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.
Pleurotus ostreatus, the oyster mushroom, oyster fungus, hiratake, or pearl oyster mushroom is a common edible mushroom. It is one of the more commonly sought wild mushrooms, though it can also be cultivated on straw and other media.
Fungiculture is the cultivation of fungi such as mushrooms. Cultivating fungi can yield foods, medicine, construction materials and other products. A mushroom farm is involved in the business of growing fungi.
Pleurotus eryngii is an edible mushroom native to Mediterranean regions of Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa, but also grown in many parts of Asia.
Pleurotus is a genus of gilled mushrooms which includes one of the most widely eaten mushrooms, P. ostreatus. Species of Pleurotus may be called oyster, abalone, or tree mushrooms, and are some of the most commonly cultivated edible mushrooms in the world. Pleurotus fungi have also been used in mycoremediation of pollutants, such as petroleum and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
A sclerotium, is a compact mass of hardened fungal mycelium containing food reserves. One role of sclerotia is to survive environmental extremes. In some higher fungi such as ergot, sclerotia become detached and remain dormant until favorable growth conditions return. Sclerotia initially were mistaken for individual organisms and described as separate species until Louis René Tulasne proved in 1853 that sclerotia are only a stage in the life cycle of some fungi. Further investigation showed that this stage appears in many fungi belonging to many diverse groups. Sclerotia are important in the understanding of the life cycle and reproduction of fungi, as a food source, as medicine, and in agricultural blight management.
Omphalotus nidiformis, or ghost fungus, is a gilled basidiomycete mushroom most notable for its bioluminescent properties. It is known to be found primarily in southern Australia and Tasmania, but was reported from India in 2012 and 2018. The fan or funnel shaped fruit bodies are up to 30 cm (12 in) across, with cream-coloured caps overlain with shades of orange, brown, purple, or bluish-black. The white or cream gills run down the length of the stipe, which is up to 8 cm (3 in) long and tapers in thickness to the base. The fungus is both saprotrophic and parasitic, and its fruit bodies are generally found growing in overlapping clusters on a wide variety of dead or dying trees.
Wynnea americana, commonly known as moose antlers or rabbit ears, is a species of fungus in the family Sarcoscyphaceae. The uncommon species is recognizable by its spoon-shaped or rabbit ear–shaped fruit bodies that may reach up to 13 cm (5 in) tall. It has dark brown and warty outer surfaces, while the fertile spore-bearing inner surface is orange to pinkish to reddish brown. It is distinguished from other species in its genus by the pustules on the outer surface, and microscopically by the large asymmetrical longitudinally ribbed spores with a sharply pointed tip. The spores are made in structures called asci, which have thickened rings at one end that are capped by a hinged structure known as the operculum—a lid that opens to release spores from the ascus.
Pleurotus djamor, commonly known as the pink oyster mushroom, is a species of fungus in the family Pleurotaceae.
Polyporus umbellatus is an edible species of mushroom, found growing on roots of old beeches or oak (e.g.). It is also called umbrella polypore.
Collybia cookei is a species of fungus in the family Tricholomataceae, and one of three species in the genus Collybia. It is known from Europe, Asia, and North America. The fungus produces fruit bodies that usually grow on the decomposing remains of other mushrooms, like Meripilus giganteus, Inonotus hispidus, or species of Russula; occasionally fruit bodies are found on rich humus or well-decayed wood. The fungus produces small white mushrooms with caps up to 9 mm (0.35 in) in diameter, supported by thin stems that originate from a yellowish-brown sclerotium. The mushroom is difficult to distinguish from the other two species of Collybia unless an effort is made to examine the sclerotia, which is usually buried in the substrate. The edibility of the mushroom has not been determined.
Pleurotus citrinopileatus, the golden oyster mushroom, is an edible gilled fungus. Native to eastern Russia, northern China, and Japan, the golden oyster mushroom is very closely related to P. cornucopiae of Europe, with some authors considering them to be at the rank of subspecies. In far eastern Russia, P. citrinopileatus, they are called iI'mak, is one of the most popular wild edible mushrooms.
Morchella rufobrunnea, commonly known as the blushing morel, is a species of ascomycete fungus in the family Morchellaceae. A choice edible species, the fungus was described as new to science in 1998 by mycologists Gastón Guzmán and Fidel Tapia from collections made in Veracruz, Mexico. Its distribution was later revealed to be far more widespread after several DNA studies suggested that it is also present in the West Coast of the United States, Israel, Australia, Cyprus, Malta and Switzerland.
Lignosus rhinocerus, commonly known as tiger milk mushroom, belongs to family Polyporaceae in the division Basidiomycota. This fungus is geographically distributed only in tropical rainforests in the region of South China, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines and Papua New Guinea.
Echigoshirayukidake, commonly called Basidiomycetes-X or BDM-X, is a sclerotium of Ceraceomyces tessulatus. It is classified as a basidiomycete because of its beak-shaped processes. It does not form basidia and only forms sclerotia when cultured. In these respects, BDM-X is distinguished from other basidiomycetes. BDM-X is cultured and consumed as an edible mushroom. The mushroom, Basidiomycetes-X (BDM-X), echigoshirayukidake was identified as Ceraceomyces tessulatus, a member of the family Amylocorticiaceae based on the molecular analysis of ITS region and D1/D2 regions of rDNA. Sequence similarity between the mushroom and Ceraceomyces tessulatus voucher KHL16429, Herb. O was 99% in ITS1 region and 99% in 26 or 28S rDNA D1/D2 regions respectively.
Pleurotus opuntiae is a species of Agaricales fungus that grows in the semi-arid climate of central Mexico and in New Zealand, whose mushroom is edible and considered a delicacy in the cuisine of indigenous peoples of Mexico. It is known as hongo de maguey común in Mexican Spanish, seta de chumbera/nopal in Peninsular Spanish, and kjoo'wada in Otomi language. Phylogenetic research has shown that while it belongs to P. djamor-cornucopiae clade, it forms its own intersterility group, but it has also been claimed to be genetically inter-incompatible with P. australis, P. ostreatus (extra-limital), P. pulmonarius and P. purpureo-olivaceus of New Zealand.
Pleurotus albidus is a species of edible fungus in the family Pleurotaceae. Found in Caribbean, Central America and South America, it was described as new to science by Miles Joseph Berkeley, and given its current name by David Norman Pegler in 1983. It grows on trees such as Salix humboldtiana, other willows, Populus and Araucaria angustifolia, and can be cultivated by humans. Phylogenetic research has shown that while it belongs to P. ostreatus clade, it forms its own intersterility group.
Pleurotus calyptratus, is a species of fungus from the family Pleurotaceae. It has a distinctive delicate veil on young fruiting bodies. Phylogenetic research has shown that while it belongs to P. djamor-cornucopiae clade, it forms its own intersterility group.
Pleurotus abieticola is an edible species of fungus in the family Pleurotaceae, described as new to science by mycologists R.H. Petersen & K.W. Hughes in 1997. It grows on rotten wood of Picea in subalpine forests dominated by it. It has been reported first in far‐eastern Russia, and then northeastern China and northwestern Russia. It can be cultivated. Phylogenetic research has shown that while it belongs to P. ostreatus clade, it forms its own intersterility group.
Pleurotus euosmus, also known as tarragon oyster mushroom, is a species of edible fungus in the genus Pleurotus, It is quite similar to the better-known Pleurotus ostreatus, but it is distinguished by its strong smell reminiscent of tarragon and substantially larger spores.
