Edible mushroom
An edible mushroom is a fungus with a fruiting body considered safe and suitable to eat. Edible species may be gathered from the wild or cultivated.
Basidiocarp: The spore-producing fruiting body of a basidiomycete fungus, commonly called a mushroom. Most familiar edible mushrooms are basidiocarps, though their visible forms vary widely.
Agaricus bisporus: A cultivated mushroom species sold as button, cremini, or portobello mushrooms. Its familiar forms account for much of the commercially cultivated mushroom supply.
Morel: An edible mushroom in the genus Morchella, recognized by its honeycomb-like cap. Morels are sought-after wild mushrooms whose distinctive appearance still requires careful identification.
Death cap: A highly poisonous mushroom, Amanita phalloides, responsible for many fatal mushroom poisonings. Its lethal toxicity shows why a mushroom's familiar form cannot establish that it is edible.
Mycelium: The network of fungal filaments that grows through a substrate and absorbs nutrients. A mushroom is the temporary reproductive structure of a fungus whose main body is mycelium.
Shiitake: An edible mushroom native to East Asia, cultivated on wood and prized for its savory flavor. Shiitake shows how a wood-decaying species can become a major cultivated food.
Chanterelle: A wild edible mushroom in the genus Cantharellus, often yellow or orange with blunt ridges beneath its cap. Chanterelles demonstrate how habitat and underside structure help distinguish edible species from lookalikes.
Destroying angel: A common name for several deadly Amanita mushrooms with white fruiting bodies. These poisonous species can be mistaken for edible white mushrooms.
Fungal taxonomy: The classification of fungi into groups based on evolutionary relationships and shared characteristics. Edibility is species-specific, so accurate identification depends on naming fungi correctly.
Oyster mushroom: A group of edible mushrooms in the genus Pleurotus, often grown on agricultural plant waste. Its ability to grow on varied plant residues makes it useful in low-cost cultivation.