Generally, mushrooms are spore- producing fungal growths, some of which are edible. The most popular ones have a very distinguishable shape, typically a dome cap with gills or lamellae on the underside along with a stem. Though some mushrooms fit that description there are actually many variations in the mushroom family. They come in an assortment of colors, some are bell shaped, others flat, some have stems, some don’t, some are edible, some aren’t, and some grow in the moist earth while others grow on their food source.

That fruity, fleshy part we know as the mushroom is actually the fruit of the fungus; the sprouting of these spore laden fleshy mushroom ensures the continuation if its species. The main body of the fungus lies beneath the earth in a complex network of minute threads known as Hyphae, when more than one hyphae connect; they are referred to as Mycelium.

Mushrooms are broken down into two major groups called are Basidiomycetes and Ascomycetes. The former are the fungi that produce their spores on dedicated cells called ‘Basidia, singular Basidium. This compares with the Ascomycetes that produces their spores in sac like cells called ‘Asci, singular, Ascus. These classifications are further broken down as we learn more about the intriguing organisms.
Let’s explore some of the different types of mushrooms. First let’s start with those classified under Basidiomycetes.

Boletus Edulis commonly known as King Botele or Porcini is an example of the edible variant of this group. The fruiting body of the mushroom is comparatively large with thick or bulbous stem that usually measures about 8-20 cm in length and 3-10 cm in width. The cap has a distinctive texture like that of well buffed leather; generally measuring 8-30 cm in diameter, convex at first them becoming almost flat.

The King Botele is widely consumed by humans and is generally thought to be of superior quality; it has a nutty, earthy flavor with meaty texture and when consumed dry it is considered an excellent source of protein. Compare this with the Boletus Inedulis.

Boletus is a genus which covers over 100 species of mushrooms; this group is reminiscent of the Agarics because they both have caps and stems but the difference lies in what is under the caps. Instead of gills the mushrooms of this group have a layer and tubes and pores which are packed tightly together. The spores are stored in these tubes until they are discharged. Within this group the physical characteristics of the mushrooms vary drastically, this makes them difficult to identify and categorize.

Agrocybe Praecox is an example of a mushroom within this genus. These mushrooms have yellowish brown caps and usually measure about 10-12 cm in diameter. The gills are white at first changing to a woody brown upon maturity. As mentioned before, it is difficult to differentiate the various mushrooms within this genus because most of the species in the group cannot be readily distinguished by reference to their physical attributes.

One method of identification of the species in this group is based on the material they decompose. Agrocybe Molesta is the only species in the group that can decompose grass, others in the genus, easily decompose wood fragment from coniferous trees. Others still, like the Agrocybe
Acericola decompose wood fragments from hard wood trees.

Mushrooms in this genus are small to medium sized and usually tend to grow in grass, manure, wood chips and garden mulch; they grow on the ground on deadwood or may be found growing out of wood chips on trees. They generally have a rusty brownish spore print; i.e. the residue left behind once spores are emitted. Mushrooms in this genus are generally considered poisonous, some however are edible, but hard to identify and differentiate; it is advised not to pursue this genus for consumption.

Fly Agaric Mushroom, scientifically known as the Amanita Muscaria is perhaps the most widely recognizable mushroom in the world. Its defining features are warts on its usually deep red cap and, the appearance of a ring on the upper stem. Cap colors in this species of mushroom range from deep red to bright yellow to white but usually fade with age to a pale yellow or orange. The caps range from 5-30 cm; it starts out convex, then as it ages becomes more flattened.

This mushroom is generally considered to be poisonous, however it is consumed in some part of Europe, Asia and North America after being boiled extensively. Ingestion of the mushroom elicits hallucinogenic responses; its main psychoactive substance is muscimol which has effect s similar to a lucid dream. There are many variants in this sub species of mushrooms some include: Amanita Flavivolvata- which is red with yellowish warts on the caps, Amanita Guessowii is the variation with is deeply orange or reddish towards then center than fades into a more yellow hue toward the rim, and the Amanita Regalis which is brown with yellowish warts on the cap.

Death Cap Mushroom, scientifically known as the Amanita Phalloides, is touted as the most terrifying poisonous mushroom there is; it is reportedly responsible for the majority of serious and fatal mushroom poisoning cases. The incidents of poisoning are increased because the death cap mushroom closely resembles another edible mushroom variation called the Paddy Straw. Symptoms include damage to the kidney and liver, sometimes fatally; there is no known antidote.

The death cap mushroom ranges in color from greenish to brownish, the cap of this mushroom ranges from 4-14 cm starting out egg shaped, then becoming more convex as it matures until it is flattened, the stem can range from 5-17 cm long and 1-3 cm wide. The mushroom usually sprouts near live trees especially oak and are noticed more during the summer and fall seasons.

Jack-o-lantern Mushroom, or the Omphalotus Olearius; this mushroom is known for its orange-yellow color and its blue green bioluminescence observed on the gills in low lighting. Interestingly, though poisonous it does smell and appear appealing and resembles the edible chanterelle mushroom. The Jack-o-Lantern mushroom contains a toxin called muscarine, which if ingested causes excessive secretion of saliva, tears and perspiration; it also elicits diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, irregular heartbeat, decreasing blood pressure and difficulty breathing.

The Jack-O-Lantern mushroom grows in clusters near stumps, dead trees or buried roots. Its orange cap ranges in size from 5-20 cm, and its stem ranges the same measurements in length and is usually 1-2 cm wide. One of the identifying features of this mushroom is that its gills run down along its stem.

Scientifically known as the Amanita virosa, is poisonous, its cap, stem, and gills are all white, it looks like several edible species of mushroom enjoyed by humans, however, this mushroom is highly toxic. The toxin amantin, present in a number of mushrooms, takes up to 24 hours before symptoms are displayed and causes stomach virus like symptoms, diarrhea, nausea, abdominal cramps. If misdiagnosed and untreated, the toxin could elicit irreparable liver or kidney damage. There have unfortunately been incidences of death from ingestion of this mushroom.

The destroying angel is white and oval in appearance, as it matures the conical cap becomes more crescent shaped and flattens to about 12 cm in diameter at this time its gills become more evident. This mushroom is a good example of the dangers of picking and eating premature mushrooms, as at first it resembles versions of edible mushrooms and it is not until maturity that it can be properly identified by novices.

The scientific name of this mushroom is Agaricus bisporus, but is also known by a number of other names like, Portobello mushroom, table mushroom or crimini mushroom. These mushrooms are edible and are distributed worldwide. They grow naturally in the fields, low lands and meadows of North America and Europe and can be spotted on all sorts of foods from pizzas to salads.

The different names given to this mushroom is referent to its stage of maturity when being sold for consumption. It is called a button mushroom when it is young and hemispherical in shape, they are called crimini in mid maturity, once they fully mature to a large brown mushroom they are called Portobello. These edible mushrooms are highly nutritious and contain significant amounts of vitamins A and D, phosphorus and potassium.

These are commonly known as gilled mushrooms, these gill like structures carry the Basidia and spores of the fungus. This category includes up to 4000 variations of commonly known mushrooms.

This is a subdivision under the Basidiomycetes group. In this classification the spores are produced in a thin layer called the ‘Hymenium’ which is on the surface of the mushroom flesh. This hymenium is formed by the Basidia we spoke about earlier. When the spores are mature they are forced out for propagation of the species and actually leave residue behind called a spore print.

This subcategory is further broken down into many different types of mushrooms; the first being: Agaricales