The Western Ghats is a goldmine of macro fungi or what in common parlance are called mushrooms which store in them an economical potential that is yet to be tapped.
Their recent documentation, the first of its kind, has shown that there are 550-odd species in the Ghats of which nearly 100 are edible, nutritious and have medicinal value. These are revealed in the findings documented recently by Mr C Mohanan, a scientist with the Kerala Forest Research Institute till retirement last month.
“It has been three-and-a-half-decade-long research across Western Ghats hunting for fungi without which there would not have been any life around,” says Mr Mohanan.
Some of these are very highly priced and can be cultured outside the forests. He points to the case of the specie ganoderma and its umpteen varieties that are considered good for treating cancer. “Processing is so simple that the fungus just needs to be dried,” he adds.
There are some varieties that stick to the roots of plants and trees and transport nutrients like phosphorous and minerals to plants. Several of these mutualistic fungi are highly nutritious and edible and priced very high in the global market.
There are around 18 varieties of fungi found in termite nests that are all edible. Among the fungi found in abundance are aphrodisiacs too like cordyceps which grow from insect larvae. Even the globally acclaimed golden chantheralla has been sighted in several forests in the Ghats, says Mr Mohanan.
Fungi like amanita masceria, found extensively across the Ghats, are hallucinating ones and highly priced abroad. In several countries, the toxin from these are extracted and used for drugs. Only around five of the edible fungi are commercially exploited in the country.
A controlled collection, avoiding indiscriminate exploitation of this forest wealth and culturing them can mean not just huge revenue but also supply of healthy diet.
Their recent documentation, the first of its kind, has shown that there are 550-odd species in the Ghats of which nearly 100 are edible, nutritious and have medicinal value. These are revealed in the findings documented recently by Mr C Mohanan, a scientist with the Kerala Forest Research Institute till retirement last month.
“It has been three-and-a-half-decade-long research across Western Ghats hunting for fungi without which there would not have been any life around,” says Mr Mohanan.
Some of these are very highly priced and can be cultured outside the forests. He points to the case of the specie ganoderma and its umpteen varieties that are considered good for treating cancer. “Processing is so simple that the fungus just needs to be dried,” he adds.
There are some varieties that stick to the roots of plants and trees and transport nutrients like phosphorous and minerals to plants. Several of these mutualistic fungi are highly nutritious and edible and priced very high in the global market.
There are around 18 varieties of fungi found in termite nests that are all edible. Among the fungi found in abundance are aphrodisiacs too like cordyceps which grow from insect larvae. Even the globally acclaimed golden chantheralla has been sighted in several forests in the Ghats, says Mr Mohanan.
Fungi like amanita masceria, found extensively across the Ghats, are hallucinating ones and highly priced abroad. In several countries, the toxin from these are extracted and used for drugs. Only around five of the edible fungi are commercially exploited in the country.
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