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Introduction

Dear Citizens of the Hive

This time I have the honor to share another Mushroom Protocol with an excursion. I went on a hike with my buddy @sandymeyer who showed me a trek he does, revealing some hot spots for mushrooms. Specially the one above got my mouth watery for some saprophytes just from the scent. Apart from the forest biophilia effect building up and the moisture arousing a fresh presence of mind, I really enjoyed the fragrance of the many oaks, beeches and confers. Fuelling up with trees, we were in a space for a mycophilia state of mind that built up during our hike. I was caught a bit off balance, because I am currently recovering from a stiff neck since that morning.

As usual, I will cover 3 common mushrooms and try to explain how to identify them. This post is a rather longer one. I will stick to making these protocols more concise and shorter.

Here I am sharing 30% with @sandymeyer and 30% with @hive-166168 as beneficiaries and apart from the rewards, I'd like to show my deepest gratitude for their support. Specially to @sandymeyer for keeping up his joyful enthusiasm and positivity and sharing so much passion for hive. I'd like to pay much gratitude and respect to @bambuka and @qwerrie, since their mycophilic energy permeates all the way to Switzerland through our blockchain and that they are felt by the hive here in the swiss mountains. As always, even mycelium must know everything?

The Trip

We arrived at a station and grabbed a tea before we started our walk uphill.

As you might know @sandymeyer recently had an incident too and is successfully recovering from an injury to his right eye and gladly sustained no damages from it.

We had a nice view on the valley along with some vines.

These facetious boards that make people aware to respect the forests on their visits humour me. I really liked the fact that I might have consequently not come across any trash in this forest.

Before continuing our walk after a stop at a fountain, @sandymeyer took a shot of me with my camera. I only used my 28mm lens on my camera. I simply love 28mm for film and photography.

The Beech Tree.

We pretty soon arrived at our first Jackpot. Of course @sandymeyer knew the place. I can't get that odour out of my head and I will forever have nostalgia from this when ever I harvest oyster mushrooms. This was officially my second time. It's as if the fresh sweetness from the beech tree has them emit a special scent when one cuts them. I smell a similar one with other saprophytes as well.

We harvested quite a bit of it before we went on.

Last time I covered an interesting fact about Hyphae

Hyphae, which are the filamentous structure of a fungus consist of oomycete, or actinobacterium and are collectively called mycelium. The Hyphae of mycelium are very interesting. They can grow 960 meters in 24 hours.

Oyster Mushrooms are Pleurotus Ostreatus has long been knows to cure viruses. It's mycelia produces an anti flu substance. Imunoglukan was created from isolated insoluble polysaccharide Pleuran from oyster mushrooms. They also belong to the ten most powerful medicinal mushrooms in the world. Next to reishi and cordyceps, Agarikon or Laricifomes officinalis is a super rare fungus in the order Polyporales. It's immunomodulatory properties are highly significant in our age and it will reveal to be an addition to the list. It is not yet commonly known and further studies need to be made.

We continued our journey through the magical forest in this autumn colored setting, being vitalised by the fresh moisture and a path covered by a sea of leaf.

Encountering carpets of moss filled with mycelium, rich mycobiomes became so apparent to us.

One fairy circle after an other of Clitocyble Nebularis

Recap

In my previous post Mushroom Protocol 06 , we went over 3 mushrooms.
Namely:

• The Clitocybe nebularis, , Clouded Agaric
• The Amanita Muscaria, , Fly Agaric
• The Pholiota squarrosa, , shaggy scalycap
  

So far we covered:

• The Scleroderma citrinum or earthball
• The Craterellus cornucopioides or horn of plenty
• The lycoperdon or puffball
• The Boletus calopus, bitter beech bolete or scarlet-stemmed bolete
• The Hygrocybe punicea, Crimson or waxycap
• The Hypholoma fasciculare, sulphur tuft
• The Hericium Erinaceus, Lion's Mane
• The Gyroporus castaneus, chestnut bolete
• The Stabilomyces Stabilaceus, old man of the woods
• The Hydnum repandum, hedgehog mushroom
• The Hericium Erinaceus, Lion's Mane
• The Coprinopsis atramentaria, ink cap
• The Hericium cirrhatum, tiered tooth fungus
• The Clitocybe nuda, wood blewit
• The Armilliria ostoyae, Dark Honey Fungus
• The Laccaria Amethystina, amethyst deceiver
• The Omphalotus illudens, eastern jack-o'lantern
  
