This article shows you Matsutake mushrooms from around the world

Produced by: Science Popularization China

Produced by: Rao Gu (Engineering Research Center for Edible and Medicinal Fungi, Ministry of Education, Jilin Agricultural University)

Producer: Computer Network Information Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences

In recent years, there have been frequent news reports about the capture and accidental collection of animals and plants under state protection. There is no "penalty", but there is a "judgment" that is very "firm" and reliable... There are many species under state protection, and you can't collect what you shouldn't collect, and you can't catch what you shouldn't catch.

Which species cannot be touched casually? Some people even came up with the conclusion that "the uglier they are, the longer they will be sentenced", which is ridiculous.

In fact, among the national protected species, there is one category that is particularly easy to be overlooked, and that is "mushrooms".

Four species of mushrooms under national key protection

If you want to know whether a species is endangered, you can check the World Conservation Union Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN Red List).

Established in 1964, the IUCN Red List has grown to become the world's most comprehensive source of information on the global conservation status of animal, fungal and plant species.

The list classifies species into nine categories: not evaluated (NE), data deficient (DD), least concern (LC), near threatened (NT), vulnerable (VU), endangered (EN), critically endangered (CR), extinct in the wild (EW) and extinct (EX).

It is worth noting that the IUCN Red List is an assessment of global species and sometimes does not reflect the endangered status of species in a particular country or region.

For example, Tricholoma matsutake, which is relatively common in China, is only recorded in a few areas in southwest and northeast my country in the IUCN Red List.

Therefore, to understand the endangered protection status of our native plants, cyanobacteria and fungi in China, we have to check our "National Key Protected Wild Plant List".

In 1999, the "National Key Protected Wild Plant List (First Batch)" (hereinafter referred to as the "List") was officially released, which included more than 270 species in three major categories: plants, cyanobacteria and fungi. Since all species in some families and genera are protected species, the specific number is not accurate.

In the fungi category, only two species are included, and their names are very familiar!

One is Ophiocordyceps sinensis, a fungus that grows on the larvae of bat moth insects, and the other is Matsutake, whose scientific name is Tricholoma matsutake, both of which are protected at the second level.

The famous insect-borne fungus - Cordyceps sinensis (Image source: Wikipedia)

In 2021, the List was revised to add two new mushroom species, one is Leucocalocybe mongolica, a famous wild mushroom on the grasslands of Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang, and the other is Tuber sinoaestivum, an important internationally traded fungus discovered in recent years.

Both species of mushrooms are unique to China and are of great value because they cannot be cultivated artificially and their natural distribution is becoming increasingly scarce. So far, a total of four species of mushrooms have been selected for the new version of the "List", all of which are rated level two.

In the IUCN Red List, Matsutake and Cordyceps sinensis are both vulnerable (VU), but Mongolian white mushroom and Chinese summer truffle are not included.

In fact, every protected mushroom carries a lot of human history and life culture. Today, I will focus on talking to you about the "mushroom affairs" of "Matsutake" around the world.

Matsutake (Image source: Wikipedia)

Matsutake, a name derived from China

The scientific name of Matsutake is Tricholoma matsutake, which can be said to be the most famous rare edible fungus in the genus Tricholoma.

Matsutake (Photo credit: iwemm10)

Although Matsutake is very popular in Japan, the name "Matsutake" originated from China.

There is a record of "pine mushroom" (the Chinese character "rong" means "mushroom") in Tang Shenwei's work "Jingshi Zhenglei Beiji Bencao" (1082-1094) during the Yuanyou period of Song Zhezong. It was named because it grows under pine trees and its buds look like deer antlers.

The word "pine mushroom" also appeared in Chen Renyu's "Mycobacterium" (1245) and Li Shizhen's "Compendium of Materia Medica" (1596).

Image source: Cover of the 1991 edition of "Bacteria Spectrum"

Some Japanese works, such as Tsuregusa by Kenkoshi, Seiryoshi Kiyoroshi by Doi, and Honcho Shokukan by Nozuru Bidai, all use the name "Matsutake" and believe that the pine mushrooms mentioned in "Mushroom Spectrum" are the Japanese Tricholoma matsutake (Matsu means "pine"; -take means "mushroom").

One of the reasons why Matsutake is so precious is that it is rare. They have high requirements for the growth environment and need to form mycorrhizal fungi with pine trees to grow, that is, they need to rely on the roots of pine trees to survive.

