ALL MUSHROOMS ARE EDIBLE
but some only once…
1
There are over 30 species of mushroom that actually glow in the dark. The chemical reaction called bioluminescence produces a glowing light known as foxfire. People have been known to use these fungi to light their way through the woods.
2
There is an entire genus of mushrooms, found all over the world, that tastes like fried chicken. It’s even referred to as the “chicken of the woods.” It is most commonly found in eastern North America and is bright orange. It sort of look like a tasty piece of fried buffalo chicken. (I don’t like them and you still can’t get me to eat it).
3
Before the invention of synthetic dyes, mushrooms were widely used for dyeing wool and other natural fibers. Mushroom dyes are organic compounds and produce strong, vivid colors.
4
More and more species of mushroom that glow in the dark are being discovered all the time. As it stands now, there are more than 75 species that are bioluminescent!
5
In the Blue Mountains of Oregon is a colony of Armillaria solidipes that is believed to be the world’s largest known organism. The fungus is over 2,400 years old and covers an estimated 2,200 acres (8.9 km2). Above ground the honey mushrooms are short-lived but the underlying mycelium (branch like vegetation) lives on.
6
Fly Agaric mushrooms, which look like Super Mario Bros. mushrooms, contain a psychoactive chemical that can cause micropsia/macropsia, aka the illusion that objects around you are larger or smaller than they actually are.
7
Mushrooms spores repel over 200,000 species of insect. That’s a huge chunk of the “pest” problem with no harm to humans, or the environement via any manmade chemical pesticides.
8
Ancient Egyptians referred to mushrooms as the plant of immortality in hieroglyphics more than 4600 years ago! Mushrooms were so revered in Egyptian society that commoners were forbidden from touching them. Mushrooms were a food exclusively for royalty.
9
The Death Cap Mushroom not only looks like safe, edible mushrooms, it also tastes perfectly nice, and it gives no symptoms of poisoning until after it has already ruined your liver and kidneys.
10
In 2006, the American company Ecovative developed a packaging material made of mycelium (the “root” part of mushrooms). This material, which is being used by such companies as IKEA and Dell, can simply been thrown in your backyard, where it will biodegrade within weeks.