Top 20 Most Common Mushrooms in San Miniato
Tucked within the idyllic region of Tuscany, Italy, is the city San Miniato, host to a diverse ecosystem teeming with mycological wonders. This mushroom paradise, blessed with optimal conditions, gives life to a kaleidoscopic array of fungal species, from the common to the rare. This article showcases the top 20 mushroom species, found in abundance in San Miniato, that testifies to its rich and varied mycobiota.
Most Common Mushrooms
1. Tinder fungus
This large, tough shelf fungus can be found attached to birch, beech, and sycamore trees. It gets its common name, tinder fungus, from the fact that it burns quite slowly and can thus be used effectively for lighting fires. Dried pieces can also be a useful desiccant. A piece of this fungus was found in the possession of Otzi the Iceman, indicating that its usefulness has been known for millenia.
2. Common orange lichen
Common orange lichen was selected in 2006 by the United States Department of Energy as a model for genomic sequencing. Its widespread dispersal and bright yellow-orange color give the lichen its common name. It is primarily found growing on rocks, walls, and tree bark.
3. Red cage
The red cage is a highly distinctive mushroom with a wild shape, even for a stinkhorn. Its fruitbody grows as a hollow, latticed structure, usually red or pinkish in color, that gives it the appearance of a rubber or plastic children's toy. A true stinkhorn, this species secretes a pungent-smelling slime that attracts flies - but repels humans!
4. Common greenshield lichen
The common greenshield lichen is a familiar species in temperate forests around the world. It can be found growing on rock outcroppings and trees in a wide variety of habitats. Individuals can grow to be quite large and may be gregarious, forming large mats or sheets on suitable surfaces. Like other lichens, the common greenshield lichen will shrivel and harden when moisture is scarce.
5. Oakmoss
Evernia prunastri grows shrubby on trees. The yellow-green lichen grows up to 10 cm. It consists of up to five millimeters wide shrubby branched bands with a light underside. At the edges of these open dusty (Sorale). Apothecias (with shiny brown disc) are rarely formed.
6. Violet-toothed polypore
This inedible shelf or bracket fungus grows in overlapping clusters and layers on hardwood stumps and fallen logs. It also causes a sapwood rot in standing trees. Check under the violet-toothed polypore's cap for its secret lilac-shaded pore surface studded with descending “teeth.”
7. Honey fungus
The honey fungus is a parasitic fungus that grows on the roots of many woody and perennial plants, damaging and possibly killing its host. It spreads underground and is considered to be the most damaging fungal disease in gardens across the UK. The appearance of the mushrooms above-ground heralds a much more extensive infection below.
8. Oak mazegill
The oak mazegill is a tough polypore that can be found growing on the boles of dead hardwoods, especially oaks. The species lives up to its name - it sports a network of deep gills that are folded and divided into maze-like patterns. Hefty in size but not particularly bold in color, the oak mazegill can be found in temperate areas around the world.
9. Split gill
Split gill(Schizophyllum commune) can be found across the globe. Uniquely, it is the only mushroom species known to display the capability to retract by movement. It is considered inedible, although not necessarily toxic. Furthermore, it is not recommended to smell this species, as the spores are capable of sprouting and growing in nasal passages.
10. Bronze bolete
The bronze bolete is originally described from Europe. For many years, the species is thought to be present in North America as well, until molecular studies have shown that the North American counterpart, named Boletus regineus, was actually a different species. The bronze bolete is often found during hot and dry summer days. The specific Latin epithet "aereus" means "fitted with bronze" and it refers to the color of its velvety cap.
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