| Cyclocybe parasitica | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Basidiomycota |
| Class: | Agaricomycetes |
| Order: | Agaricales |
| Family: | Tubariaceae |
| Genus: | Cyclocybe |
| Species: | C. parasitica |
| Binomial name | |
| Cyclocybe parasitica (G.Stev.) Vizzini (2014) | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Cyclocybe parasitica Mycological characteristics | |
|---|---|
 | Gills on hymenium |
 | Cap is convex |
 | Hymenium is adnate |
 | Stipe has a ring |
 | Spore print is blackish-brown |
 | Ecology is parasitic |
 | Edibility is edible |
Cyclocybe parasitica, also known as tawaka in Māori language or poplar mushroom, is a species of gilled mushroom in the genus Cyclocybe found mostly in New Zealand and Australia. It grows on native and introduced trees where it can cause heart rot, and does not seem to be associated with conifers.
Description
The cap is centrally attached, buff coloured, and darker at center. Stem is pale with white flesh. Veil is pressing against the gills and turns into a prominent ring often striated with dark brown spore print upon the stem expansion. Spores are cylindrical and thick walled with a prominent germ pore.
Ecology
The species grows parasitically and saprotrophically in hardwood trees such as Beilschmiedia tawa, Hoheria or Plagianthus but can also be found on Nothofagus, birches or poplars. It is native and probably indigenous to New Zealand. Fruiting bodies usually occur in late summer and autumn, sometimes single but usually in clusters.
Uses
Tawaka is an edible mushroom with meaty savoury taste. It can be collected in the wild or cultivated on logs that are inoculated four to eight weeks after cutting and defoliating. According to a study from Lincoln University in 1990, tawaka contains approximately 20% protein in dry mass, which is roughly half of what can be found in the common button mushroom, while the essential amino acid composition is similar. On the other hand, available carbohydrate content is almost three times higher.
Although most commonly known for its culinary value, tawaka was historically used by Māori people as a traditional medicine.
References
- ^ Stevenson, Greta (1982). "A parasitic member of the Bolbitiaceae, Agrocybe parasitica sp. nov". New Zealand Journal of Forestry. 27: 130–133.
- ^ "Mātauranga Māori: Fungi as food and medicine". The University of Waikato Te Whare Wananga o Waikato. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
- Sisson, Viv (2023). Fungi of Aotearoa : a curious forager's field guide. Auckland, New Zealand: Penguin Random House New Zealand. ISBN 9781761047879.
- "Agrocybe parasitica native heart-rot fungus of hardwoods". New Zealand Farm Forestry Association. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
- McKenzie, E. H. C.; Buchanan, P. K.; Johnston, P. R. (2000). "Checklist of fungi on Nothofagus species in New Zealand". New Zealand Journal of Botany. 38 (4): 635–720. Bibcode:2000NZJB...38..635M. doi:10.1080/0028825X.2000.9512711. S2CID 84975377.
- Mitchell, A.; Savage, G.P. (1990). "Agrocybe parasitica: The mushroom of future?". Proceedings of the Nutrition Society of New Zealand. 15: 175–178.
External links
- Agrocybe parasitica on the T.E.R.R.A.I.N site
| Taxon identifiers | |
|---|---|
| Cyclocybe parasitica | |
| Agrocybe parasitica | |