Best and Top of Everything : February 2011

Thursday, February 10, 2011

The World’s Top 10 Most Amazing Mushrooms

The World’s Top 10 Most Amazing Mushrooms
The World’s Top 10 Most Amazing Mushrooms
Wiki says that a mushroom is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or on its food source. But did you know they can be rather beautiful and amazing!? Well if you are not a fan of mushrooms I might be about to change your mind….
The World’s Top 10 Most Amazing Mushrooms
The World’s Top 10 Most Amazing Mushrooms
The World’s Top 10 Most Amazing Mushrooms
10 – Pennsylvania.  (Boletus campestris)–(source)
These mushrooms grow in late spring and summer on the ground in the upland woods, often at the edges of trails. Often seen after late spring and summer rains and despite being quite a vivid colour and look are in fact 100% edible including the stalk!
The World’s Top 10 Most Amazing Mushrooms
The World’s Top 10 Most Amazing Mushrooms
9 – Toronto. (Lactarius indigo)–(source)
This amazing Mushroom that is often called blue milk mushroom is mostly seen growing in North America, East Asia, and Central America. And once again despite the amazingly vivid colours that often warning of how poisonous it is, it’s is in fact completely edible!
The World’s Top 10 Most Amazing Mushrooms
The World’s Top 10 Most Amazing Mushrooms
8 – Mexico. (Clathrus ruber)–(source)
Often called “the football mushroom” you wouldn’t want to kick it to a friend because the interior surfaces are all coated with a foul-smelling slime that attracts flies and other insects and if this is sprayed over someone they would be like an instant lunch for insects. You don’t need me to tell you this but they are 100% non-edible.
The World’s Top 10 Most Amazing Mushrooms
The World’s Top 10 Most Amazing Mushrooms
7 – North Wales (Laccaria amethystina)–(source)
Sounding like some soft of assassin the “Amethyst Deceiver” is a small brightly coloured mushroom that grows in deciduous as well as coniferous forests. Because its bright amethyst colour fades with age and weathering, it is very difficult to identify it and sadly that is how it gets its name ‘Deceiver’. But despite the deadly name the top of it is in fact edible, but not the stalk.
The World’s Top 10 Most Amazing Mushrooms
The World’s Top 10 Most Amazing Mushrooms
6 – Arizona. (Hydnellum peckii)–(source)
Often called “The Bleeding Tooth mushroom” Hydnellum peckii is a hydnoid species, producing spores on the surface of vertical spines or tooth-like projections that hang from the underbelly of the main stalk  It is found in North America, South America, Europe and was recently discovered in Iran. And you hardly need me to tell you this one but they are VERY deadly even to touch and 100% non-edible
The World’s Top 10 Most Amazing Mushrooms
The World’s Top 10 Most Amazing Mushrooms
5 – Central America. (Macrocybe Titans)–(source)
Macrocybe titans is a species of mushroom that had the claim to fame of being called “The World’s biggest Mushroom” it grows in mostly grassy areas in tropical and subtropical habitats and the best bit is that it’s 100% edible!
The World’s Top 10 Most Amazing Mushrooms
The World’s Top 10 Most Amazing Mushrooms
4 – UK (Hygrocybe helobia)–(source)
These amazing brightly coloured shiny mushrooms are often described as the orchids of the fungi world. They are found on lawns and grassy churchyards or most normally grass that has never had any artificial fertilizers applied to it and are 100% non-edible.
The World’s Top 10 Most Amazing Mushrooms
The World’s Top 10 Most Amazing Mushrooms
3 – Africa. (Dictyophora indusiata)–(source)
Often called “The Veiled Lady” the fruit body of the fungus is characterised by a conical to bell-shaped cap on a stalk and a delicate “lacy skirt” that hangs from beneath the cap and reaches nearly to the ground. Once again you don’t really need me to tell you that this is deadly to touch and should never be eaten.
The World’s Top 10 Most Amazing Mushrooms
The World’s Top 10 Most Amazing Mushrooms
2 –  New Zealand. (Entoloma hochstetteri)–(source)
This stunning species of mushroom can be found in New Zealand and India and is a very distinctive bright blue colour, while the gills have a slight reddish tint from the spores! This Mushroom is in fact so famous it was featured on the back of a $50 NZ bank-note! You know this already but it is 100% non-edible
The World’s Top 10 Most Amazing Mushrooms
The World’s Top 10 Most Amazing Mushrooms
10 – Borneo. (Neonothopanus gardneri)–(source)
Found In a forest in Brazil researchers only recently (2008) found a glow-in-the-dark mushroom not seen since 1840!  The long-forgotten fungus had to be reclassified, but scientists are still trying to determine just what makes the mysterious mushroom glow but they do know that it is 100% non-edible.