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{{SPlantbox
{{otheruses}}
|common_name=Mushroom
'''Mushroom(s)''' are the fleshy, [[spore]]-bearing [[fruiting body|fruiting bodies]] of [[fungi]] typically produced above ground on soil or on their food sources. The standard for the name '''mushroom''' is the cultivated white button mushroom, ''[[Agaricus bisporus]]'', hence the word mushroom is most often applied to fungi ([[Basidiomycota]], [[Agaricomycetes]]) that have a stem (called a '''[[Stipe (mycology)|stipe]]'''), a cap (called a '''[[Pileus (mycology)|pileus]]'''), and gills (each called a [[lamella (mycology)|lamella]]/pl. lamellae) on the underside of the cap just as do store-bought white mushrooms. However, mushrooms can also be a wide variety of gilled fungi, with or without stems, and the term is used even more generally to describe both fleshy fruitbodies of some [[Ascomycota]] and woody or leathery fruitbodies of some [[Basidiomycota]], depending upon the context of the usage. Usually forms deviating from the standard form have more specific names, such as [[puffball]]s, [[stinkhorn]], [[morel]]s, etc. and gilled mushrooms themselves are often called [[agaric]]s, in reference to their similarity to ''[[Agaricus]]'' or placement in the order [[Agaricales]]. By extension, ''mushroom'' can also designate the entire fungus when in culture or when referring to the whole [[thallus]] (called a [[mycelium]]) of species forming fruitbodies called mushrooms.
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[[Image:Amanita muscaria (fly agaric).JPG|right|thumb|250px|The mushroom ''[[Amanita muscaria]]'', commonly known as "fly agaric".]]
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== Mushrooms vs. Toadstools ==
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The terms "mushrooms" and "toadstools" go back centuries, and were never precisely defined, nor was there consensus on application, except to say that the term "toadstool" was generally, but not exclusively, applied to poisonous fungi. For an example of early usage see Badham (1863[http://freespace.virgin.net/mikea.walton/badham/badcov.htm]). Reference was made to "tadstoles", "frogstooles", "frogge stoles", "tadstooles", "tode stoles", "toodys hatte", "toadstoole", "paddockstool", "puddockstool", "paddocstol", "toadstoole", and "paddockstooles" from 1398-1597, sometimes synonymous with "mushrom", "mushrum", "muscheron", "mousheroms", "mussheron", or "musserouns" <ref name=Ramsbottom_1954>{{cite book | author=Ramsbottom J | title=Mushrooms & Toadstools. A study of the Activities of Fungi | year=1954 }}</ref>. The term "mushroom" and its variations may have been derived from the French word "Mousseron" in reference to moss (mousse). There may have been a direct connection to ''[[toad]]s'' (in reference to poisonous properties) for toadstools. However, there is no clear-cut delimitation between edible and poisonous fungi, so that mushrooms may be edible, poisonous, or unpalatable, and it makes no sense to not be able to use the term mushroom when stating there are "poisonous mushrooms" which would be an [[oxymoron]] statement if the term mushroom could not be applied to poisonous fungi. The term toadstool is nowadays used in story telling when referring to poisonous or suspect mushrooms. The classic example of a '''toadstool''' is ''[[Amanita muscaria]]''.
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== To mushroom - mushrooming - to pop up like mushrooms ==
[[Image:Yellowmushrooms.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Yellow, flower pot mushrooms (''Leucocoprinus birnbaumii'') at various states of development.]]
