Lightning really does make mushrooms multiply

(PhysOrg.com) -- Japanese farming folklore has it that lightning makes mushrooms multiply, and new research supports the idea. Mushrooms form a staple part of the diet in Japan, and the fungi are in such high demand that ...

Tracing the evolution of shiitake mushrooms

Shiitake mushrooms get their name from the same place they often source their nutrients—the shii tree, a Japanese relative of the oak. These fungi are part of the genus Lentinula, which have evolved to decompose hardwoods ...

Physics shows how the mushroom spews its spores

Plants use a variety of methods to spread their seeds, including gravity, forceful ejection, and wind, water, and animal dispersion. But what of the mushrooms, whose spores also need to be strewn far and wide to ensure their ...

Interest in gourmet fungi is mushrooming

With its large clumps of cascading white tendrils, the Hericium erinaceus looks less like a mushroom and more like a lion's mane (its nickname).

US shiitake market mushrooming

Shiitake mushrooms are the third most popular mushroom species in the U.S. In addition to taste, shiitake have a multitude of health benefits. Low in calories, glucose and sodium, shiitake are high in potassium, phosphorus, ...