Exploring Goa's rich ethnomycology>Goa's popular shitol olamis-Termitomyces microcarpus

Goa's Popular Shitol Olamis
by Nandkumar Kamat
This is an article about Termitomyces microcarpus fruiting and ethnomycology
(originally published in The Navhind Times, Sept. 6, 2008)
I would not have ventured to write this article if I were not to look out in the garden on thursday. I spotted a bunch of ‘shiti or shitol’ olamis, scientifically known as Termitomyces microcarpus which invariably appear in Goa towards the end of monsoon. The peculiarity of the mushrooms lies in their total dependence on mound building termites. The first flushes of ‘shitol olamis’ may begin from second week of August. Having worked on termitophilic mushroom species for more than 20 years, it was a grand opportunity for me to study their habit, habitat and biology once again. These species are found in 40 countries and are assigned to three genera-Termitomyces, Podabrella and Sinotermitomyces. I stepped out in the garden and for a moment could not believe my eyes-the tiny, fragile, creamish, cute mushrooms were everywhere-near the wall, on scattered bricks, litter, hidden under the bushes. When one finds-‘shitol olamis’, it indicates heavy underground termite activity. My first encounter with these species had occurred at Bondir, Santa Cruz, in September 1986, when the thick mud wall of our old house had collapsed. My mother was familiar with Goa’s mushroom lore and could identify the vast crops of ‘shiti olamis’ which had come up on the fallen portion of the wall. On closer inspection I found that the mud wall had an active termite nest which was destroyed. The fungus comb had scattered around and after rains the ‘shiti olamis’ had grown from these fragments. It has been recorded by entomologist Rajagopal (1989) from Bangalore that termite workers actually pile up fragments of fungus comb on top of the mounds. And these pieces always produce only a single species ‘microcarpus’. There are differences among taxonomists. French mycologist Roger Heim (1941, 1942, 1977) thought that these were primitive Termitomyces species and accepted only a single species and two forms, one of which he had collected in Santhal region of west Bengal. Another famous mushroom taxonomist, Rolf Singer ( 1945, 1989) differed with Heim and placed the microcarpus species in a separate sub genus-Podabrella in which he accepted four distinct species and two forms. On molecular basis, however a different picture emerged. A Danish mycologist team led by Froslev (2003) analysed the sequences of nuclear encoded large subunit ribosomal DNA (nLSU-rDNA) and the mitochondrial encoded small subunit ribosomal DNA (mtSSU-rDNA) and showed that termitophilic fungi constitute a strongly supported monophyletic group within lyophylloid species. The genera Sinotermitomyces and Podabrella are derived within Termitomyces, and do not form monophyletic groups. This should end the taxonomic disputes. Interestingly, Goans know all these species and forms only by three or four local names- in Pernem they call these species- Shiringar ( decorative) olamis’, but as you move to central and south Goa- we get the names “shiti’ or “shitol’ olamis. The origin of ‘shit’ or ‘shitol’ lies in the sudden drop in temperature as monsoon nears end. These mushrooms are well distributed in Goa from sandy coastal belt to foothills of western ghats. Thanks to help from local people, so far I have encountered and studied hundreds of specimens from Molem to Majorda and Poinguinim to Panaji. At least two new forms were discovered. The one found at Molem showed uncanny similarity with a south African species confirming their common origin before the drifting of Gondawana continent. But my most surprising find was in August 1999 in Panaji from a banyan tree (Ficus benghalensis ) on DB Bandodkar road. I collected specimens from a height of three metres from a cavity of the trunk. Such an epiphytic arboreal habitat was not earlier reported. After I posted the details on internet (http://www.bio.net/bionet/mm/mycology/1999-September/007457.html), I received a mail from Costa Rica that a similar species had been found in central America growing on a tree-an unusual occurrence for the species and the habitat. Inspection of the e-mailed images however did not show much similarity with Panaji’s unique “shitol” olamis. Common habitats of “shitol olamis’ are gardens, orchards, near mud walls, floors plastered with cow dung, near broken or discarded termite mounds but never on trees. Did the termite workers adapt themselves to an urban environment? . Anyway Panaji was put in 1999 on world mushroom map as the only city to host the unique and novel habitat for ‘Goa’s shitol olamis. Keep our research in mind when you encounter ‘Shitol olamis’ anywhere in Goa this year and don’t forget to convey the information to me. But beware-amateurs should never collect and consume any wild mushrooms. There are many deadly poisonous look alikes of shitol olamis.

