Mushrooms - The Gilled Fungi ......

Hi! I have selected a beautiful set of stamps depicting Mushrooms issued by Malta on 27 March 2009. This beautiful set of five stamps shows varieties of fungi found in Malta and Gozo . The five varieties chosen for this issue are Laetiporus sulphureus (Euro 0.05), Montagnea arenaria (Euro 0.12), Pleurotus eryngii (Euro 0.19), Inonotus indicus (Euro 0.26), Suillus collinitus (Euro 1.57). Fungi are a group of organisms and micro-organisms that are classified within their own kingdom, the fungal kingdom, as they are neither plant nor animal. Fungi draw their nutrition from decaying organic matter, living plants and even animals. Many play an important role in the natural cycle as decomposers and the return of nutrients to the soil. Fungi are used for medical purposes, such as in penicillin as well as in the preparation of a variety of food. The edible varieties of Mushrooms are very popular amongst vegetarians. But there are Mushrooms which highly posionous. There are several varieties of Mushrooms found all over the world many of them are highly useful in preparation of medicines and delicacies. I am giving below details about Mushrooms.This is all for today !......Till Next Post .........Have a Nice Time !........

Date of Issue - 27 March 2009

Mushrooms

A mushroom is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or on its food source. The standard for the name "mushroom" is 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) on the underside of the cap, just as do store-bought white mushrooms. The word "mushroom" can also be used for a wide variety of gilled fungi, with or without stems, and the term is used even more generally, to describe both the fleshy fruiting bodies of some Ascomycota and the woody or leathery fruiting bodies of some Basidiomycota, depending upon the context of the word.

Forms deviating from the standard morphology usually have more specific names, such as "puffball", "stinkhorn", and "morel", and gilled mushrooms themselves are often called "agarics" in reference to their similarity to Agaricus or their placement in the order Agaricales. By extension, the term "mushroom" can also designate the entire fungus when in culture or the thallus (called a mycelium) of species forming the fruiting bodies called mushrooms, or the species itself.

Edible Mushrooms
Edible mushrooms are used extensively in cooking, in many cuisines . Though mushrooms are commonly thought to have little nutritional value, many species are high in fiber and provide vitamins .Though not normally a significant source of vitamin D, some mushrooms can become significant sources after exposure to ultraviolet light, though this also darkens their skin. Mushrooms are also a source of some minerals, including iron, selenium, potassium and phosphorus. Most mushrooms that are sold in markets have been commercially grown on mushroom farms. The most popular of these, Agaricus bisporus, is generally considered safe for most people to eat because it is grown in controlled, sterilized environments, though some individuals do not tolerate it well.

There are a number of species of mushroom that are poisonous, and although some resemble certain edible species, eating them could be fatal. Eating mushrooms gathered in the wild is risky and should not be undertaken by individuals not knowledgeable in mushroom identification, unless the individuals limit themselves to a relatively small number of good edible species that are visually distinctive. More generally, and particularly with gilled mushrooms, separating edible from poisonous species requires meticulous attention to detail; there is no single trait by which all toxic mushrooms can be identified, nor one by which all edible mushrooms can 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
Many species of Mushrooms produce secondary metabolites that render them toxic, mind-altering, or even bioluminescent.Although there are only a small number of deadly species, several others can cause particularly severe and unpleasant symptoms.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 the meal, or to learn to avoid consumption altogether.

Psychoactive Mushrooms
Psilocybin mushrooms possess psychedelic properties. They are commonly known as "magic mushrooms" "mushies" or "shrooms" and are available in smart shops in many parts of the world, though some countries have outlawed their sale. Because of their psychoactive properties, some mushrooms have played a role in native medicine, where they have been used in an attempt to effect mental and physical healing, and to facilitate visionary states.

Medicinal Mushrooms
Currently, many species of mushrooms and fungi used in folk medicine for thousands of years are under intense study by ethnobotanists and medical researchers. Maitake, shiitake, Agaricus blazei, chaga, and reishi are prominent among those being researched for their potential anti-cancer, anti-viral, or immunity-enhancing 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 and migraine headaches.

In a recent case-control study of the eating habits of 2,018 woman, consumption of mushrooms was linked with approximately 50% reduction in breast cancer. Woman who consumed mushrooms and green tea had a 90% lower occurrence of breast cancer.

Other uses
Mushrooms can be used for dyeing wool and other natural fibers. The chromophores 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 dyes mushrooms were the source of many textile dyes.