Many species of mushrooms seemingly appear overnight, growing or expanding rapidly. This phenomenon is the source of several commonly used phrases in the [[English language]]. In fact all species of mushrooms take several days to form primordial mushroom fruit bodies. The [[agaricus bisporus|cultivated mushroom]] as well as the common [[field mushroom]] initially form minute [[fruiting body]] initials referred to as the pin stage, because of their small size. Slightly expanded they are called buttons, once again because of the relative size and shape. Once such stages are formed, the mushroom can rapidly pull in water from its [[mycelium]] and expand, mainly by inflating preformed [[cells]] that took several days to form in the primordia. Similarly, there are even more ephemeral mushrooms, like ''[[Parasola]] plicatilis'' ([http://collectivesource.com/fungi/newpages/Coprinus_plicatilis.html] formerly ''[[Coprinus]] plicatlis'') that literally appear overnight and may be gone by late afternoon on hot summer days after rainfall. The [[primordia]] form at ground level in lawns in humid spaces under the [[thatch]] of lawns and after heavy rainfall or [[dew]]y conditions, balloon to full size in a few hours, release spores, then collapse. They '''"mushroom"''' to full size. '''"To mushroom"''' means to rapidly grow in size, or to sprout up rapidly, i.e., an organization may "mushroom" from national to international almost overnight. To '''"pop up like mushrooms"''' is of similar derivation, but also has a gang slang usage (see below).
The term '''"mushrooming"''' differs in that it generally refers to the act of gathering mushrooms, in the wild, as in the statement "I'm going mushrooming today." This is often shortened to '''"shrooming"''', which has yet another connotation, which is to '''"do mushrooms"'''. To "do mushrooms" or "shrooms" often refers to taking hallucinogenic mushrooms (see below).
Notably, not all mushrooms expand overnight. Many are very slow growing. Those types of mushrooms generally add tissue to their fruitbodies in different manners, such as growing from the edges, or inserting [[hyphae]].
== Classification of Mushrooms ==
[[Image:Mushroomy Log.JPG|thumb|left|400px|Examples of [[polypore]]s, mushrooms without stalks, on a log.]]
Typical mushrooms are the fruitbodies of members of the order [[Agaricales]], whose type genus is ''[[Agaricus]]'', and type species is the field mushroom, ''[[Agaricus campestris]]''. However, in modern molecular defined classifications, not all members of the order Agaricales produce mushroom fruitbodies, and many other gilled fungi, collectively called mushrooms, occur in other orders in the class [[Agaricomycetes]]. For example, [[Cantharellus|chanterelles]] are in the [[Cantharellales]], false chanterelles like ''[[Gomphus]]'' are in the [[Gomphales]], milk mushrooms (''[[Lactarius]]'') and russulas (''[[Russula]]'') as well as ''[[Lentinellus]]'' are in the [[Russulales]], while the tough leathery genera ''[[Lentinus]]'' and ''[[Panus]]'' are among the [[Polyporales]], but ''[[Neolentinus]]'' is in the [[Gloeophyllales]], and the little pin-mushroom genus, ''[[Rickenella]]'' along with similar genera are in the [[Hymenochaetales]].
Within the main body of mushrooms, in the [[Agaricales]], are such common fungi like the common fairy-ring mushroom (''[[Marasmius]]'' ''oreades''), [[shiitake]], [[enoki]], [[oyster mushrooms]], [[fly agaric]]s and other [[amanita]]s, [[magic mushrooms]] like species of ''[[Psilocybe]]'', [[Volvariella|paddy straw mushrooms]], [[Coprinus comatus|shaggy manes]], etc.
An atypical 'mushroom' is the [[Lobster mushroom]], which is a deformed, cooked-lobster-colored [[parasite|parasitized]] fruitbody of a ''[[Russula]]'' or [[Lactarius]] colored and deformed by the mycoparasitic [[Ascomycete]] ''[[Hypomyces lactifluorum]]''[http://botit.botany.wisc.edu/toms_fungi/aug2001.html].
Other 'mushrooms' are nongilled and then the term is loosely used, so that it is difficult to give a full account of their classifications. Some 'mushrooms' have pores underneath (and are usually called [[bolete]]s), others have spines, such as the [[hedgehog mushroom]] and other [[tooth fungus|tooth fungi]], and so on. Mushroom has been used for [[polypore]]s, [[puffball]]s, [[jelly fungi]], [[coral fungi]], [[Bracket fungus|bracket fungi]], [[stinkhorn]]s, and [[cup fungus|cup fungi]]. Mushrooms and other fungi are studied by [[mycology|mycologist]]s. Thus, the term ''mushroom'' is more one of common application to [[macroscopic]] fungal fruiting bodies than one having precise [[taxonomy|taxonomic]] meaning. There are approximately 14,000 described species of mushrooms<ref name=Chang>Chang, S., and Miles, P.G., ''Mushrooms, Cultivation, Nutritional Value, Medicinal Effect, and Environmental Impact'', CRC Press, 2004</ref>.
