The most beautiful mushrooms in the world

Fungi are members of a large group of organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds. Mushrooms are a whole kingdom separate from plants, animals, and bacteria. Fungi play an important role in the decomposition of organic matter as well as in the food chain. In the world, from 1.5 to 5 million species of mushrooms are distinguished. Below you will find the most beautiful and interesting ones.

(Total 15 photos)

1. Milky blue (Lactarius indigo). A fairly common mushroom species that grows in eastern North America, East Asia and Central America. It grows on the ground in both deciduous and coniferous forests. The color varies from deep blue in fresh mushrooms to pale blue-gray in old mushrooms. The milk that the mushroom secretes when cut or broken is also blue. The cap is 5-15 cm, the leg is 2-8 cm in height and 1-2.5 cm in thickness. The mushroom is edible and sold in rural markets in Mexico, Guatemala and China.

2. Panellus species Panellus stipticus. A common species that grows in Asia, Australia, Europe and North America. It grows in groups on logs, stumps and trunks of deciduous trees, especially on oaks, beeches and birches. It is one of the bioluminescent mushroom species, although there are no mushrooms of this species from the Pacific regions of North America.

3. Orange trembling (Tremella mesenterica). This fungus grows more often on dead trees, but also on recently fallen branches. The gelatinous orange-yellow body of the fungus (up to 7.5 cm in diameter) has a sinuous surface that becomes sticky and slippery during rain. The fungus grows in cracks in the bark, appearing during rain. A few days after rain, it dries up and turns into a thin film or wrinkled mass that can be reborn after rain. This mushroom is widely found in mixed forests and is common in temperate and tropical regions, including Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North and South America. The mushroom is edible, although it is considered tasteless. This fungus produces carbohydrates that are of value for research.

4. Rhodotus (Rhodotus palmatus). This fungus is the only member of the genus in the Physalacriaceae family. Not very common. The mushroom is harvested in eastern North America, northern Africa, Europe and Asia. In Europe, the number of mushrooms is rapidly declining, so the rhodotus was included in the Red Book. It usually grows on the stumps and logs of decaying hardwoods. Mature mushrooms are distinguished by a pinkish color and a characteristic "vein-like" surface.

5. Clavaria pale brown (Clavaria zollingeri). Widespread type of fungus. It has a tubular purple or pinkish-purple body that grows up to 10 cm high and 7 cm wide. The tips of the fragile and thin branches are usually rounded and brownish. This is a saprobic species of fungi, it absorbs nutrients by breaking down organic matter. Usually grows on the ground.

6. Starfish sack-shaped (Geastrum saccatum). It grows in North America and Europe on decaying trees. Mushroom pickers consider it inedible because of its bitter taste. A fairly common species, the picking peak occurs at the end of summer. It is believed that the opening on the outer layer of the body of the fungus is star-shaped due to the accumulation of calcium oxalate crystals just before opening. In Brazil, the mushroom is called the "star of the earth."

7. Scaly polypore (Polyporus squamosus). A widespread species of mushroom that grows in North America, Australia, Asia and Europe. It causes white rot on hardwood trees. The mushroom's alternative name, dryad saddle, refers to Greek mythology and the dryads who supposedly could ride these mushrooms.

8. Aseroe rubra. The so-called sea anemone is widespread and recognizable due to its unpleasant smell of decay and the shape of a starfish. Grows in gardens on the forest floor and in grassy areas, it resembles a red star covered with brownish slime and has a white stem. Attracts flies.

9. Coral fungus (Clavulinopsis corallinorosacea). The mushroom is called so because of its resemblance to sea corals. These mushrooms have a bright color, mostly orange, yellow or red. They usually grow in old forests. Some coral fungi are saprotrophic, while others are symbiotic or even parasitic.

10. Brown raincoat (Lycoperdon umbrinum). This type of fungus grows in China, Europe and North America. These mushrooms do not have an open cap with spores. Instead, spores appear inside, in a spherical body. When ripe, the spores form a gleba in the center of the body, which has a characteristic color and texture.

11. Caesar mushroom (Amanita caesarea). A very valuable edible mushroom native to southern Europe and North America. This mushroom was first described by Giovanni Antonio Scopoli in 1772. He was very fond of the rulers of the Roman Empire. It has a characteristic orange cap, yellow spore-bearing plates and a stalk. This mushroom was highly valued by the ancient Romans, who called it Boletus.

12. Mycena interrupta. This mushroom grows in Australia, New Zealand, Chile and New Caledonia. In Australia, it grows in Victoria, Tasmania, New South Wales and South Australia, as well as in Queensland, however, only in Lamington National Park. The cap of the mushroom is 0.6-2 cm, and they have a bright blue color. When they appear, they are spherical in shape, and as they mature, they become wider. The caps are sticky and look slippery, especially when it rains.

13. Xanthoria elegant (Xanthoria elegans). This fungus grows on rocks, often near bird perches or rodent burrows. It is lichen in nature. It was one of the first lichens to be used in the rock dating method known as lichenometry. It grows at a rate of 0.5 mm per year during the first century, and then its growth slows down a bit.

14. Morel conical (Morchella conica). An edible mushroom that resembles a honeycomb at the top. It consists of a whole network of wavy strips with cavities between them. Very appreciated among gourmets, especially in French cuisine. The mushroom is very popular among mushroom pickers, not only from a commercial point of view, but also because of its pleasant taste.

15. Red fly agaric (Amanita muscaria). The well-known fly agaric is a poisonous and psychotropic basidiomycete. It grows in the northern hemisphere, but was also introduced to the countries of the southern hemisphere, first as a symbiont in coniferous forests, and then as a full-fledged species. Red hat with white dots - who doesn't know fly agaric? It is one of the most recognizable mushrooms in the world. Although the fly agaric is considered poisonous, there are no confirmed cases of fly agaric poisoning, and in parts of Europe, Asia and North America it is eaten after blanching. Amanita has hallucinogenic properties, its main psychotropic component is muscimol. Some peoples of Siberia use it as an entheogen, and it has great religious significance in these cultures.