How diverse is the world of mushrooms, these creatures of nature, endowed with some properties of plants and animals! Not so long ago, in 1970, scientists separated them into a special kingdom (at first, many mushrooms were ranked as plants). And the science that describes the life activity of various types of mushrooms has come to be called mycology (section of botany).
Great kingdom
You already know that these are not only white, brown boletus, butterflies, honey agarics and other cap mushrooms that we meet in the forest, collecting them for cooking. And not only those mushrooms and oyster mushrooms, which are dotted with supermarket shelves. The kingdom of mushrooms is the largest group of organisms that live on planet Earth: from the simplest and invisible to the naked eye strands to giant boletus, which can provide shelter, as in a fairy tale, to small animals and insects. And cap mushrooms are just a small, but undoubtedly important, segment of this large community. They will be discussed today.
General characteristics
These include, first of all, the well-known forest mushrooms: ceps and aspen, boletus and mushrooms, russula and fly agaric, honey agarics and mushrooms, and many others. They grow in forests - deciduous and coniferous, in swamps, in meadows, near water. And in the city they can be found in parks, squares, and gardens. It is about them that some fairy tales of the peoples of the world are composed, they are mostly consumed as food, since many of these creations of nature are edible and useful to humans.
Mushrooms and people
Hat mushrooms play a very important role in people's lives. First of all, especially in ancient times, this is one of the sources of food. Mushrooms have a lot of protein, trace elements and vitamins, which allows them to occupy a worthy place in the human food chain at the present time. Hat mushrooms can be prepared in various culinary ways. And with their participation in world kitchen practice, various peoples of the Earth have hundreds of delicious dishes.
Symbiosis
Hat mushrooms are also of great importance for higher plants. Most of them are saprotrophs and live only in conjunction with trees (by the way, this is reflected in some names: boletus, boletus, for example). How do hat mushrooms eat? Mycelium tightly wraps around the root washcloths, performing a peculiar function of root hairs, contributing to the full supply and saturation of the trunk with nutrients, minerals and water. And from the trees, cap mushrooms receive ready-made organics, which are processed into inorganic compounds that act as nutrition for higher plants. Thus, the symbiosis of these several species is manifested, mutually beneficial cooperation, called mycorrhiza.
Fruit body
Actually, what we used to call a mushroom is only an integral part of the whole organism, its fruiting body. The other (and main) part - mycelium - is hidden from prying eyes in the land rich in humus, or in rotten wood. In most species of fungi, mycelium-mycelium consists of numerous hyphae. Of these, under favorable circumstances (rain, warm weather), the fruiting bodies of the cap mushrooms form on the surface. Usually they consist of a hat and a leg (but there are also monovariants: only a hat).
Tubular and plate
Perhaps you already know what kind of cap mushrooms are in nature? They are divided into tubular and plate. In the former, spores intended for propagation are able to form in the narrow tubules of the cap having a tubular shape. In the second, spores are located in the plates of the hat.
Lamellar
Their hats are rather fleshy, sometimes elastic, leathery and webbed. The most famous: russula, traps, mushrooms, mushrooms, honey mushrooms, and many other types of hat mushrooms. Russula alone, there are about 300 species! Many of them are edible and traditionally used by humans for food in salted, boiled, fried form. Some have a rather pungent taste that disappears when soaked and boiled. Honey mushrooms, which also have many species, are especially popular, most of which are edible. Champignons, also related to agaric, often grow in nature on land and manure, in meadows and pastures. Often form circular settlements, which are popularly called "witch rings."
Tubular
They are in nature a little less than 250 species. They are found everywhere in the temperate latitudes of various countries of the planet. They have a pillow-shaped hat, rounded and fleshy. The tubular layer of the hat is fairly easy to peel off. It is known that many tubulars enter into symbiosis with higher plants - trees of a certain type. Almost all tubular are edible. The most famous are: white, boletus, boletus, mushroom, butter. Some of the tubular ones also contain antibiotics that can kill pathogens.
Artificial cultivation
In terms of cultivation and artificial cultivation of mushrooms: for many tubular it seems unlikely. Since they exist only in symbiosis with certain trees. Thus, for breeding, for example, boletus on an industrial scale, it will be necessary to plant a whole birch grove. But the cultivation of some lamellar is not only possible, but also successfully used by people for several centuries. So, the experience of people breeding champignons totals up to 300 years. And now oyster mushroom, now popular, is grown in moist basements with great success.
Pipers
Tinder fungus is a parasite hat mushroom that settles on trees and is capable of destroying their wood. Known instances of polypore, reaching a weight of 10 kilograms. They are usually located on tree trunks. And after the death of the tree, the tinder fungus can continue to live for a long time, disposing of the wood and eating on the rotting remains of the tree.
Poisonous cap mushrooms
Of particular danger to people are poisonous cap mushrooms, which can cause severe poisoning. Of these, pale grebe is considered the most poisonous . If you eat it (even boiling it before), it can lead to death.
Amanita, false mushrooms, bile and satanic mushrooms also pose a danger to humans. In no case should they be eaten. As a rule, these fungi also have edible twins that are similar in appearance. This further enhances the danger of picking mushrooms. And before you go on mushroom hunting, you must clearly learn to understand the types of mushrooms, so as not to become a victim of food poisoning. And some hats are conditionally edible. These include: pigs, morels and lines. In them, harmful substances are removed by repeated boiling and changing the water. We must also remember for beginner mushroom pickers that some mushrooms, even considered edible, can be poisonous if collected along the railway or highway. This is because mushrooms tend to absorb harmful substances emitted by locomotives and cars. So, going for mushrooms, it is best to go deeper into the forest.
The materials in this article can be used to conduct a biology lesson on the topic "Hat mushrooms" (Grade 5).