Scientists have long debated the classification of mushrooms, unsure whether to categorize them as plants or animals. Eventually, it was decided to designate them as a separate organism type – the kingdom of fungi. Additionally, mushrooms play a significant role in the cuisine of many different cultures. Let’s delve into this super interesting collection of facts about mushrooms.

1. In the central part of Russia, there is a walking mushroom called plasmodium. This mushroom, which resembles a jellyfish, moves by rolling from side to side.

2. Mushrooms can be edible, inedible, or poisonous.

3. In windless conditions, mushrooms can manipulate the weather to spread their spores. They release water vapor, which creates convective currents due to air cooling.

4. In the tropical forests of the Amazon, there are species of mushrooms whose spores rise high into the air, creating a surface for water condensation and triggering rainfall.

5. Mushrooms can form symbiotic relationships with trees.

6. Mushrooms have existed for 400 million years, meaning they existed long before dinosaurs appeared on Earth.

7. Mushrooms produce vitamin D. In conditions with sufficient sunlight, mushrooms can even tan. This affects the color of their caps.

8. Nature has created male and female mushroom individuals. This fact has been proven by studying their DNA, which closely resembles human sex chromosomes.

9. Mushrooms grow all year round, but they are most abundant in autumn.

10. Most mushrooms consist of 90% water.

11. In many countries, only button mushrooms are consumed, without gathering wild mushrooms.

12. The most expensive mushrooms in the world are truffles, which currently cost between $3 and $7 per gram on average.

13. There are about 2 million species of mushrooms on Earth, but only a fraction of them have been classified so far. Scientists have identified approximately 80,000 species of these organisms.

14. The panther mushroom and the destroying angel are the most poisonous mushrooms in the world. The cap of the latter is enough to poison 3-4 people. No processing methods can eliminate their toxic effects.

15. Mushrooms survived in the area affected by the Chernobyl disaster.

16. The main body of a mushroom, mycelium, is located underground and is not visible to us. What we commonly refer to as mushrooms are actually fruits intended for reproduction.

17. The main body of a mushroom, mycelium, is located underground and is not visible to us. What we commonly refer to as mushrooms are actually fruits intended for reproduction.

18. Every two minutes, the fairy ring mushroom, which holds the record for the fastest growth, grows by one centimeter.

19. Mushrooms are virtually cholesterol-free.

20. Chanterelles can remove radiation from the body and contain a multitude of rare vitamins.

21. The largest mushroom ever found weighed around 140 kilograms in the USA, while the largest discovered mycelium weighed approximately two hundred tons.

22. Porcini mushrooms contain approximately the same amount of iron as meat.

23. The oldest mushroom was found in 1859 in a fossil with an age of about 420 million years.

24. White mushrooms are as nutritious as meat.

25. Mushrooms compete well with plants and bacteria that could potentially claim the nutrients within the mycelium. Some mushroom species produce antibiotics to eliminate all enemies and gain sole access to resources.

26. In most European countries, the russula mushroom is considered poisonous and is not consumed.

27. The spore walls of mushrooms contain chitin, the hardest biological substance on the planet.

28. Ancient shamans and Vikings knew that certain mushrooms contained substances that induce euphoria and hallucinations. Shamans used this property of mushrooms for rituals, while Vikings used them to fearlessly battle enemies.

29. China cultivates about 70% of all commercially sold mushrooms in the world.

30. Some mushroom species glow in the dark.

31. Shelf fungi, which grow on trees, can live up to eighty years.

32. Predatory mushrooms are common among fungi. Some species feed on insects, amoebas, and nematode worms, and even have special traps for this purpose. There are also mushrooms whose spores can grow inside living organisms, slowly killing them.

33. During mushroom growth, the pressure reaches 7 atmospheres, equivalent to the pressure in a dump truck’s tires. Therefore, at first glance, the soft cap of a mushroom can easily penetrate even marble and iron. If the cap doesn’t pass through, the mycelium will gradually break through the barrier with certainty.

34. Since ancient times, humans have known about the medicinal properties of mushrooms. It was from representatives of this kingdom that penicillin was derived, ushering in the era of antibiotics. Many people still consume beverages made with tea or milk mushrooms.

35. Some mushroom species hunt nematode worms by luring them into traps.