2. DESCRIPTION
Fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a
fungus, typically produced above ground on
soil or on its food source.
Refers to the cultivated white button
mushroom, Agaricus bisporus; hence the
word "mushroom" is most often applied to
those fungi (Basidiomycota, Agaricomycetes)
that have a stem (stipe), a cap (pileus), and
gills (lamellae, sing. lamella) or pores on the
underside of the cap.
3. TRIVIA
Mycophagists refer to the people who collect
mushrooms.
The act of collecting mushrooms known as
mushroom hunting, or simply "mushrooming".
China is the world's largest edible mushroom
producer. It country produces about half of all
cultivated mushrooms, and around 2.7 kilograms
(6.0 lb) of mushrooms are consumed per person
per year by over a billion people
4. HUMAN USE
Food
Medicine
Sacrament Purposes
Dyeing Purposes
Fire Starters
Biodegradable Packaging
Biological Remediation Techniques
7. AMANITA
Starts as an egg-shaped button which can resemble
a small puffball. This breaks open as the mushroom
grows. Fully developed amanitas are gilled
mushrooms with parasol-shaped caps that may be
white, yellow, red or brown.
Have a saclike cup surrounding the base of the stem
buried just beneath the soil surface and may not be
obvious, ring on the stem, white gills, white spore
print.
Responsible for approximately 95% of the fatalities
resulting from mushroom poisoning.
Found on the ground in woodlands in summer and
fall.
9. FALSE MOREL
Contain a toxic chemical called monomethyl
hydrazine (MMH) which causes diarrhea, vomiting
and severe headaches, and can be fatal. However,
due to different cooking techniques and individual
sensitivities to MMH, false morels poison some
people but leave others unaffected.
MMH level may vary based on area.
Have wrinkled, irregular caps that are brain-like or
saddle-shaped. They may be black, gray, white,
brown or reddish.
Found in spring, summer and fall, on the ground in
woodlands.
11. LITTLE BROWN MUSHROOMS (LBMs)
Catch-all category for all small to medium-
sized, hard-to-identify brownish mushroom with
spores of all colors.
Many are harmless, some are mildly poisonous
or hallucinogenic, and a few are deadly.
The innocent-looking little mushrooms of the
genus Galerina containing the same toxin as
amanitas are probably the most dangerous of
the LBMs.
Found in spring, summer and fall, in all habitats.
Poisonous LBMs may grow on soil or wood and
may appear in lawns, pastures or forests.
13. FIRST AID
Call for medical help.
Check and monitor the person's airway, breathing, and pulse. If
necessary, begin rescue breathing and CPR.
Try to make sure that the person has indeed been poisoned. It may be
hard to tell. Some signs include chemical-smelling breath, burns around
the mouth, difficulty breathing, vomiting, or unusual odors on the
person. If possible, identify the poison.
Do NOT make a person throw up unless told to do so by poison control
or a health care professional.
If the person vomits, clear the person's airway. Wrap a cloth around your
fingers before cleaning out the mouth and throat. If the person has been
sick from a plant part, save the vomit. It may help experts identify what
medicine can be used to help reverse the poisoning.
Keep the person comfortable. The person should be rolled onto the left
side, and remain there while getting or waiting for medical help.
If the poison has spilled on the person's clothes, remove the clothing and
flush the skin with water.