• The Armilliria ostoyae, Dark Honey Fungus
• The Laccaria Amethystina, amethyst deceiver
• The Omphalotus illudens, eastern jack-o'lantern
• The Clitocybe nebularis, , Clouded Agaric
• The Amanita Muscaria, , Fly Agaric
• The Pholiota squarrosa, , shaggy scalycap
  
  

^{While identifying mushrooms one should be very careful and consult the advice of a specialist. Mushrooms that aren't identified properly and ingested can cause intestinal stress, could be very toxic or even poisonous. In some cases they can even cause death. This blog content is only for personal and educational purposes and not a guide on mushroom picking.}

Mushrooms

Last time we covered the Clitocybe Nebularis aka Clouded Agaric. It's smell is very interesting and so is also the one of it's cousin.

Clitocybe nuda, Wood Blewit

Here one can see the purple color in contrast to our other finds and the lamella attached to the stem.



This mushroom smells so amazing, I kept smelling it. It has a very nice aniseed taste.

Class	Agaricomycetes
Division	Basidiomycota
Family	Tricholomataceae
Order	Agaricales
Genus	Clitocybe
Scientific Name	Clitocybe Nuda
Common Name	Wood Blewit
Appearence	The violet-tinged cap and gills of the young wood blewit, together with its stocky build, distinguish it from other purple or lilac coloured fungi.Often growing in fairy rings in mixed woodland, the caps mature at 6 to 15cm in diameter and retain a slightly inrolled margin until the violet tinge fades and the surface turn buff with mid brown centres. Sinuate and crowded, the gills have a beautiful lilac flush when young, turning buff and then brown as the fruiting body matures.Source
Type	Mycorrhizal
Odeur	Faint aniseed odour and a pleasant taste.
Culinary	Delicious with veggies like carrots and reddish with herbs like oregano and chives
Habitat	Saprobic, on leaf litter in mixed woodland, the Wood Blewit is also found occasionally under hedgerows and even on garden compost heaps. These attractive mushrooms can also appear in dune slacks containing dwarf willow and other low-growing shrubs.
Taste	Distinct. Special
Medicinal properties	Animal studies suggest that extracts from blewit may be useful as part of immunotherapy treatments for certain cancers[iv]. Extracts of the mushroom also protected mice who had been experimentally fed high-fat diets from changes associated with Type II diabetes[v]. Fungal extracts are also effective against certain microorganisms, including several kinds of bacteria[vi] and have antioxidant potential[vii]. But the clearest benefit of blewits is simply that they are an extremely healthy food, having zero cholesterol and being low in fat and calories and high in certain micronutrients, notably thiamine. Source



Pleurotus ostreatus, Oyster Mushrooms

This is one of the most epic mushrooms to me. I remember eating them with a friend of mine who wrote the first vegan cookbook in Switzerland. At a time when most vegetarians didn't know what vegan is. He introduced them to me simply with olive oil, salt, pepper and a clove of garlic once they were fried and roasted slightly brownish. The taste and texture of Pleurotus, Pleos or Oyster Mushrooms redefined everything I thought I knew about mushrooms. I recently realised that for me, mushrooms were an acquired taste that came later in life.







