.
Omphalotus japonicus, commonly known as the tsukiyotake(月夜茸), is an orange to brown-colored gilled mushroom native to Japan and Eastern Asia. It is a member of the cosmopolitan genus Omphalotus, the members of which have bioluminescent fruit bodies which glow in darkness. A 2004 molecular study shows it to be most closely related to a clade composed of Omphalotus nidiformis of Australia, Omphalotus olivascens of Western North America and Omphalotus olearius of Europe.
Lentinula reticeps is a species of agaric fungus in the family Omphalotaceae. It was originally described as Agaricus reticeps by French mycologist Camille Montagne in 1856. William Alphonso Murrill transferred it to the genus Lentinula in 1915.
Lentinula aciculospora is a species of agaric fungus in the family Omphalotaceae. Described as new to science in 2001, it is known only from Costa Rica, where it grows on oak wood. Fruitbodies are similar in external appearance to others members of the genus Lentinula, but L. aciculospora can be distinguished from those species microscopically by its distinctive elongated, cylindrical spores.
Lentinula guarapiensis is a species of agaric fungus in the family Omphalotaceae that is found in Paraguay. Originally described by Carlos Luigi Spegazzini in 1883 as Agaricus guarapiensis, it was moved to the genus Lentinula by David Pegler in 1983. It is only known from the type collection.
Lentinula lateritia is a species of agaric fungus in the family Omphalotaceae. It is found in South-east Asia and Australasia, except for New Zealand. Originally described by Miles Joseph Berkeley in 1881 as a species of Agaricus, it was transferred to the genus Lentinula in 1983 by David Pegler.
Lentinula novae-zelandiae, also known as New Zealand shiitake, is a species of edible saprobic fungus endemic to New Zealand.
Lentinula raphanica is a species of edible agaric fungus in the family Omphalotaceae. Described as two species, Armillaria raphanica and Gymnopus alliaceus by William Alphonso Murrill in 1943, they have been moved to a single species of the genus Lentinula by Ron Petersen and J.L. Mata in 2001. It is known from subtropical Americas including the Amazon rainforest, where it grows on oak and other hardwood. Fruitbodies are similar in external appearance to others members of the genus Lentinula, being distinguished by gills and smell reminiscent of radish or alliums, especially while drying. It is eaten by the Witoto and Andoque people in Colombia and the Yanomami in Brazil, with Yanomani calling it Naönaö amo in Sanumá language and serving it boiled with broth and beiju cakes.
Lentinula ixodes is a species of edible agaric fungus in the family Marasmiaceae that is found in Amazon rainforest. Originally described as Agaricus ixodes from Guyana by Camille Montagne in 1854, it was then considered a synonym of Lentinula boryana and reestablished as an independent species by J.S. Oliveira, Tiara S. Cabral, Ruby Vargas-Isla & Noemia K. Ishikawa in 2022. It grows on wood such as Bertholletia excelsa. Phylogenetic research shows it is closely related to another Amazon species, Lentinula raphanica, but it can be visually distinguished by the deep orange-brown pileus eventually having fine scales and general similarity to L. boryana complex.
Lentinula madagasikarensis is a species of edible agaric fungus in the family Marasmiaceae that is found in Madagascar. It was described by Buyck, Randrianjohany & Looney in 2021. It is "strikingly" similar to the shiitake mushroom in appearance, but phylogenetic research shows its closest relative is Costa Rican Lentinula aciculospora. It grows on various dead wood in forests dominated by Uapaca densifolia, Sarcolaenaceae and Eucalyptus robusta. Its description expands the known range of Lentinula genus transoceanically and by over 4000 miles
