The largest mycelium in the world. The largest mushrooms. The largest mushroom in Italy

Its weight is more than 20 kilograms, and its height is about 75 centimeters...

Scientists say that this is macrocybe titans and this specimen is one of the largest edible mushrooms that have ever been found on our planet...

However, it does not reach the record: in 1985 in American state Wisconsin found a galvatia gigantea mushroom weighing 140 kilograms and spanning almost two meters. This giant was included in the Guinness Book of Records.

The unusual find has already been taken to a special laboratory. Usually in such cases, giant mushrooms are dried and research is carried out to determine their chemical composition...

But this is the largest of the edible mushrooms, and here is an example of truly giants!

So, the top 10 giant mushrooms.

10. Calvatia gigantea from England. Weight 2 kg

Discovers ten large mushrooms Calvatia gigantea from England. The record holder was discovered by a young gardener, Terri Hodson-Walker, after the rainy season. The width of the giant's cap was approximately 46 centimeters, and he weighed 2 kilograms. After the discovery, the girl decided to submit an application to the Guinness Book of Records so that the macromycete would be officially recognized as the largest mushroom in the world. Scientific name discovered mushroom – Calvatia gigantea. This is an ordinary raincoat that can be found almost all over the world. This type can reach colossal sizes, but often becomes a victim of forest animals who are not averse to feasting on the raincoat.

9. Boletus from Russia. Weight 2.4 kg

Another contender for the title of the largest mushroom in the world is the boletus from Russia, discovered in the Tomsk region. Local mushroom picker Alexey Korol found a giant boletus mushroom in the forest near his village. The diameter of the giant mushroom cap was 36 centimeters, and the height of the stem was 28 cm. The weight of the record holder was 2 kilograms 400 grams! As the Rossiya TV channel noted, this is not some kind of alien - a mutant from outer space, but an ordinary boletus, not even wormy.

8. Lingzhi from China. Weight 7.5 kg

The found huge lacquered tinder fungus, or as it is called in China - lingzhi (Ganoderma lucidum) - weighs 7.5 kg and its diameter is 107 cm. The find was discovered in one of the provincial Chinese cities of Hezhou. This mushroom belongs to the genus Ganoderma, which has been used in Chinese medicine for over 2000 years. It is also called the “mushroom of immortality.” Lingzhi is believed to boost immunity through active compounds called polysaccharides, which can increase the activity of white blood cells. The impressive size and weight of the tinder fungus allow it to occupy one of the positions in the ranking of the most large mushrooms in the world.

7. Raincoat from Russia. Weight 12 kg

The largest mushroom in Russia is the raincoat, found by mushroom picker Vladislav Grabosinsky in the fall of 2011 in Perm region. The diameter of the giant's cap was 1 meter and 72 centimeters, and the height was about half a meter. The weight of the find exceeded 12 kilograms. Biologists do not consider this find to be rare. Raincoats grew in size and reached 20 kg in weight. Puffballs are eaten when they are still young. Since it was too late to eat the giant, Vladislav took him to the Department of Botany of Perm University for study. This edible miracle was included in the Guinness Book of Records.

6. Champignon from Italy. Weight 14 kg

In Italy, a kind of record was also recorded. A huge champignon, weighing approximately 14 kilograms, was found by Francesco Quito, a resident of the province of Baria. Despite the fact that the mushroom was discovered near the village, Francesco could hardly carry it on his shoulder, so he had to use a car. The mushroom turned out to be unspoiled and edible. I had to call my neighbors to eat such a giant.

5. Macromycete from China. Weight 15 kg

IN Chinese province A giant macromycete weighing 15 kilograms was discovered in Yunnan. The mushroom not only turned out to be huge, but also had an unusual shape. Outwardly, it resembled a hundred small mushroom caps growing on one stem! The diameter of the cap reached almost 1 meter. Scientists have not yet determined what species the eccentric fungal organism belongs to.