{{main|Sporocarp (fungi)|Basidiocarp|Ascocarp}}
[[Image:TallMushroom.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The relative sizes of the Cap ([[pileus]]) and Stalk ([[stipe (mycology)|stipe]]) vary widely.]]
=== Identification of Mushrooms ===
Identifying mushrooms requires a basic understanding of their macroscopic structure. Most are [[Basidiomycetes]] and gilled. Their spores, called [[basidiospore]]s, are produced on the gills and fall in a fine rain of powder from under the caps as a result. At the microscopic level the basidiospores are shot off of [[basidia]] but then fall between the gills in the dead air space. As a result, for most mushrooms, if the cap is cut off and placed gill-side down, usually overnight a powdery impression reflecting the shape of the gills (or pores, or spines, etc.) is formed (when the fruitbody is sporulating). The color of the powdery print (which is called a [[spore print]]) has been used to help classify mushrooms, hence is used to help identify them. Spore print colors range from white (most common), brown, black, purple-brown, pink, yellow, cream, and almost never blue or green or red.
While modern identification of mushrooms is quickly becoming molecular, the standard methods for identification are still used by most and have developed into a fine art harking back to [[mediaeval]] and [[Victorian]] era combined with microscopic examination. The presence of juices upon breaking, bruising reactions, odors, tastes, shades of colors, and habitats and habit and season must, and are, all considered by mycologists, amateur and professional alike. Tasting and smelling mushrooms carry their own hazards because of poisons and [[allergens]]. Chemical spot tests are also used for some genera.
In general, identification to [[genus]] can often be accomplished in the field using a local mushroom guide. Identification to [[species]], however, requires more effort; one must remember that a mushroom develops from a button stage into a mature structure and only the latter can provide certain characters needed for the identification of the species. However. over mature specimens loose features and cease producing spores. Many novices have mistaken humid water marks on paper for white spore prints, or discolored paper from oozing liquids on lamella edges for colored spored prints.
== Human use ==
[[Image:ChampignonMushroom.jpg|right|thumb|250px|The [[button mushroom]] (''Agaricus bisporus''), one of the most widely cultivated mushrooms in the world.]]
{{see|Ethnomycology}}
=== Edible mushrooms ===
{{main|Edible mushrooms|Mushroom hunting}}
[[Edible mushroom]]s are used extensively in [[cooking]], in many [[cuisine]]s (notably [[Chinese cuisine|Chinese]], [[European]] and [[Japanese food|Japanese]]). Though commonly thought to contain little nutritional value, many varieties of mushrooms are high in fiber and protein, and provide vitamins such as [[thiamine]] (B<sub>1</sub>), [[riboflavin]] (B<sub>2</sub>), [[niacin]] (B<sub>3</sub>), [[biotin]] (B<sub>7</sub>), [[cyanocobalamin|cobalamins]] (B<sub>12</sub>) and [[ascorbic acid]] (C), as well as minerals, including [[iron]], [[selenium]], [[potassium]] and [[phosphorus]]. Mushrooms have been gaining a higher profile for containing antioxidants Ergothioneine and Selenium.
Many of the varieties of mushrooms that are sold in local supermarkets, have been commercially grown on mushroom farms. These mushrooms are safe to eat because they are grown in controlled, sterilized environments. Some of the varieties that are grown commercially include: whites, [[crimini]], [[portabello mushroom|portabello]], [[shiitake]], [[oyster mushroom|oyster]] and [[enoki]].
There are a number of species of mushrooms that are [[poison]]ous, and although some may resemble edible varieties, eating them could be fatal. Eating mushrooms gathered in the wild can be risky and a practice not to be undertaken by individuals not knowledgeable in mushroom identification. The problem is that separating edible from poisonous species depends upon the application of only a few easily recognizable traits - but there is no single trait by which all toxic mushrooms could be identified. 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".