Class	Agaricomycetes
Family	Pleurotaceae
Order	Agaricales
Division	Basidiomycota
Scientific Name	Pleurotus ostreatus
Common Name	oyster mushroom or hiratake
Appearence	White, cream, brown, or blue-grey (var. columbinus cap; usually bracket-like with either a radial stem or an eccentric stem; convex gradually becoming centrally depressed with a wavy margin; 5 to 18cm across; often in overlapping groups but with each stem separately attached to the substrate. White, turning pale ochre with age; crowded; decurrent gills. Source
Habitat	In common with most Amanita species, and with all common amanitas that occur in Britain, Amanita muscaria is ectomycorrhizal. The Fly Agaric forms mycorrhizal associations with a range of hardwood and softwood trees, notably birches, pines and spruces.Source
Type	Mycorrhizal
Odeur	Smell and taste pleasant but not distinctive.
Culinary	Delicious simple or in soups, prefried and added to veggies. Ideal as a side dish
Habitat	Oyster Mushrooms are sometimes weakly parasitic but more often saprobic and found on dying or dead standing deciduous broadleaf trees, particularly Beech and oaks and sometimes on fallen trunks and large branches.
Taste	Distinct. Special
Medicinal properties	Many authors discuss the health benefits of oyster mushrooms only as a group, not as individual species, a tendency that makes it hard to tell which studies apply to P. ostreatus, but also at least implies that all oyster mushrooms have similar chemical constituents and similar medicinal potential. These potential benefits an impressive nutritional profile and both antioxidant and antibacterial properties[v] Nutrition Oyster mushrooms contain very little fat and are, as a percentage of dry weight, high in both protein and fiber, as well as riboflavin and niacin, and, to a lesser extent, many other vitamins[vi]. Mushrooms categorically never have any cholesterol, since cholesterol is only made by animals. Mushrooms are not a practical dietary staple, since their water content is so high that a nutritionally significant serving would have to be impractically large, but what nutrition is there is of high quality. Many people also appreciate oyster mushrooms as a way to pack a lot of flavor and texture into a meal without adding a lot of calories, meaning the very quality that makes the mushrooms a poor staple makes them a very healthy luxury food. Anti-oxidant Effects A review of the available research showed that P. ostreatus is an unusually rich source of several substances with known antioxidant effects; the mushroom, or substances derived from it, have shown health benefits in experimental conditions involving rats[vii]. The review did not capture any clinical studies involving human subjects. Anti-microbial Effects One study[viii] tested three different extracts of P. ostreatus against multiple species of bacteria and fungi; while some extracts worked better than others, and some microorganisms were more sensitive than others, in general, the extracts were effective at inhibiting microbial growth. The study also identified the substance responsible for the effect. However, the study did not test the mushroom’s effect on living test subjects, human or otherwise. Anti-cancer Effects A number of studies have looked at P. ostreatus as a potential treatment for certain types of cancer. For example, in one, erythroleukemia cells were treated with either a substance extracted from the mushroom, heat, or both. The mushroom substance did kill some of the cancer cells, but was more effective in combination with heat[ix]. Another study compared the effect of three different edible mushrooms against breast cancer cells and colon cancer cells; of the three, P. ostreatus was the most effective against the cancer while also not harming normal breast and colon cells[x]. Another study tested protein extracts from three edible mushrooms, including P. ostreatus, on cells from colorectal cancer and leukemia; all three effectively killed cancer cells through a variety of biochemical mechanisms[xi]. These studies involved cultured cell lines, not the treatment of actual cancer in living subjects. Immune System Support ostreatus is a source of β-glucan, a substance with recognized immune support properties. One study looked at whether β-glucan derived from P. ostreatus could prevent the natural immune suppression the follows intense physical exercise. Human athletes were given either β-glucan or a placebo for two months. Blood samples were taken before and after exercise; those receiving β-glucan had higher levels of some immune cell types but not others[xii]. Vascular Health Support Rats with high cholesterol who received a P. ostreatus supplement with their feed both had their blood cholesterol levels drop and they also excreted more fat in their feces, but did not show adverse effects from the supplement[xiii]. Also, as noted elsewhere, mushrooms are a cholesterol-free, low-fat food, characteristics that are also useful for anyone attempting to lower their cholesterol levels. Benefits of Oyster Mushrooms in General The Pleurotus genus includes many species, and the term “oyster mushroom” applies to all of them. Some have been these have been the subject of medical research, and appear to be at least potential sources of new treatments of various kinds, but few such treatments have been clinically tested and there is a lot that is not known[xiv]. While different oyster mushroom species can have different properties and it would be inappropriate to treat them all as medically interchangeable, the members of this genus often share similar chemical constituents; the medical properties of one species hint at those of another. To understand the potential benefits of P. ostreatus, it is therefore useful to take a look at the other members of the group. Health benefits of various Pleurotus species include: * Anti-tumor and anti-cancer properties * Immune support * Cholesterol reduction * Hypertension treatment * Vascular health support * Antiviral properties * Antibacterial properties * Antioxidant properties * Arthritis treatment Pleurotus mushrooms and mushroom extracts have also been used as ingredients in cosmetics and as additives in fermented dairy products, such as yogurt. Source