4. Macrocybe Titans from the USA. Weight 20 kg

If we talk about traditional macromycetes in the usual sense, then the leader in size can be called Macrocybe Titans, which grows in the Caribbean countries and the USA. In one of the southern Mexican states in 2007, a specimen was found whose mass was 20 kg and height - about 70 cm. However, this find is not the only one. In 2005, in the United States, Mexican biologist and mushroom specialist Rene Andrade came across the same mushroom, which also grew on a coffee plantation, and its weight was as much as 28 kilograms. Such big sizes make this macromycete the object of close attention of the scientific community.

3. Macromycete from Canada. Weight 26 kg

Canadian macromycetes can also compete in size. Canadian resident Christian Therrien discovered a raincoat weighing 26 kilograms. A man discovered a mushroom while walking with his son in the forest. The Canadians were amazed by their discovery and admitted that they had never seen such large raincoats in their lives. They took the mushroom home and had a photo shoot with it.

2. Fomitiporia ellipsoidea from China. Weight 500 kg

Another mushroom, found and studied by Chinese mycologists, grew 10.85 meters in height with a cap width of 82-88 cm. Scientists believe that this outstanding representative of the mushroom kingdom has been growing for at least 20 years. Giant tinder fungus with the largest in the world fruiting body was found on Hainan Island in 2010, and has now been studied and classified. The brown monster turned out to be a perennial tree fungus - a representative of the species Fomitiporia ellipsoidea. One of the authors of the discovery, Yu Cheng Dai, from the Institute of Applied Ecology (IAE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, says that he and his colleagues first found solid specimens of the same mushroom in Fujian province back in 2008. But still, those macromycetes were not as large as the giant from Hainan. Interestingly, the authors of the study did not deliberately look for the record holder, but simply studied the diversity of tree fungi in the forests of the island. “None of us ever imagined that a mushroom could grow so huge,” says Professor Dai. “We didn’t recognize him right away in the forest because he was too big.” Biologists estimated the volume of this mushroom at 409-525 thousand cm3, and its weight at approximately 500 kilograms. Discovered by scientists, F. ellipsoidea grows underground, so it for a long time remained unnoticed and was able to grow to such an impressive size.

1. Armillaria ostoyae from the USA. Weight more than 600 kg

The first line of the ranking is occupied by the largest mushroom in the world, which mycologists ( Mycology(from ancient Greek μύκης - mushroom) - a branch of biology, the science of mushrooms.) were discovered in relict forests of the USA. It is considered the largest living creature on the planet. This giant belongs to the Armillaria family, whose representatives have been known for their size for quite some time. Most of This living organism was underground; only small mushrooms could be clearly seen on the surface. The name of these macromycetes is Armillaria ostoyae or otherwise they are called honey mushrooms. One such honey fungus fits easily in the hand and is not too noticeable. But its mycelium, which is a single organism, occupied national park Oregon 880 hectares of area! Its tentacles are located underground and entangle an area equal in size to 1,665 football fields. The mycelium has been growing throughout Oregon forests for about 2,500 years, destroying the root systems of trees in its path. That is why this macromycete is considered the largest on the planet.

From time to time, information appears in the media that the largest mushroom in the world has been discovered, a new record holder among similar creatures. According to biologists, the huge parameters of the new finds are a natural phenomenon and are not a sign of any anomaly. These representatives of a special form of life, which combine characteristics characteristic of plants and animals, can grow to enormous sizes if favorable conditions are created for them.

Scientists find it surprising that many of the giant mushrooms discovered are edible. It is amazing that these giants were able to survive and grow to impressive sizes, despite the efforts of many mushroom pickers and the love of animals to feast on fresh mushrooms.

In the Oregon forests located in the United States, biologists were able to discover a fungus that is striking in its size. True, the terrestrial part of this record holder cannot surprise – Armillaria ostoyae fits in the palm of your hand. We know these mushrooms as honey mushrooms. Scientists were really surprised by the size of the mycelium, which is impressive with its parameters:

• the area occupied by the rhizome of the fungus is 880 hectares;
• Mycelium can cover about 1,665 football fields;
• the age of formation of the fungal root system is 2500 years;
• the estimated weight of the mycelium is more than 600 kg.

Biologists, after conducting research, have established that the discovered Armillaria ostoyae is not only the largest among other mushrooms, but also the greatest living creature on the planet. Even the roots of some centuries-old trees were destroyed by the mycelium of this giant.