In my country, Matsutake is mainly distributed in the Hengduan Mountains in the southwest and the Changbai Mountains in the northeast. It is believed to grow in pine forests of about 50 years old at an altitude of more than 2,000 meters.

This kind of forest should be open, without too much dead matter and plants on the ground. If you face southwest, you are most likely to find matsutake.

Matsutake (Photo credit: iwemm10)

The Matsutake Family

Matsutake (Tricholoma matsutake) is a member of the large family of the genus Tricholoma. Species of this genus are scattered all over the world, with nearly 100 species in China alone.

Although they are widely distributed, many button mushrooms are extremely valuable, and some are even more endangered than Matsutake. Let’s get to know these precious mushrooms together.

The main distribution areas of Matsutake mushrooms in the world (Photo source: Mushroom Journal)

The Matsutake mushroom under the Cyclobalanopsis tree - Tricholoma zangii

There is a very famous mushroom in the southwest of my country - Qinggang Mushroom. In a narrow sense, Qinggang Mushroom refers to the Qinggang Matsutomonas Tricholoma zangii. This mushroom likes to grow under oak trees (local people call this tree "Qinggang"), hence the name "Qinggang Mushroom".

Tricholoma matsutake (Photo source: Chinese Large Fungi by Mao Xiaolan)

The Qinggang Tricholoma matsutake was discovered by Mr. Zang Mu, a famous Chinese mycologist, in Sichuan, Yunnan and eastern Tibet in 1990. It is also known as Qinggang mushroom, oak pine mushroom, white oak mushroom, oak mushroom, oak mushroom, etc.

The original Latin scientific name was Tricholoma quercicola. Later it was discovered that this name was a homophone of a North American species described by Murrill (the discoverer of "Tricholoma quercicola" below) in 1949. So in 2003, Chinese scholars gave it a new specific epithet zangii, using Mr. Zang Mu's surname to name it.

Tricholoma matsutake is endemic to southwest my country. It grows in alpine oak forests at an altitude of 2,800-4,000 meters in the Hengduan Mountains and the eastern Himalayas. It often appears in groups, has a large yield, and is mostly exported to Japan together with Matsutake.

The domestic literature on the morphological description of Qinggang Matsutake is relatively old. It is said that the smell is similar to that of Matsutake, and it has a refreshing fragrance when eaten raw. It often grows in oak forests, which is an important feature that distinguishes it from Matsutake.

"Silly" Matsutake - False Matsutake Tricholoma bakamatsutake

Its Chinese name is "false pine mushroom", also known as silly pine mushroom, oak pine mushroom, and flower-legged pine mushroom. In western Sichuan, it is often collectively referred to as Qinggang mushroom together with Qinggang pine mushroom Tricholoma zangii.

Careful friends have discovered that the Latin scientific names of false matsutake mushrooms and matsutake mushrooms are very similar, with the only difference being that "baka-" is added before the specific epithet, which means stupid or foolish. Baka is a Japanese word that is often used by anime and comics fans to joke about someone being stupid or dumb. There are many theories about its origin, one of which is very interesting: Baka is believed to mean "red deer", which originated from the story of Zhao Gao, the prime minister of the late Qin Dynasty in China, who called a deer a horse.

In my country, the idiom "calling a deer a horse" is a metaphor for deliberately confusing right and wrong. After being introduced to Japan, it evolved into the meaning of a fool or an idiot.

False Matsutake (Photo credit: iwemm10)

The false matsutake mushroom was discovered by mycologist Tsuguo Hongo in Japan in 1974 and is currently distributed in China, South Korea and New Guinea.

From a geographical perspective, there are two distribution centers of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in my country. The most abundant one is in the southwest region represented by Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan, followed by a small amount in the northeast region.

From July to October every year, the false pine mushroom quietly emerges from the soil in the Fagaceae (Quercus spp., Castanopsis spp., etc.) woods at an altitude of less than 2,000 meters. The yellow head and stipe are very similar to those of Matsutake, but the false pine mushroom is generally smaller than Matsutake and the color is darker. The cap usually has obvious block patterns, the scales of the stipe are obvious and often curled up, and it does not have the pungent smell of Matsutake. In addition, due to the different growth environment, it can be easily distinguished from Matsutake.

"Chestnut-colored" Matsutake - Tricholoma fulvocastaneum

The chestnut brown pine mushroom is mainly distributed in northeastern and southwestern China, Japan, Laos and South Korea, and has been listed as endangered in the IUCN Red List. Because of its similarity to matsutake, it was exported to Japan as matsutake in the past. As a result, people found that although the taste of this mushroom is not as strong as matsutake, it seems to be acceptable, and it became famous for a while.