=== Toxic mushrooms ===
{{main|Mushroom poisoning}}
[[Image:Amanita pantherina 1.JPG|left|250px|thumb|The [[Panther cap]] (''Amanita pantherina''), a toxic mushroom]]
Of central interest with respect to chemical properties of mushrooms is the fact that many species produce [[secondary metabolites]] that render them toxic, mind-altering, or even [[bioluminescence|bioluminescent]]. Toxicity likely plays a role in protecting the function of the basidiocarp: the mycelium has expended considerable energy and protoplasmic material to develop a structure to efficiently distribute its spores. One defense against consumption and premature destruction is the evolution of chemicals that render the mushroom inedible, either causing the consumer to vomit (see [[emetic]]s) the meal or avoid consumption altogether.
=== Psychoactive mushrooms ===
{{main|Psychedelic mushrooms}}
[[Psilocybin]] mushrooms possess [[psychopharmacology|psychedelic properties]]. They are commonly known as "magic mushrooms" or "shrooms", and are available in [[smart shop]]s in many parts of the world, though some countries have outlawed their sale. A number of other mushrooms are eaten for their psychoactive effects, such as [[Amanita muscaria|fly agaric]], which is used for [[shaman]]ic purposes by tribes in northeast [[Siberia]]. They have also been used in the West to potentiate, or increase, religious experiences. Because of their psychoactive properties, some mushrooms have played a role in native medicine, where they have been used to affect mental and physical healing, and to facilitate visionary states. One such ritual is the [[Velada]] ceremony. A representative figure of traditional mushroom use is the [[shaman]], [[curandera]] (priest-healer), [[Maria Sabina]].
=== Medicinal mushrooms ===
Currently, many species of mushrooms and fungi utilized as folk medicines for thousands of years are under intense study by [[ethnobotanist]]s and medical researchers. [[Hen of the woods|Maitake]], [[shiitake]], and [[reishi]] are prominent among those being researched for their potential anti-[[cancer]], anti-[[virus|viral]], and/or immunity-enhancement properties. [[Psilocybin]], originally an extract of certain psychedelic mushrooms, is being studied for its ability to help people suffering from mental disease, such as [[obsessive-compulsive disorder]]. Minute amounts have been reported to stop [[cluster headache|cluster]] and [[migraine headache]]s{{Fact|date=April 2007}}.
=== Other uses ===
Mushrooms can be also used for [[dyeing]] [[wool]] and other natural fibers. The [[chromophore]]s of mushrooms are organic compounds and produce strong and vivid colors, and all colors of the spectrum can be achieved with mushroom dyes. Before the invention of synthetic [[dye]]s the mushrooms were the primary sources on dyeing textiles. This technique has survived in Finland, and many [[historical reenactment|Middle Ages re-enactors]] have revived the skill again{{Fact|date=April 2007}}.
Some fungi, types of [[polypore]]s, loosely called mushrooms, have been used as fire starters (known as [[tinder fungus|tinder fungi]]). [[Ötzi the Iceman]] was found carrying such fungi. Mushrooms, and other [[fungi]], will likely play an increasingly important role in the development of effective biological remediation and filtration technologies. [http://www.USPTO.gov The US Patent and Trademark office]can be searched for patents related to the latest developments in [[mycoremediation]] and [[mycofiltration]].
== Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture ==
{{Inc|
{{Inc|
Mushroom. The best usage sanctions the use of the word "mushroom" as a comprehensive term applicable to any and all of the higher fleshy fungi, whether good, bad, or indifferent with respect to edible qualities. With this usage it is then proper to speak of edible, inedible, and poisonous mushrooms of all types. From some quarters there is an inclination to regard only the agarics, or more especially the centrally stalked gill bearing Agaricaceae, under this name; thus we would have the field agaric, or field mushroom, the fly agaric, or fly mushroom, and so on. In a commercial sense, Agaricus campestris and the allies of this species are everywhere in America the dominant, and usually the only species of interest; so that among certain classes of persons it is not strange to find a tendency toward the restriction of the word to the commoner cultivated forms. The same persons with wider experience would doubtless abandon this usage, and employ the above- mentioned broader application now more generally used, which is also the one of the "mushroom" books.