In 2010, a huge tree fungus, Phellinus ellipsoideus, was discovered in China. In about 20 years, it managed to reach a height of 10.85 m. The width of its cap reaches 88 cm. Scientists managed to discover it while studying various tree mushrooms on the island of Hainan. The giant grew underground, which prevented it from being discovered earlier. According to a rough estimate by biologists, the weight of Phellinus ellipsoideus reaches 500 kg.

In 2005, a Mexican biologist in the United States found a macrocybe mushroom that grew between coffee trees and weighed 28 kg. Two years later, another macrocybe of impressive size was discovered on a coffee plantation in Mexico. The giant, found in 2007, towered 70 cm above the ground. Its weight was 20 kg. Now scientists are trying to determine whether coffee trees have positive influence on mushrooms, which promotes their rapid growth.

Christian Terren discovered a raincoat in the forest that was amazing in its size. This mushroom was found in Canada. A raincoat weighing 26 kg was first encountered in this country. It was discovered by chance and immediately hit the pages of newspapers. Thanks to its hidden location and favorable weather conditions the mushroom was able to reach colossal sizes.

Biologists still cannot determine the type of mushroom found in the Yunnan province of China. This amazing creature had one leg and a lot of small caps that merged into one top. The diameter of such an unusual cap reached 1 m. The macromycete weighed 15 kg.

The real giant was discovered in the Italian province of Baria. A resident of one of the villages near his home came across a huge champignon. The weight of the find reached 14 kg. A thorough examination showed that this giant is quite edible. The champignon was taken home by a lucky mushroom picker and cooked. There were enough dishes from it to arrange a small feast for the inhabitants of the house and their neighbors.

Another record holder was a huge raincoat, weighing 12 kg. This giant mushroom was found in the Perm region. But, according to biologists, larger raincoats are also found in Russia. According to unconfirmed reports, micromycetes were identified, the weight of which reached 20 kg. The found mushroom was taken to Perm University for study.

The varnished tinder fungus also takes pride of place among the largest mushrooms. Residents of the small Chinese town of Hezhou managed to discover the giant. The Chinese call this mushroom lingzhi. It has been used for more than 2000 years in alternative medicine for the preparation of medicinal potions. The weight of the find was 7.5 kg, and the diameter of this giant reached 107 cm.

Another mushroom of significant size was discovered in Russia. A huge boletus was found by a resident of the Tomsk region. The hat of the discovered giant reached 36 cm in diameter. The stem of the mushroom rose 28 cm above the ground. The mushroom was edible and not damaged by worms. Weighing showed that the found giant weighs 2.4 kg.

After the rainy season, a young girl from England managed to discover a huge raincoat. The diameter of the giant was 46 cm, and its weight was 2 kg. For rainy England, such huge mushrooms are not at all uncommon. True, they rarely grow to such sizes. Often forest animals feast on them or they end up in the baskets of mushroom pickers.

Remember the gnome who sat on a fly agaric hat. He so often becomes the hero of fairy tales in some Western countries. His decorative sculptures adorn many parks and attractions around the world.

Mushrooms are very interesting for housewives who create culinary masterpieces. They are of particular interest to a certain category of young people who are addicted to hallucinogens.

Yes, for many it is not easy to pass by even just an image of an unusual specimen of a giant mushroom found by someone.

And when you go to the forest to pick mushrooms, you hope that you too will come across such an unusual find, a really huge mushroom, even a giant. But usually you pick the most common boletuses, boletus, milk mushrooms, trumpet mushrooms and others forest beauties. And some people are much luckier. And then the find becomes the subject of active discussion for a long time and gives hope to subsequent mushroom pickers that such luck awaits them too.

By the way, giant mushrooms not an anomaly, as biologists believe, and most of them are edible. And they find them in the most different parts Sveta.

Armillaria ostoyae (honey mushroom)

It was found in the relict forests of the United States. It is considered one of the largest creatures living on the planet. The largest part of it settled underground, leaving at the top only small mushrooms, macromycetes, honey mushrooms, any of which could easily fit even in your hand. But its mycelium is a single organism and is conveniently located on 880 hectares in the Oregon National Park. This is a real monster.

