Mushrooms
What Are These Things?
If You Said Fungus…You Are Right
Fungus: any of a diverse group of
eukaryotic single celled or multinucleate
organisms that live by decomposing and
absorbing the organic material in which
they grow.
Plural is Fungi
Examples of Fungi
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Mushrooms
Molds
Mildews
Smuts
Rusts
Yeasts
But we are thinking about…
Shiitake
Mushrooms
People eat them
so they are
food….but…..
What are they for ?
Fungi recycle plants after they die and
transform them into rich soil. If not for
mushrooms and fungi, the Earth would be
buried in several feet of debris and life on
the planet would soon disappear.
Many mushrooms grow towards light,
following the sun just like plant. Unlike with
plants, scientists do not yet know how
mushrooms use sunlight; only that they
do.
~ Mushrooms
have no chlorophyll (a green pigment in
plants), so they don't need sunshine to grow and thrive.
Some of the earliest commercial mushroom farms were
actually set up in caves in France during the reign of
King Louis XIV (1638-1715).
Nutrition
Who knew?
~ Mushrooms are an excellent source of
copper, a mineral that the body needs to
produce red blood cells and for other
functions.
~ Mushrooms have significant amounts
of B-complex vitamins
~ One portabella mushroom has
more potassium than a banana.
Mushroom Colonies
Mushrooms are often in groups or colonies.
Fairy Rings
Some of the colonies are shaped like
circles. They are called fairy rings. Some
rings are so large that they can best be
seen from airplanes.
Mushrooms are useful not only as food and medicine;
some are also being used in bioremediation, to absorb
and digest dangerous substances like oil, pesticides and
industrial waste, in places where they threaten the
environment.
Mushrooms
The Mushroom Growing Kit
Do not eat mushrooms that you find in
the wild. Some are edible and some are
toxic (they will make you sick)
Look
Touch
But do not taste!