The largest mushroom in the world, on earth, in Europe and Russia

Fungi are unusual inhabitants of our planet, combining characteristics of both plants and animals. Growing in favorable conditions, fungi sometimes reach record-breaking sizes. Biologists insist that the largest mushrooms are not an anomaly, and virtually any species can become a giant mushroom, and there are quite a few of them in the world.

Description of the largest mushrooms in Russia

In Russian forests, mushroom pickers have repeatedly encountered enormous mushrooms, photos of which are now gaining popularity online. Finding one is a real stroke of luck, as mushroom season is when most of the fruit, which could otherwise reach record sizes, is harvested.

Raincoat

It was found in 2011 raincoat- a giant. During a "silent hunt," Vladislav Grabosinsky discovered this treasure. He didn't keep the find for himself, but gave it to botanists at Perm University for study. It turned out that the puffball cap had grown to a diameter of 1 m 72 cm. The fruit reached 52 cm in height and weighed 12.5 kg.

It's worth noting that puffballs are quite common throughout the world, except for Antarctica. They can be found in deciduous and coniferous forests, clearings, and parks. Depending on the species, fruiting bodies can range from a few grams to 2-3 kg. The cap can be pear-shaped, rounded, or ovoid.

Birch boletus

Alexey Korol, who was gathering forest harvest near his village in the Tomsk region, discovered a simply gigantic birch boletusThe mushroom picker was petrified by the size of his find: the stem of the fruit reached 28 cm, and the cap had a diameter of 36 cm. The birch bolete weighed 2.4 kg and was completely clean and undamaged.

Look for birch boletes in deciduous forests and birch groves. The fruits most often form mycorrhiza with birch trees, hence their name. There are four species of birch bolete:

• black;
• pinkish;
• ordinary;
• swamp.

The most common bolete in our forests is the common birch bolete. Its cap typically grows to about 15 cm. The cap's surface is light brown when young, but becomes dark brown as it matures. The white flesh is quite dense and remains unchanged when cut.

Boletus

A huge white mushroom was discovered in Russia in 1961. The news was immediately broadcast live on Moscow Radio. The find weighed over 10 kg, and the cap diameter reached 58 cm. To date, no information remains about its location.

The boletus cap typically reaches 25 cm in diameter. The color of the cap depends on the growing location. Those growing in spruce forests have a reddish-brown cap and a thin, tall stem. Porcini mushrooms growing in birch forests are lighter in color, and their relatively thick stem widens toward the base. The stem of the fruiting body reaches 20 cm in height and 10 cm in width.

Boletus mushrooms are available for hunting from June to October. These fruits grow quite rapidly: a newly emerged mushroom weighs about 2 g, and after 7 days, the weight increases to 200 g. Giant mushrooms weighing up to 5 kg are often encountered, but these are usually wormy.

Tinder fungus

Quite large tinder fungi are found in the North Caucasus and southern regions of Russia. While there are no record-breakers among them, it is possible to find quite impressive-sized fruit. Recently, this variety has become widespread in the Altai region, where trees are being felled en masse. The varnished tinder fungus is a saprophyte and contributes to the deterioration of wood.

The largest mushrooms in Europe

Today, there are approximately one hundred thousand varieties of mushrooms, including some with medicinal properties. Some contain penicillin and antibiotics. And, of course, the fruits are widely consumed as food.

Europe is rich in mushroom habitats, but giants are extremely rare. Scientists still haven't figured out why the fruits grow to such incredible sizes.

Champignon

Of all the enormous mushrooms ever found in Europe, the champignon takes first place. Italian Francesco Quito discovered the 14-kilogram fruit in a field near the province of Bari. The farmer and his wife loaded the find onto their car. They brought the giant home, cleaned it, cooked it, and invited friends and neighbors to the table.

In the wild, champignons typically grow no more than 25 cm in height. Mature mushrooms have flat caps, while young mushrooms have rounded caps. The surface color can be white, brownish, or tan. Initially, the gills are white, but as they mature, the color changes to pink or almost black.

Honey fungus

In eastern Switzerland, scientists have discovered a huge honey fungus spawn that is over 1,000 years old. It is the largest mushroom in Europe, with dimensions ranging from 800 x 500 m. As is well known, honey mushrooms They form mycorrhiza with rhizomes, which has a detrimental effect on trees.

The honey fungus is relatively small: the cap is up to 17 cm in diameter, and the stem is up to 10 cm tall. The surface comes in various shades of brown or olive-green. The skin is covered with light scales, which may disappear as the mushroom grows.

Truffle

Huge white truffle Discovered in Italy, this delicacy weighed up to 1.89 kg. The difficulty of hunting for this delicacy is that it grows underground and can only be found with the help of specially trained dogs. The truffle was auctioned and sold for $61,000.

The fruit is tuberous or round. The flesh is fleshy or cartilaginous. Size ranges from a small nut to a large potato tuber. Truffles can be found in deciduous forests, as they form mycorrhiza with tree rhizomes. White truffles most often grow near poplar, rowan, elm, linden, and birch trees.

World record-breaking mushrooms

There are several giant mushrooms on earth, each of impressive size. The most expensive fruit was a white truffle weighing 1.5 kg, which sold for €125,000 at auction.

The highest

The variegated parasol is considered the tallest in the world. This species is widespread in the forests of Europe, North America, and Australia. The cap typically reaches 35 cm in diameter, and the stem grows up to 40 cm. However, some specimens can reach half the height of a human.

The hardest ones

One of the heaviest species is the polypore (Fomitiporia ellipsoidea). The fruit found weighed 500 kg and took 20 years to grow. Chinese scientists discovered it on Hainan Island. The cap's diameter was 88 cm, and its height was approximately 11 m.

A Canadian resident discovered a huge puffball while collecting mushrooms, weighing up to 26 kg. And in the US, biologist René Andrade found a titan fungus (Macrocybe titans) weighing 28 kg on a coffee plantation.

The oldest

The oldest and largest fruit to date is the Armillaria ostoyae, or dark honey fungus. This variety is found in the Malheur Wildlife Refuge in the United States. The fruit is indistinguishable from ordinary honey fungus, but the underground portion reaches incredible dimensions. The area covered by the mycelium reaches almost 1,000 hectares. Scientists have determined that this specimen is approximately 2,500 years old and weighs approximately 600 tons.

The fastest

Among the fast-growing fruits, the record holder is common stinkhornThe growth rate of the fruiting body and mycelium is so rapid that no other fungus has yet surpassed it. The fruit stalk can grow 5 mm per minute. This rapid growth is not an advantage, as these fruits not only ripen quickly but also age quickly. The life cycle of the common stinkhorn is 1-2 days.

Answers to frequently asked questions

Today, many giant mushrooms are known, some even edible. The largest varieties have even become true record-breakers for their size.

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