It grew for about two and a half thousand years, destroying tree roots along the way, and has now reached a weight of more than 600 kilograms. But hardly anyone can make soup from it. One of these giants was first reported to the general public in 1992 by the New York Times.

This giant tinder fungus, almost eleven meters high and with a cap width of 82-88 centimeters, was found in China. Similar outstanding representatives of the mushroom kingdom have been found here more than once since 2007. But a half-ton giant like this had never been seen before 2010. Yes, and it was discovered by chance during a study of tree mushrooms in the forests of Hainan Island, because for about 20 years it grew underground and remained unnoticed for a long time.

During a routine walk along forest paths, Canadian residents caught the eye of this 26-kilogram handsome man, who also became a fashion model.

A specimen weighing 20 kilograms and almost 70 centimeters tall was discovered in 2007 in Mexico among coffee trees. And two years earlier, a similar giant weighing only 28 kilograms was found on a coffee plantation in the USA. They are also called giant rows and ten-kilogram specimens no longer surprise anyone.

Macromycete from China

This giant, weighing 15 kilograms, was also of an unusual shape, as if on its single leg there were a hundred small mushroom caps, up to a meter in diameter. The species of this fungal organism, so eccentric, has not yet been determined.

A lucky mushroom picker from Italy carried this giant, weighing 14 kilograms, on his shoulder with great difficulty. If not for the car, it is unknown how he would have gotten home. Doubly lucky. The fungus even turned out to be edible, and in order to eat it, we had to call our neighbors for help.

Was found in the Perm region. Half-meter handsome man, hat in 1.72 meters diameter He weighed more than 12 kilograms, but they say that they met even more, almost 20 kilograms. Of course, the mushroom is edible, but it has served science because it is no longer young and is not as tasty as those that are much younger. By the way, this is the largest mushroom found in Russia. And it is absolutely certain that in the previous mushroom season nothing grew in this place. And in 2011, this giant grew among its fellow raincoats, which were only slightly inferior to it in size.

Porcini

Once "Moscow Radio" reported in live about a completely extraordinary find that can amaze the imagination and arouse the envy of any mushroom picker, even the most experienced one. This delicious miracle weighed almost eleven kilograms, and the diameter of its cap reached almost 60 centimeters. It is a pity that there is no information about the place of discovery, only the year 1961 is known. But one thing is clear for sure. For a mushroom picker, such a find is true happiness. About nutritional beneficial properties boletus is known to everyone, here he will leave behind any edible mushroom that is known to man. And that makes such a find even more valuable.

This is what they call the lacquered tinder fungus in China, a huge specimen of which weighs seven and a half kilograms and has a diameter of more than a meter was discovered in Hezhou. A real find for Chinese medicine. It was not in vain that it received the name “mushroom of immortality” for its remarkable ability to enhance immunity and has been actively used for more than two thousand years.

This find in southern Italy can be considered the most expensive mushroom. If the owner had sold this unique seven-kilogram beauty, he would have earned a lot, because there are no mushrooms in the world more expensive than truffles. But the family enjoyed the fried delicacy.

In certain areas of the country searches white truffle, the rarest and most coveted food ingredient in the world, is handled by dogs specially trained for it and only three last month of the year. And from time to time there are giants weighing up to two kilograms, most often sold at auctions and tens of thousands of dollars are paid for them.

He was found in the Tomsk region. A 28 cm leg held a giant's hat 36 centimeters in diameter. And he weighed 2.4 kilograms. And given his parameters, he wasn’t even wormy.

He grew up in the garden, where his owner discovered him when the rainy season ended. Handsome, weighing just over two kilograms and with a hat reaching 46 centimeters in diameter. In general, just touching such a mushroom is enough for it to break and stop growing.

And yet, it is quite rare to come across mushrooms of truly impressive size. And then the lucky one will notify the world about such luck.

Mushrooms - special shape life, combining the characteristics of plants and animals. Among them there are record holders for height and weight. Biologists believe that giant mushrooms are not an anomaly. Any mushroom can become a giant if it grows in favorable conditions. And oddly enough, most of the most huge mushrooms refer to edibles that somehow miraculously did not end up in the mushroom picker’s basket and were not eaten by animals.