Mushroom. The best usage sanctions the use of the word "mushroom" as a comprehensive term applicable to any and all of the higher fleshy fungi, whether good, bad, or indifferent with respect to edible qualities. With this usage it is then proper to speak of edible, inedible, and poisonous mushrooms of all types. From some quarters there is an inclination to regard only the agarics, or more especially the centrally stalked gill bearing Agaricaceae, under this name; thus we would have the field agaric, or field mushroom, the fly agaric, or fly mushroom, and so on. In a commercial sense, Agaricus campestris and the allies of this species are everywhere in America the dominant, and usually the only species of interest; so that among certain classes of persons it is not strange to find a tendency toward the restriction of the word to the commoner cultivated forms. The same persons with wider experience would doubtless abandon this usage, and employ the above- mentioned broader application now more generally used, which is also the one of the "mushroom" books.
While the larger part of the flesh fungi belong to the Basidiomycetes, nevertheless the few families of the Ascomycetes furnish some forms of special interest. The family Helvellacese includes the genus Morchella (morels), as well as Helvella (saddle fungi) and Gyromitra (contorted saddle fungi). There are several species of morels often appropriately called sponge mushrooms, the latter designation being given both on account of the color of the plant and the porous character of the pileus. The morels are widely distributed in the United States. All appear after the warm rains of the spring. They constitute, therefore, about the earliest edible mushrooms. The season is often limited to one or two weeks of favorable weather. Morchella esculenta (Fig. 2420) is a common species, and one which appears to be M. crassipes is frequently found in the Central States at least. The tuber family (Tuberaceae) includes all truffles, very aromatic subterranean fungi found for the most part in southern Europe, and there constituting a considerable article of commerce. The mycelium of these plants is associated with the roots of certain trees and shrubs, especially oaks. The species most highly prized are Tuber melanosporum, the typical French or black truffle, sometimes called the Perigord truffle, which is commercially much more important than all other species combined; T. aestivum, which is the summer truffle of France; and T. magnatum, a large, smooth species with onion-like flavor, which is the commoner form in Italy. The terfas, or false truffles (Terfeziaceae), are also subterranean fungi found associated with the roots of certain species of Cistaceae and Compositae. The regions of their occurrence are primarily semi-arid sections of northern Africa and localities in the Asiatic Mediterranean country. They are apparently the truffles of ancient times. The plants are spherical or ovoidal in form, and at maturity they have a general resemblance in size and texture to a potato.
While the larger part of the flesh fungi belong to the Basidiomycetes, nevertheless the few families of the Ascomycetes furnish some forms of special interest. The family Helvellacese includes the genus Morchella (morels), as well as Helvella (saddle fungi) and Gyromitra (contorted saddle fungi). There are several species of morels often appropriately called sponge mushrooms, the latter designation being given both on account of the color of the plant and the porous character of the pileus. The morels are widely distributed in the United States. All appear after the warm rains of the spring. They constitute, therefore, about the earliest edible mushrooms. The season is often limited to one or two weeks of favorable weather. Morchella esculenta (Fig. 2420) is a common species, and one which appears to be M. crassipes is frequently found in the Central States at least. The tuber family (Tuberaceae) includes all truffles, very aromatic subterranean fungi found for the most part in southern Europe, and there constituting a considerable article of commerce. The mycelium of these plants is associated with the roots of certain trees and shrubs, especially oaks. The species most highly prized are Tuber melanosporum, the typical French or black truffle, sometimes called the Perigord truffle, which is commercially much more important than all other species combined; T. aestivum, which is the summer truffle of France; and T. magnatum, a large, smooth species with onion-like flavor, which is the commoner form in Italy. The terfas, or false truffles (Terfeziaceae), are also subterranean fungi found associated with the roots of certain species of Cistaceae and Compositae. The regions of their occurrence are primarily semi-arid sections of northern Africa and localities in the Asiatic Mediterranean country. They are apparently the truffles of ancient times. The plants are spherical or ovoidal in form, and at maturity they have a general resemblance in size and texture to a potato.
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== Trivia ==
== Trivia ==