Grow Oyster mushrooms for nutrition and health

Grow Oyster mushrooms for nutrition and health
(Published in November 2008 issue of Goa Today)
Nandkumar Kamat
Goans are ecophiles and biophiles. They love outings, trekking, hiking, photography, greenery, indoor plants, gardening, sports fishing, making their own compost. Organic farming is growing in popularity. On the other side the morbidity and mortality profile of Goans show a record spurt in life style related and diet related diseases. This is possibly a combined effect of high calorie, high fat, low fibre diet , alcohol consumption and a fast, stressful routine. All types of tumours and cancers are commonplace. Obesity, Diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases are creating havoc. One way of finding a solution to some of these problems is including sufficient probiotics and immunomodulators in the diet on regular basis. Edible plants and mushrooms are nature’s ancient medicines. The cheapest sources of beneficial nutraceuticals are the edible mushrooms-especially those varieties which are suited to the region and climate and which one could grow like the vegetables in a small kitchen garden. The cultivation cycle could be planned in such a manner that everyday one can ensure supply of home grown oyster mushrooms. September to March is the best season for cultivation of Oyster mushrooms. November to February gives bumper crops as the Oyster mushroom species love the weather unless it becomes cold. Oyster mushrooms are a group of many species led by world’s second most popular edible mushroom species –Pleurotus ostreatus. The world consumes more than a million metric tones every year. India grows just a few thousand tones. I strongly recommend launching of a door to door movement to popularize cultivation of Oyster mushrooms-not for earning profits but purely for self consumption as essential natural nutraceuticals. Goans should learn to cultivate mushrooms as a kitchen garden crop. We rarely sell the produce of kitchen gardens unless it is in a marketable surplus. So cultivate oyster mushrooms to provide an important nutritional supplement, the necessary probiotics for your family. Anyone from five year old kid to a 90 years old healthy person can do it if the basics are learnt properly and simple hygienic practices are followed scrupulously. There are several advantages of growing oyster mushrooms at home. First it would teach one basics of biotechnology or how biodegradable materials like agrowaste can be converted into edible proteins. Second it would introduce one to microbiology-handling of the delicate living mushroom fungus unlike the green plants. Third it would teach one about physiology and technology of production-how to control temperature, light, humidity and ventilation. Fourth it would also teach the cultivator about farm hygiene, pathology and how it can affect the crop. Fifth, it would also generate excitement when first crop appears and produces good harvests. On the way cultivators could learn to keep their diary where they would be able to record their day to day observations. Oyster mushroom cultivation can be enjoyed individually or as a team by the family members. Self help groups can do it on larger scale. It is really a fun to grow your own, ready to cook food which also doubles up as a preventive medicine. As an illustrative example some of the benefits of Pleurotus ostreatus (Oyster mushroom) are given in the Box 1.
Box 1 Beneficial aspects of Oyster mushrooms

Mushrooms are nutritious
On a dry weight basis mushrooms have a high protein content (19-35%) . The quality of mushroom proteins is excellent because all essential amino acids for man including lysine and methionine, which are found. The protein content could be compared to 7.3% in rice, 13.2 % in wheat, 39.1 % in Soybean and 25.2 % in milk. Mushrooms have a high proportion of unsaturated fatty acids, supply vitamins such as riboflavin and nicotinic acid, pantothenic acid and appreciable amounts of thiamine , folic acid, and ascorbic acid. Mushrooms contain fibre, minerals and are low in calories, sodium, fat and cholesterol. This is a good news for patients with hypertension.
Oyster mushroom cultivation made easy
Pleurotus ostreatus is the second largest cultivated mushroom in the world. In India it
is commercially cultivated. Strain improvement and hybridization is mostly done with strains imported from Europe. Many varieties of Oyster mushrooms are cultivated in India. In Goa the white ‘florida’ variety, the strains released by IIHR, Bangalore and the Dharwad strains are popular. A brownish variety is know as sajor-caju which grows well. The raw material for oyster mushroom cultivation is any cheap biodegradable material with good moisture absorption capacity-most preferred is paddy or wheat straw. Beginners should not venture in any other material than paddy straw.
Basic principles
The oyster mushroom seed is known as spawn. It is grown on grains-from pure culture of commercial strain on sterilized wheat or jowar. Spawn is sold in glass bottles or polypropylene packs. Every grain is penetrated by thin filaments of fungus called mycelium. Under right conditions, the mycelium produces powerful enzymes and coverts lignocellulosic material into mushroom biomass. In the process carbon dioxide and some moisture is lost. So mushroom cultivation is solid state fermentation where carbohydrates are converted into protein rich edible fungal biomass. A cultivator learns to control the factors which permit good colonization of his substrate by mushroom mycelia and allows good conditions for fruiting while keeping away competitors and contaminants.
Identify a shaded place
You just need a tablespace or a canopied gallery to cultivate oyster mushrooms- a few kilograms at a time. Larger scales need rust proof shelves. The place need to be cool, free from mud, dirt, dust, insects, rats, squirrels and not exposed directly to sun, breeze or rains. There need to be provision for artificial light and ventilation and proper drainage.
Tools of trade
Paddy straw although not the cheapest is easily available local agrowaste. It is cellulosic material and is easily colonized by mushroom fungus after absorbing moisture. Ensure a good supply of crisp, fresh, well dried paddy straw. Store it in a dry place. Even the straw used for packaging would do. It can be sourced from glass dealers or fruit sellers in municipal markets. Polytheylene bags (45 X 30 cm) are preferable for cultivation. This techniques is known as polybag method. You need a chopper to cut the straw in small pieces. Use a plastic bucket or tub to soak the straw in water. A large utensil to boil the straw. Boiling at steaming temperature kills the surface contaminants.