The list includes the largest mushrooms in the world, which became known to the media.

weight 2 kg

Unlocks ten large mushrooms. The record holder was discovered by a young gardener, Terri Hodson-Walker, after the rainy season. The width of the giant's cap was approximately 46 centimeters, and he weighed 2 kilograms. After the discovery, the girl decided to submit an application to the Guinness Book of Records so that the macromycete would be officially recognized as the largest mushroom in the world. The scientific name of the discovered mushroom is Calvatia gigantea. This is an ordinary raincoat that can be found almost all over the world. This species can reach colossal sizes, but often becomes a victim of forest animals that are not averse to feasting on the raincoat.

Boletus from Russia weight 2.4 kg

Another contender for the title of the largest mushroom in the world was discovered in the Tomsk region. Local mushroom picker Alexey Korol found a giant boletus mushroom in the forest near his village. The diameter of the giant mushroom cap was 36 centimeters, and the height of the stem was 28 cm. The weight of the record holder was 2 kilograms 400 grams! As the Rossiya TV channel noted, this is not some mutant alien from outer space, but an ordinary boletus, not even worm-eaten.

Lingzhi from China weight 7.5 kg

The found huge lacquered tinder fungus, or as it is called in China - (Ganoderma lucidum) - weighs 7.5 kg and its diameter is 107 cm. The find was discovered in one of the provincial Chinese cities of Hezhou. This mushroom belongs to the genus Ganoderma, which has been used in Chinese medicine for over 2000 years. It is also called the “mushroom of immortality.” Lingzhi is believed to boost immunity through active compounds called polysaccharides, which can increase the activity of white blood cells. The impressive size and weight of the tinder fungus allow it to occupy one of the rankings of the largest mushrooms in the world.

Raincoat from Russia weight 12 kg

The largest mushroom in Russia is found by mushroom picker Vladislav Grabosinsky in the fall of 2011 in the Perm region. The diameter of the giant's cap was 1 meter and 72 centimeters, and the height was about half a meter. The weight of the find exceeded 12 kilograms. Biologists do not consider this find to be rare. Raincoats grew in size and reached 20 kg in weight. Puffballs are eaten when they are still young. Since it was too late to eat the giant, Vladislav took him to the Department of Botany of Perm University for study. This edible miracle was included in the Guinness Book of Records.

Champignon from Italy weight 14 kg

In Italy, a kind of record was also recorded. A huge champignon, weighing approximately 14 kilograms, was found by Francesco Quito, a resident of the province of Baria. Despite the fact that the mushroom was discovered near the village, Francesco could hardly carry it on his shoulder, so he had to use a car. The mushroom turned out to be unspoiled and edible. I had to call my neighbors to eat such a giant.

Macromycete from China weight 15 kg

A giant one was discovered in the Chinese province of Yunnan, weighing 15 kilograms. The mushroom not only turned out to be huge, but also had an unusual shape. Outwardly, it resembled a hundred small mushroom caps growing on one stem! The diameter of the cap reached almost 1 meter. Scientists have not yet determined what species the eccentric fungal organism belongs to.

Macrocybe Titans from USA weight 20 kg

If we talk about traditional macromycetes in the usual sense, then the leader in size can be called, which grows in the Caribbean countries and the USA. In one of the southern Mexican states in 2007, a specimen was found whose mass was 20 kg and height - about 70 cm. However, this find is not the only one. In 2005, in the United States, Mexican biologist and mushroom specialist Rene Andrade came across the same mushroom, which also grew on a coffee plantation, and its weight was as much as 28 kilograms. Such large sizes make this macromycete the object of close attention of the scientific community.

Macromycete from Canada weight 26 kg

Canadian macromycetes can also compete in size. Canadian resident Christian Therrien discovered a raincoat weighing 26 kilograms. A man discovered a mushroom while walking with his son in the forest. The Canadians were amazed by their discovery and admitted that they had never seen such large raincoats in their lives. They took the mushroom home and had a photo shoot with it.