Chestnut brown pine mushroom (Photo source: iucn)

The chestnut brown pine mushroom, also known as reddish brown pine mushroom, yellowish brown pine mushroom, chestnut brown pine mushroom, yellowish brown pine mushroom, etc., has a rather confusing Chinese name, but the meaning expressed is roughly the same, referring to the yellowish brown color of the mushroom cap. The specific epithet fulvocastaneum consists of two parts, "fulvo- (yellowish brown)" and "castaneum (chestnut)", "brown" means a darker yellow, and the addition of the word "pine" emphasizes its similarity in shape to Matsutake. The Chinese name "chestnut brown pine mushroom" is used here.

This mushroom is different from Matsutake. It likes to grow in pine forests. It mainly forms a symbiotic relationship with broad-leaved plants such as Castanopsis spp. and Quercus spp., and often grows in groups.

Unlike Matsutake, Tricholoma matsutake has a yellow-brown cap, a pointed base of the stipe, and a light smell.

The "unique smell" of white pine mushrooms - American mushrooms Tricholoma magnivelare

The Asian Matsutake is Tricholoma matsutake, while the American Matsutake is called Tricholoma magnivelare and is widely distributed in eastern North America.

Like Matsutake, they are also a type of mushroom that grows in pine forests, but they are almost completely white, so they are also called "white pine mushrooms."

American mushroom (Photo source: Wikipedia)

When young, the American mushroom is white, and its gills are covered by a membrane, just like those of the matsutake mushroom. As the mushroom grows, this membrane collapses, forming a ring on the stem, and the once "creamy white" American matsutake mushroom will now have many brown spots.

Unopened American button mushrooms are considered the best quality because they are more durable in transportation and their gills are clean and not contaminated with sand.

The American mushroom has a very distinctive smell. David Arora, the author of the 1986 publication "Mushroom Secrets," described it as a spicy mixture of chili peppers and sweaty socks. This "smell" description can't help but remind me of snail noodles, which are simply "spicy and smelly."

However, it is said that the smell of the American button mushroom will dissipate after being cooked. Therefore, this mushroom is still very popular in North America. After all, who would miss a mushroom that is so large, has such a strong meaty texture, is so widely distributed, and is related to Matsutake?

White Matsutake from the "American West" - Tricholoma murrillianum

Tricholoma mielii, the second of the three American mushrooms, is not distributed in China and was previously believed to be the American mushroom Tricholoma magnivelare mentioned above.

Later studies found that Agaricus americanus is only distributed in the eastern part of America, and the Agaricus mittelbergensis is actually distributed in the western part of America. Although they are very similar in appearance, they are indeed two different species.

This mushroom species, discovered in 1912, was originally classified as Armillaria. In 1942, the famous German mycologist Rolf Singer moved it to the genus Tricholoma and used Murrill, the surname of the original discoverer, as the specific epithet of this mushroom.

This type of Agaricus has a very fleshy texture, and its gills are usually curved. It is a mycorrhizal fungus, which means that it can only grow in the soil and coexist with other trees. The honey fungus is relatively less fleshy, sometimes with a yellow ring on the stem, and often grows in clusters on wood.

With people's current understanding of the genera Trichoderma and Armillaria, they generally do not confuse the species of these two genera.

Mushrooms (Image source: Wikipedia)

Agaricus mittelbergensis is also a kind of mushroom that grows in coniferous forests. It also has a pungent smell and is very similar to Agaricus americanus in appearance. Even professionals dare not say that they can tell the difference.

The latest research results indicate that the cap of Agaricus glaberycis is darker in color and has more uniform scales than that of Agaricus michelii.

Although the morphological differences are very subtle and far-fetched, they are better than nothing.

"Mexican specialty" Matsutake - Central American mushroom (new) Tricholoma mesoamericanum

The third of the Three Musketeers of American Agaricus is the Central American Agaricus Tricholoma mesoamericanum. The specific epithet mesoamericanum comes from the English word mesoamerica, meaning "Central America".

This mushroom was discovered in Mexico in 2017. Like the Tricholoma mielii, it was previously mistaken for the American mushroom Tricholoma magnivelare.

This type of mushroom is not distributed in China and is currently only distributed in the subtropical and temperate pine forests of Mexico. It is a species endemic to Mexico.

