Some Stuff to Know About Fungi

The fungi kingdom is unbelievably complex, my introduction to fungi happened while living in rural Victoria’s dry country. When rain fell mushrooms sprang up on farm paddocks we picked and ate them. Youthful curiosity discovered tripping and psilocybin mushrooms were my favourite psychedelic substance. On ageing, past substance abuse, high stress lifestyle and employment and a less than sensible diet started causing health issues. Serendipitous alternative health advice taught me that medicinal mushrooms are millennia old proven cures for a range of illnesses.

Turkey Tail Mushroom’s known to limit tumour growth. Bernard Spragg. NZ from Christchurch, New Zealand, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Of more than 144,000 varieties of fungi, field mushrooms and toadstools are commonly recognised varieties. The ugly name' toadstool’ tags dangerous varieties. Some taste bad, some burn, some kill, and psychedelic varieties bend consciousness. Some magic mushroom varieties containing chemicals other than psilocybin have been used by shamans over millennia to navigate the intricacies of psychic universes. Some are not gentle, Fly agaric was used by Viking warriors to enhance rape and pillage performances.

The fungi Kingdom embraces yeasts, rusts, smuts, mildews, moulds and mushrooms. The fungi family has second cousins, by name only, these slimes and water moulds aren't 'kingdom Fungi' but they’re included due to similarities. Fungi grow all over the planet within chlorophyl based ecosystems, humans have long used fungi for food, medicine and exploring the mysteries of the mind.

Insect killing cordyceps fungi at work. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cordyceps.jpg

Mushrooms and mycelium (fungus ‘roots’) populate most of Earth’s land mass providing benefits to chlorophyl reliant flora populations, fungal mycelium mingles symbiotically with plant roots. Did Avatar, the movie, suggest tree to tree communications via mycelium?

Fungi scholars found Australian varieties sprouting after welcome rains snuffed out 2020’s shocking wildfires. It is thought that it’s been a century since these varieties last poked their fruits above forest soils rich in mycelium.

Bruce Fuhrer’s A field guide to AUSTRALIAN FUNGI is a comprehensive reference for those who are fungal curious, who like eating mushrooms, who enjoy psychedelic experiences and bushwalking photographers who record the kaleidoscope of colours and forms of Australia’s kingdom Fungi.

It is not intended to examine all 144,000 subjects of the fungi Kingdom; I won’t live long enough. This blogsite will investigate the attributes of toxic varieties, will explore fungi’s ecological interactions with chlorophyll dependent flora and their nutritional, medical and psychological benefits for humans and other life forms.