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Edible Mushrooms
| Agaricus bisporus : also known as 'the white cultivated mushroom', 'champignon de
Paris'. Agaricus bisporus is grown on composted cereal straw and
animal manure. This cultivation is usually in buildings where the
environment (temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide) is controlled. The
major regions of cultivation are Europe, North America, China and
Australasia. Agaricus bisporus is the most extensively cultivated
mushroom in the world, accounting for 38% of the world production of
cultivated mushrooms. |
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| Lentinus edodes : also
known as 'shiitake', 'oak mushroom'. Lentinus edodes is grown
usually on logs of oak outdoors in forests. Environmental manipulation
of the crop is achieved by heavy watering, shading or positioning the
logs in areas of different microclimate. The cropping period is 3 to 5
years. A more intensive cultivation technique has recently been
developed involving growth on synthetic logs mainly sawdust and other
agricultural wastes. Lentinus edodes is largely produced in
Japan, China and South Korea. Lentinus edodes accounts for 10% of
world production of cultivated mushrooms. |
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| Pleurotus species : The
'oyster mushroom'. A number of different species are grown including, Pleurotus
ostreatus, Pleurotus sajor-caju, Pleurotus cystidus, Pleurotus cystidus,
Pleurotus citrinopileatus and Pleurotus flabellatus. This
mushroom is cultivated on a wide range of plant wastes (cereal straw,
sawdust, bagasse, waste cotton) often enclosed by plastic bags. Mushroom
production is light dependent. Some growers operate a 12 hour light
cycle using fluorescent lamps. Pleurotus mushrooms are the second
most important mushrooms in production in the world, 25% of total world
production of cultivated mushrooms. Pleurotus mushrooms are
world-wide, China is the major producer. |
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| Volvariella volvacea : The
'chinese' or 'paddy straw' mushroom. Volvariella volvacea is a
high temperature mushroom grown largely in tropical and subtropical
regions of Asia e.g. China, Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia, India,
Madagascar. This mushroom can be grown on a variety of agricultural
wastes e.g. paddy straw, water hyacinth, oil palm, banana, cotton or
wood waste. Mushroom production is encouraged by heavy watering,
temperature reduction and light. Volvariella mushrooms account
for 16% of total production of cultivated mushrooms in the world. |
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| Flammulina velutipes : The
'winter mushroom'. This fungus can be found growing wild in China,
Siberia, Asia Minor, Europe, Africa, North America, Australia and Japan
living on both dead and living wood of broad leaf trees such as aspens,
willows and elms. Although this mushroom is gathered from the wild, it
is also now cultivated particularly in Japan. The growth substrate is a
mixture of sawdust and rice bran which are mixed, wetted, autoclaved and
filled into polypropylene bottles. The growth temperature is manipulated
to produce high quality mushrooms. |
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| Coprinus comatus : |
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| Mycorrhizal Edible Fungi : a
number of edible fungi are found in nature growing in association with
living plants, usually trees. Although for some of these fungi the
mycelium can be grown on defined nutrient media or on compost,
fruitbodies (i.e. the multicellular organs normally identified as
mushrooms) are only produced when grown in tight association with trees.
These fungi cannot therefore be cultivated in the conventional sense but
their growth can be encouraged by planting trees which have roots
deliberately infected by then appropriate fungus. The mycorrhizal edible
mushrooms are often highly prized for their unique flavours and texture,
and because of their uncertain supply (not cultivated but collected from
nature) they often command very high prices. |
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The Truffle: Tuber magnatum
(Piemont white truffle), Tuber aestivum (Summer or St.Jean
truffle), Tuber melanosporum (Perigord truffle), Tuber
brumale.
Truffles belong to the ascomycete grouping of fungi. The truffle
fruitbodies develop underground in mycorrhizal association with certain
trees e.g.oak, poplar, beech, and hazel.
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The Morel :
Morchella esculenta
Morchella elata
Morchella vulgaris
Morels belong to the ascomycete grouping of fungi. They are usually
found in open scrub, woodland or open ground in late spring. When
collecting this fungus, care must be taken to distinguish it from the
deadly-poisonous 'false morel', Gyromitra esculenta. |
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Graphic material on this page is ©
International Society for Mushroom Science
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