Think of fairy tales and large picture books and one image that’s bound to flash in our heads is of giant orange or red-coloured mushrooms. World over, one of the most popular garden figurines is in the shape of mushrooms. Human beings’ fascination with mushrooms is age-old. With over <x> varieties, mushrooms are the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground, on soil, or its food source. The edible white button mushroom or large dark coloured Shit-ake mushrooms are popular with gourmet food lovers. Most mushrooms have a stem (stipe), a cap (pileus), and gills (lamellae, sing. lamella) on the underside of the cap. The gills produce microscopic spores which help the fungus spread across the ground or its occupant surface. Some of the ace wildlife photographers have photographed the phenomenon of mushroom sporing at night on damp forest floors using ultra-sensitive cameras. The sight is a mesmerizing natural phenomenon on this earth. One such recently captured video is here à https://shorturl.at/fMlkv.
Several species of mushrooms are poisonous. Separating edible from poisonous mushrooms requires meticulous attention to detail but the ones we get in supermarkets are safe and specifically farmed for consumption. In the wild, people who collect mushrooms for consumption are known as mycophagists and the act of collecting them for such is known as mushroom hunting, or simply “mushrooming”. Eating mushrooms gathered in the wild is risky and should only be undertaken by individuals knowledgeable in mushroom identification. Common mushroom hunting advice is that if a mushroom cannot be positively identified, it should be considered poisonous and not eaten.
Many mushrooms can be toxic, mind-altering, antibiotic, antiviral, or bioluminescent. Psilocybin mushrooms also referred to as psychedelic mushrooms, possess psychedelic properties. Commonly known as “magic mushrooms” or “shrooms”, they are openly available in smart shops in many parts of the world, or on the black market in those countries which have outlawed their sale. Psilocybin mushr-ooms have been reported to facilitate profound and life-changing insights often described as mystical or spiritual experiences.
This year, with an extended good monsoon, we’ve been blessed with rain-soaked vegetation all around for many days. And no surprise, on your walks, you can easily spot mushrooms sprouting overnight at many parks and on damp barks of trees.