Fomitiporia ellipsoidea from China weight 500 kg

Another mushroom, found and studied by Chinese mycologists, grew 10.85 meters in height with a cap width of 82-88 cm. Scientists believe that this outstanding representative of the mushroom kingdom has been growing for at least 20 years. The giant tinder fungus with the world's largest fruiting body was found on Hainan Island in 2010, and has now been studied and classified. The brown monster turned out to be a perennial tree fungus - a representative of the species. One of the authors of the discovery, Yu Cheng Dai, from the Institute of Applied Ecology (IAE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, says that he and his colleagues first found solid specimens of the same mushroom in Fujian province back in 2008. But still, those macromycetes were not as large as the giant from Hainan. Interestingly, the authors of the study did not deliberately look for the record holder, but simply studied the diversity of tree fungi in the forests of the island. “None of us ever imagined that a mushroom could grow so huge,” says Professor Dai. “We didn’t recognize him right away in the forest because he was too big.” Biologists estimated the volume of this mushroom at 409-525 thousand cm3, and its weight at approximately 500 kilograms. Discovered by scientists, F. ellipsoidea grows underground, so it went unnoticed for a long time and was able to grow to such an impressive size.

Armillaria ostoyae from USA weight more than 600 kg

The first place in the ranking is occupied by the largest mushroom in the world, which mycologists discovered in the relict forests of the USA. It is considered the largest living creature on the planet. This giant belongs to the Armillaria family, whose representatives have been known for their size for quite some time. Most of this living organism was underground; only small mushrooms could be clearly seen on the surface. The name of these macromycetes is otherwise called honey mushrooms. One such honey fungus fits easily in the hand and is not too noticeable. But its mycelium, which is a single organism, occupied 880 hectares of area in the Oregon National Park! Its tentacles are located underground and entangle an area equal in size to 1,665 football fields. The mycelium has been growing throughout Oregon forests for about 2,500 years, destroying the root systems of trees in its path. That is why this macromycete is considered the largest on the planet.

Mushrooms combine characteristics of plants and animals. Among them there are record holders for height and weight. Any mushroom can become a giant if it grows in favorable conditions. Biologists believe that giant mushrooms are not an anomaly. And oddly enough, most of the largest mushrooms are edible, which by some miracle did not end up in the mushroom picker’s basket and were not eaten by animals.

10. Calvatia gigantea from England (weight 2 kg)

Discovers ten large mushrooms Calvatia gigantea from England. The record holder was discovered by a young gardener, Terri Hodson-Walker, after the rainy season.

The width of the giant's cap was approximately 46 centimeters, and he weighed 2 kilograms.

After the discovery, the girl decided to submit an application to the Guinness Book of Records so that the macromycete would be officially recognized as the largest mushroom in the world.

The scientific name of the discovered mushroom is Calvatia gigantea. This is an ordinary raincoat that can be found almost all over the world.

This species can reach colossal sizes, but often becomes a victim of forest animals that are not averse to feasting on the raincoat.

9. Boletus from Russia (weight 2.4 kg)

Another contender for the title of the largest mushroom in the world is the boletus from Russia, discovered in the Tomsk region.

Local mushroom picker Alexey Korol found a giant boletus mushroom in the forest near his village. The diameter of the giant mushroom cap was 36 centimeters, and the height of the stem was 28 cm. The weight of the record holder was 2 kilograms 400 grams! As the Rossiya TV channel noted, this is not some mutant alien from outer space, but an ordinary boletus, not even worm-eaten.

8 Lingzhi from China (weight 7.5 kg)

The found huge lacquered tinder fungus, or as it is called in China - lingzhi (Ganoderma lucidum) - weighs 7.5 kg and its diameter is 107 cm. The find was discovered in one of the provincial Chinese cities of Hezhou. This mushroom belongs to the genus Ganoderma, which has been used in Chinese medicine for over 2000 years. It is also called the “mushroom of immortality.” Lingzhi is believed to boost immunity through active compounds called polysaccharides, which can increase the activity of white blood cells. The impressive size and weight of the tinder fungus allow it to occupy one of the rankings of the largest mushrooms in the world.

