Lykogala woody - a description of where it grows, the toxicity of the fungus

The content of the article

1 View description
2 Where does the species grow
3 Reproduction of the species
4 Virulence
5 Interesting Facts
6 Video: woody alcohol (Lycogala epidendrum)

Lycogala arborea is an inedible species of fungi belonging to the reticular family. The Latin name for this fungus is Lycogala epidendrum. Most often, mushroom pickers call this species as a slug or wolf milk / udder.

In fact, lycogal is a type of mold that parasitizes on different surfaces (soil, wood) in places characterized by high humidity. This parasitic species of fungi is capable of movement.

View description

Woody Lykogala - although it is a fungus, nevertheless it is also, in fact, a form of mold, leading a parasitic lifestyle. In its appearance, the mushroom is very similar to a raincoat, but only of modest size. The shape of the fruit body of the mucus is spherical, the maximum diameter reaches 20 mm. The color of the fungus ranges from pinkish to saturated brown (the older the mushroom, the darker the color of its fruiting body). Young specimens have a fairly soft and delicate structure to the touch.

The surface of molds is scaly, the inside of the lycogulum is filled with a pink-red liquid, when pressed against the fruit body, this liquid is sprayed. A fully ripe specimen emits colorless spores emerging through the exposed upper body of the fungus.

Note that the wolf udder cannot be unambiguously defined as a species, since it combines the properties of both ordinary fungi and organisms such as amoeba. That is, this creature, which feeds on decaying wood and propagates by spores, is at the same time able to move very slowly in search of the required food and in the most comfortable places to grow (darkened, humid places).

Where does the species grow

Woody Lykogala is a common type of mushroom that can be found in the forests of our country. Most often, the mucus grows in moist and dark places. In addition to the fact that the main place for the growth of the fungus is decaying and old wood, often the wolf udder can be seen on the deadwood.

The peak fruiting of representatives of this species is from the beginning of summer to the beginning of autumn. In dry seasons, mushrooms begin to bear fruit earlier.

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Reproduction of the species

As already mentioned above - woody alcohol cannot be considered a full-fledged mushroom, since this organism has signs of both fungi and amoeba. In dry periods, when the fungus experiences a lack of nutrients, it accumulates all its forces for procreation. To do this, this slowly moving fungus parasite selects the sunniest place for subsequent reproduction (the appearance of a large number of fruiting bodies in the form of balls). When these balls and the liquid inside them dry out, the latter break up into many spores, which, in fact, in the future will give life to new offspring.

For spores of the mucus, just one drop of water is enough to form microscopic cells that do not have a membrane as such. Each such cell consists of a nucleus and the surrounding protoplasm. The main property of such a cellular structure is a rather rapid division, their constantly increasing number forms a characteristic mucous mass (plasmodium). At the next stage of development, plasmodium begins a slow movement in the direction necessary for its subsequent development, after which it forms new fruiting bodies with a bubbly surface.

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Virulence

Wolf udder mushrooms are inedible species and, accordingly, they are absolutely unsuitable for food.It is also not recommended to touch, crush and smell mushrooms of this species, since there is an opinion that the spores of this fungus can accumulate many pathogens dangerous to human health.

Interesting Facts

According to some reports, such a fungus as woody alcohol can develop in the human body. This type of mushroom is especially dangerous in the dry seasons, when, due to a lack of necessary food (wood), the liquor does everything to ensure that its offspring live.

The offspring of the fungus is unicellular living parasites, which, in essence, are the same Trichomonas at different stages of development.

Often this fungus is the cause of the appearance of such ailments as deep mycoses, in addition, it can provoke quite serious pathologies such as infectious endocarditis, rheumatoid arthritis and even cancer.

It is quite difficult to diagnose the disease caused by this fungus parasite, since it is often masked by other infectious ailments. The most important thing in the treatment of diseases caused by the fungus by the parasite of the alcohol which has entered the human body is timely and accurate diagnosis, only in this case the treatment will give positive results.

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