Lactarius deliciosus, saffron milk cap







Class	Agaricomycetes
Division	Basidiomycota
Order	Russulales
Family	Russulaceae
Genus	Lactarius
Scientific Name	Lactarius deliciosus
Common Name	saffron milk cap
Appearence	The caps are 6 to 20cm in diameter; convex and then depressed; reddish orange, bruising green; surface granular becoming sticky when wet.Young caps have inrolled margins and are pinkish-orange. Older specimens are vase-shaped with sharpish rims, and they often develop faint pistachio-green irregular patches.The gills of this milkcap are shortly decurrent, crowded and bright orange, staining green when bruised. When cut, the gills release bright red-orange (carrot coloured) latex that eventually turns wine red. The stem is hollow and relatively short, 5 to 8cm long and 1.5 to 2cm diameter, the stem has a surface marked with a random sprinkling of shallow bright-orange pits (known as scrobiculations), especially near the base.Source
Habitat	Mycorrhizal, in coniferous woodland, particularly under pines.Source
Odeur	Fruity smell; the milk (latex) has a mild taste, becoming slightly bitter after a while.
Culinary	As its specific epithet proclaims, this large milkcap is generally considered to be a good edible mushroom (although many fungiphages say that there are in fact several superior milkcaps, supreme among which is probably Lactarius sanguifluus). It may be that the differing views about edibility of the Saffron Milkcap arises because the various species or sub-species within the Lactarius deliciosus complex differ significantly in their texture and flavour. This milkcap is good if cut into thin strips and grilled with steak and onions. Some people prefer them cooked slowly to remove any bitterness and the slightly fibrious texture that they can have if they are simply flash fried. Young caps, with their exaggeratedly inrolled margins, are generally considered the best ones for eating.Source
Medicinal Properties	Antimicrobial and antioxidant activities from Lactarius deliciosus have become medicinally important. Evaluation of metal concentration and antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer potentials of Lactarius deliciosus has also been determined. Anti-tumor activities of water-soluble oligosaccharides from Lactarius deliciosus have also been extracted from the fruiting bodies and yielded positive results. Source



Conclusions



On our way down the other side of the hill we saw an old fortress/ castle.



When we arrived, it felt like we were traveling back in time.



This is the deepest well in Switzerland from 1245. Switzerland's alliance was in 1291, so the fountain is older than Switzerland itself.

We found a few Mushrooms more and it was an epic experience. @sandymeyer is full of surprises and quite the mushroom hunter. He picked out one saffron milk cap after another camouflaged between orange leaf on a quick tour in a second forest.

Don't hesitate to tune in to our next Protocol Session.

Thank you for reading

Best Wishes
Rane

Previous Posts on Mushrooms:

• Mushroom Protocol 06

• Mushroom Protocol 05

• Mushroom Protocol 04

• Mushroom Protocol 03

• Mushroom Protocol 02

• Mushroom Protocol 01

• Neoboletus Luridiformis

• Xerocomellus Chrysenteron

• St. George's Mushroom

• Hunting for Morels

• Finding Back to Hive


Posts about Wild Herbs:

• Allium Ursinum - Wild Garlic

^{Vanishing
Dong Chang 东厂
aka Rane}



'While most just mimic their surroundings, some of us choose to become different. There are some inventors among them, but then there are the few whose visions reach beyond the set patterns of earth based pathways. They are neither from the future nor the past, manifesting universal presence.' - @yangyanje



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