Mushroom Diversity of Chitarpur Coal-Mine Area of Latehar District in Jharkhand State, India

Abstract

Mushroom is the fleshy, spore bearing fruiting body of fungus commonly used as food. In highly populated country like India, natural food resources like edible mushrooms are depleting day by day and there is possibility of extinction of many mushroom species in near future. Therefore a comprehensive study is necessary for data base conservation strategy and nutritional value evaluation of these wild edible fungi. The present study encompasses survey, collection, identification and ethno-mycological information of edibility and assessment of the nutritional value of mushrooms growing in Chitarpur area located in Latehar district of Jharkhnd state embellished with wide diversified mushrooms. A total of 70 number of species were documented by denoting their morphological identifying characters, fruiting bodies and their spores. These species come under 26 families and 45 genera; out of which 28 were lignophilous, 4 coprophilous, 32 chersophilous and 6 pedophilous mushrooms. Of these 15 were found to be edible while 38 were nonedible and 17 unknown as regards to the nature of their edibility. As regards to important families, Agaricaceae and Polyporaceae were the largest family represented by 10 species each followed by, Russulaceae with 5 and Marasmiaceae with 4 species. Among the prominent genera Agaricus, Lepiota, Leucocoprinus, Marasmius, Mycena and Lactarius were found to be dominant. Amanita muscuaria and Amanita multisquamosa were the two most poisonous species of mushrooms surveyed in the study site.