Because of its similarity to Matsutake, Agaricus oleraceus has been exported to Japan as an important economic fungus since 1989. High-quality Agaricus oleraceus that has not opened can even be sold for US$500 per kilogram in the Japanese market.

From 2017 to 2020, the IUCN assessed the number of Agaricus nigrostriatus in Central America and believed that the number of species had decreased by 50% in 30 years. It was rated as endangered (EN). It has not yet been officially announced. It is really caused by "greed".

Central American Agaricus (Photo source: iucn)

The researchers pointed out that the Central American Agaricus will gradually turn brown as it ages, which can be used to distinguish the American Agaricus from the Miller's Agaricus, but such a subtle difference is almost impossible to apply in reality.

Geography is currently the best, though unreliable, way to differentiate the three species of "American matsutake"; Agaricus americanus is found in eastern America, Agaricus michelii is found in western America, and Agaricus centralis occupies central America.

Through genetic analysis, these extremely similar mushrooms are indeed different species, but in terms of morphology, it is difficult to distinguish them. This is what we often call "phylogenetic species". When you encounter this type of mushroom, you don’t have to blame yourself for being "face blind".

"Tar-smelling" Matsutake - Tricholoma anatolicum

The Lebanese cedar Cedrus libani is an evergreen conifer native to Lebanon, Syria and Turkey. It grows slowly and can only grow to about 6 meters in the first 20 years. This tree is printed on the national emblem of Lebanon, implying uprightness and strength.

The cedar mushroom Tricholoma anatolicum was first discovered in the Lebanese cedar forest in Turkey in 2003. It does not exist in China and is endemic to Türkiye.

Since the meaning of the specific epithet is unknown, the locals like to call this mushroom "cedar mushroom". Since it mainly grows in the cedar forests of Lebanon, they simply call it "cedar mushroom".

Cedar mushroom (Photo credit: H. Alli)

The cedar mushroom has very demanding requirements for its growing environment: from September to November every year, the cedar mushroom will attach itself to the roots of Lebanese cedars and grow quietly in well-drained sandy soil at an altitude of 1,400-1,700 meters. In addition, the picky cedar mushroom has requirements for tree age - the symbiotic trees generally have to be more than 25 years old.

Similar in appearance to American mushrooms, the cedar mushroom is also completely white when young, and gradually develops a brown hue, but its smell is not as spicy as the American mushroom. The cedar mushroom smells like mushroom tar, similar to the smell of Lebanese cedar needles, and the smell disappears after cooking. This mushroom is mainly exported to Japan in the local area, and the export price is US$100 per kilogram.

"Boot-foot" Matsutake - European Matsutake Tricholoma caligatum

European pine mushrooms are mainly distributed in the Mediterranean coast of Europe, North Africa, etc. The traces of European pine mushrooms in my country can be traced back to the 1990s. At that time, some older illustrations recorded this species. Its distribution area was along the border of Xinjiang, Shanxi and Heilongjiang, dividing the northwest, north China and northeast China. It can be said that it is not "silky" at all.

Due to the lack of specimen citation and the lack of relevant reports in recent years, we should still be skeptical about the distribution of European Tricholoma matsutake in my country.

European pine mushroom (Image source: wikipedia)

In 1834, European matsutake mushroom was discovered in Italy as Agaricus caligatus (European mushroom), and was officially transferred to the genus Agaricus in 1914, and the scientific name has been used ever since.

Although the Chinese name is "European Matsutake Tricholoma", the specific epithet caligatum does not have this meaning. Caligatum comes from the Latin word caliga, which means "boots".

This is because there are brown scales on the lower part of the stem of this mushroom, which makes it look like it is wearing boots, so the Chinese name can also be considered "Boot-foot Matsutsugi" or "Boot-foot Mushroom".

European pine mushroom is not picky about food or vegetables. It can grow in pine forests, broad-leaved forests (such as oak forests) or mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forests. It is morphologically similar to the false pine mushroom Tricholoma bakamatsutake: it is relatively smaller in size, has a darker brown cap, and usually has obvious block patterns.

A rich variety of stories

In a narrow sense, matsutake refers to Tricholoma matsutake, while in a broad sense, matsutake refers to many species similar to matsutake. Even though so many are listed, it is still incomplete.

They, represented by the pine mushroom, tell people their value. In return, we should protect them, develop them reasonably, and live in harmony with them.

References

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