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 non-edible 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 Amanita muscuaria Amanita were found to be dominant. and multisquamosa were the
two most poisonous species of mushrooms surveyed in the study site.