Mushroom in the forest...
One cycle period : 1 1/2 month
Date of 1 cycle : 18/04/2018 - 01/06/2018
Venue : Agroforestry Research Site, SISFEC, Ayer Hitam Forest Reserve, Puchong.
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Basidiomycota
Class:
Order: Agaricales
Family: Pluteaceae
Genus: Volvariella
Species: V. volvacea
Malaysia Today
Sneak peak on Volvaria volvacea
Volvariella volvacea is the most common edible fungi and it is well-known to the Southeast Asian. Some people only called it 'mushroom' without addressing the type of this mushroom since it have its 'cap' and the slender stalk; so its appear as mushroom. However, there are the real name for this mushroom which known as straw mushroom or 'Cendawan Jerami'.
There are four stages of development of straw mushroom. First of all, the tiny clusters of white hyphal mycelial will appear from the substrates surface after obtaining the nutrients. These white hyphal aggregate known as 'pinhead' which appear on naked eyes a minute small white ball. The successive stage of are named as "button", "egg", "elongaton" and "mature" stages respectively.
The structure of this mushroom consist of stipe (stalk), pileus (cap), as well as lamellae (gills). The "egg" stage is recognized as those "button" with the stipes a bit elongated. Thus they are more oblong-elliptical in shape, with a ruptured universal veil, and a part of the pileus can be seen on the outside.
Suitable size for straw mushroom to be harvested is the best during "egg" but acceptable for "button", which is the immature stage. The mature stage is when the mushroom stipe have elongated and the whole pileus is outside the veil. It is said that mature straw mushroom have decline for it taste.
Figure 1 Pinhead stage - Minute size of white fruiting body
Figure 2 Button stage - Relatively small white fruiting body but bigger than pinhead
Figure 3 Egg stage - Perfect stage for harvesting
Figure 4 Elongaton stage - the veil is ruptured
Figure 5 Mature stage - the cap is released from the veil