06-08-2013, 04:44 PM
Mushroom Diversity in North Eastern Punjab: Application, Prospects and Conservation
ABSTRACT
As a consequence of mycofloristic investigation of mushrooms of North Eastern Punjab, over 248 collections belonging to 70 species and 21 genera spread over 6 families are recorded. The North Eastern Punjab include five districts viz. Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Ropar, Fatehgarh Sahib and Patiala with an altitude ranging from 250 – 800m above MSL. The representative families include Polyporaceae (Fr.), Tricholomataceae Roze, Pluteaceae Roze, Amanitaceae Roze Agaricaceae (Fr.) and Russulaceae Roze. Out of these, members of Tricholomataceae Roze and Agaricaceae (Fr.) are very common. Members of Russulaceae Roze are confined only in Dhar Kalan block of distt. Gurdaspur. Some of the naturally occurring mushrooms are edible with excellent culinary characteristics while some are nutraceutically important. Almost all the species of Termitomyces heim collected from different localities of Punjab possess excellent edibility potential. Macrolepiota rhacodes, Chlorophyllum molybdites, Volvariela volvacea are common in Punjab and known to possess proteins, steroids and terpenoids etc. Some of the recorded members are found in close association with tree species. Lepiota columbicolor seems to form ectomycorrhizal association with Diospyros cordifolia. Crinipellis stipitaria was found growing on grasses. Russula rubra, Lactarius deliciosus var. piceus, Lactarius waltersii and Amanita vaginata are found growing in close vicinity with pine forest.