| Media
Contacts:
Dr. Larry Grand,
919/515-2667
Kathleen Angione,
919/515-3470
Mick Kulikowski,
News Services, 919/515-3470
July
7, 2003
In
Backyards and on Lawns, There’s Fungus Among Us
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
|
Like
uninvited guests at a summer barbeque, mushrooms
are popping up in backyards across North Carolina.
Heavy rains and mild temperatures have caused
an abundance of mushrooms on lawns, trees and
other landscapes, creating a potential household
hazard.
Several
species of poisonous mushrooms grow in North Carolina
that, if eaten, can cause anything from upset
stomach to death, says Dr. Larry Grand, a mycologist
and professor of plant
pathology at North Carolina State University.
There are no cures for mushroom poisoning.
|
Amanita
virosa mushroom
|
“I
haven’t received any human calls yet this summer,”
Grand says, referring to inquiries about small children
accidentally eating wild mushrooms. “But there
are almost always some of those.” He’s already
received inquires from worried pet owners who caught
their dogs munching on mushrooms.
In
most cases, a person would have to eat more than the
top, or cap, of a poisonous mushroom to cause serious
illness. But some species are so toxic that ingesting
a single cap could kill you. Some of the more deadly
mushrooms occurring in North Carolina include the destroying
angel (Amanita virosa) and the galerina (Galerina
autumnalis).
|
Galerina
autumnalis mushroom
|
There
is no universal rule for distinguishing poisonous
from edible mushrooms, warns Grand. Common beliefs
that poisonous mushrooms exhibit certain colors
or markings are untrue, he says, and he cautions
people against eating any unidentified mushrooms.
If
someone does ingest a potentially poisonous
mushroom, Grand recommends calling a doctor
first. Next, induce vomiting – preferably
using an emetic, or an agent that stimulates
the nervous system, like the plant extract Ipecac.
Collect the vomited material and a sample of
the mushroom eaten, including the base, in a
paper bag or cup. Store these items in a refrigerator
until an expert can identify them.
|
There
are no fungicides or chemical sprays that will permanently
eradicate mushrooms from domestic landscapes, says Grand.
“You can pick them,” he suggests, “but
they’re likely to come back.”
A mushroom is the reproductive body
of a fungus, similar to the blossom of a flower, except
the mushroom reproduces via wind-blown spores. After
landing on the ground, the spores are washed down into
the soil by percolating water and begin to germinate,
producing a mass of threadlike filaments called hyphae.
Eventually, the hyphae fuse with those of another mushroom
population, resulting in a new reproductive body, or
mushroom.
Without adequate moisture, a mushroom
may not form for several years, even though hyphae remain
underground. However, mushrooms will grow in abundance
provided there is enough moisture, and there has been
plenty of rain this year – more than a 90 percent
increase in the average statewide precipitation, according
to Ryan Boyles at the State Climate Office on NC State’s
Centennial Campus.
But mushrooms and other fungi aren’t
all bad. “They’re actually beneficial,”
says Grand. Fungi are responsible for breaking down
the majority of organic matter, he explains. “Without
fungi, we’d be knee-deep in twigs, leaves and
cut grass.”
-
angione -
|
Raleigh,
NC 27695