7 Raincoat from Russia (weight 12 kg)

The largest mushroom in Russia is the raincoat, found by mushroom picker Vladislav Grabosinsky in the fall of 2011 in the Perm region. The diameter of the giant's cap was 1 meter and 72 centimeters, and the height was about half a meter. The weight of the find exceeded 12 kilograms. Biologists do not consider this find to be rare. Raincoats grew in size and reached 20 kg in weight. Puffballs are eaten when they are still young. Since it was too late to eat the giant, Vladislav took him to the Department of Botany of Perm University for study. This edible miracle was included in the Guinness Book of Records.

6 Champignon from Italy (weight 14 kg)

In Italy, a kind of record was also recorded. A huge champignon, weighing approximately 14 kilograms, was found by Francesco Quito, a resident of the province of Baria. Despite the fact that the mushroom was discovered near the village, Francesco could hardly carry it on his shoulder, so he had to use a car. The mushroom turned out to be unspoiled and edible. I had to call my neighbors to eat such a giant. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle

5 Macromycete from China (weight 15 kg)

A giant macromycete weighing 15 kilograms was discovered in the Chinese province of Yunnan. The mushroom not only turned out to be huge, but also had an unusual shape. Outwardly, it resembled a hundred small mushroom caps growing on one stem! The diameter of the cap reached almost 1 meter. Scientists have not yet determined what species the eccentric fungal organism belongs to.

4 Macrocybe Titans from USA(weight 20 kg)

If we talk about traditional macromycetes in the usual sense, then the leader in size can be called Macrocybe Titans, which grows in the Caribbean countries and the USA. In one of the southern Mexican states in 2007, a specimen was found whose mass was 20 kg and height - about 70 cm. However, this find is not the only one. In 2005, in the United States, Mexican biologist and mushroom specialist Rene Andrade came across the same mushroom, which also grew on a coffee plantation, and its weight was as much as 28 kilograms. Such large sizes make this macromycete the object of close attention of the scientific community.

3 Macromycete from Canada (weight 26 kg)

Canadian macromycetes can also compete in size. Canadian resident Christian Therrien discovered a raincoat weighing 26 kilograms. A man discovered a mushroom while walking with his son in the forest. The Canadians were amazed by their discovery and admitted that they had never seen such large raincoats in their lives. They took the mushroom home and had a photo shoot with it.

2 Fomitiporia ellipsoidea from China weight 500 kg

Another mushroom, found and studied by Chinese mycologists, grew 10.85 meters in height with a cap width of 82-88 cm. Scientists believe that this outstanding representative of the mushroom kingdom has been growing for at least 20 years. The giant tinder fungus with the world's largest fruiting body was found on Hainan Island in 2010, and has now been studied and classified. The brown monster turned out to be a perennial tree fungus - a representative of the species Fomitiporia ellipsoidea. One of the authors of the discovery, Yu Cheng Dai, from the Institute of Applied Ecology (IAE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, says that he and his colleagues first found solid specimens of the same mushroom in Fujian province back in 2008. But still, those macromycetes were not as large as the giant from Hainan. Interestingly, the authors of the study did not deliberately look for the record holder, but simply studied the diversity of tree fungi in the forests of the island. “None of us ever imagined that a mushroom could grow so huge,” says Professor Dai. “We didn’t recognize him right away in the forest because he was too big.” Biologists estimated the volume of this mushroom at 409-525 thousand cm3, and its weight at approximately 500 kilograms. Discovered by scientists, F. ellipsoidea grows underground, so it went unnoticed for a long time and was able to grow to such an impressive size.

1 Armillaria ostoyae from the USA, weight more than 600 kg

The first place in the ranking is occupied by the largest mushroom in the world, which mycologists discovered in the relict forests of the USA. It is considered the largest living creature on the planet. This giant belongs to the Armillaria family, whose representatives have been known for their size for quite some time. Most of this living organism was underground; only small mushrooms could be clearly seen on the surface. The name of these macromycetes is Armillaria ostoyae or otherwise they are called honey mushrooms. One such honey fungus fits easily in the hand and is not too noticeable. But its mycelium, which is a single organism, occupied 880 hectares of area in the Oregon National Park! Its tentacles are located underground and entangle an area equal in size to 1,665 football fields. The mycelium has been growing throughout Oregon forests for about 2,500 years, destroying the root systems of trees in its path. That is why this macromycete is considered the largest on the planet.