The mushroom spawn
Oyster mushroom spawn of good quality can be ordered and purchased from mushroom laboratory, farmers’ training center, Ela farm, Old Goa or KVK, ICAR, Old Goa. A good spawn is recognized by uniform pure white colour and no foul odour. It needs to be used within 2-3 days.
Substrate treatment
Substrate means the raw material used to grow mushrooms. Its’ treatment involves, cleaning, chopping, soaking and boiling. The paddy straw has to be cut by chopper into finger size (3-5 cms long) pieces. Larger pieces are not good. Begin with two kilograms of fresh paddy straw. This would give you two to three filled bags. A kilogram of fresh paddy straw absorbs water about one and half times its’ weight after soaking overnight ( 8-12 hours). So two kilograms of chopped paddy straw would give a wet mass of about five to five and half kilograms. Take care that the straw pieces are kept under weight and do not float in the bucket or tub. After soaking drain the brownish water. Squeeze the excess moisture. Then use a large metallic vessel with a loose lid on top to boil the soaked pieces till steam builds up. Keep a lid till the straw gets cooled. Remove the boiled straw, drain excess water. Spread the straw on a clean plastic sheet. It is now ready to be filled in the cultivation bag.
Spawning and spawn run
The real fun begins now. All these operations have to be done on a clean surface, without any breeze. It is better to wash the hands with soap. Open the spawn bottle and remove the sticky spawn with a long spoon or clean knife. It could be emptied on a clean plastic plate. Loosen it to separate individual white grains. Remember, one bottle of spawn is about 200 grams and can be used for maximum three bags ( about six kg of wet straw). Make a small mound of the ramified white grains on plate from where you would take a handful each time to mix with the straw. This is like casting seeds in a farm. Open the polythene bags. Rinse with solution of Dettol. This kills any contaminants. Then put a layer of boiled straw, compress it evenly. Then on top of this layer, sprinkle in a spiral fashion a pinch or two of spawn grains taking care that full surface is covered. Then add another thick layer of straw to be topped by a layer of spawn grains. This is repeated 7-8 times to get a compact vertical cylindrical shape. Now you can see alternate layers of straw and spawn. A small space adequate to tie up the mouth of the bag is kept at top. The polybag can now stand on its’ base if it is properly and uniformly filled and compacted. The mouth is tied with a rubber band. Several bags like this could be prepared as per requirements. The bags are then kept in darkness in a clean, dry place to permit’ spawn run’ or multiplication of the mycelia from the grains on the straw. It may take from 8 days to 15 days depending on temperature and spawn ratio ( the ratio of weight of spawn to weight of straw). The favorable temperature for good spawn run is between 25-32 deg. Cel. And best is 27 deg. Check each bag for sign of contamination-by identifying any coloured patch.
Getting Ready for the harvest
One can notice that spawn run is complete when all the bags turn white and compact. The bags need to be brought out in light. Now the multiplied mycelium covering and binding the straw is looking for light, air and a semblance of rain. The top of the bags are rolled down to one third of the length and a gentle mist of water is sprayed from sides. This is done 2-3 times a day. The lights are needed at least 12 –16 hours a day. After opening of the bags, within two days small pinheads are noticed. If the full bag has uniform light then the pinheads would be found on all sides. If light falls on one part the pinheads would grow in that area first. The pinheads would now grow to produce oyster shaped mushrooms. The bags need ventilation to remove extra heat and trapped carbon dioxide. This is done using a pedestal, ceiling or table fan. Fans should be switched off during harvesting. Once the bunches of oyster mushrooms enlarge the spraying of water continues lightly so that the substrate does not become dry. When mushrooms reach a size of 4- 7 cms it is time to harvest them by detaching from the bag. This would be the first crop, known as ‘flush’. The flushes would continue for another 7-14 days with short gaps initially and long gaps for last few crops. Every time the older layer of substrate needs to be removed. Finally after 4-6 flushes no more nutrition is left in the bag and very few mushrooms may appear. The straw in the bag can then can be used either as a cattle feed after mixing it with jaggery or as an excellent soil conditioner after chopping it and mixing with soil or garden compost. Under normal conditions a polybag of two and half kg should yield at least a kg of fresh mushrooms. But getting 500-800 grams from all flushes is sufficient if it is your first trial. The freshly harvested mushrooms could be gently washed and used for many delicious recipes. Oyster mushrooms make excellent soups. The mushrooms can also be dried using a solar drier or a Stockli type dehydrator at 70 deg. cel. till they turn crisp as biscuits. The dried Oyster mushrooms need to be preserved in air tight containers.
What ensures success?
Success in cultivation depends on patience, understanding basic principles, choice of quality spawn, straw, strict compliance of microbiological and cultivation standards and farm hygiene. It helps to keep records for every batch. Two factors –consistent temperatures above 32 deg. or below 20 deg. and low (less than 60 % RH) or very high humidity (above 90% RH) affect crops. A cheap portable thermohygrometer would help to record both.
Value addition for surplus crops
In case there is a marketable surplus, ( few kgs per week or more) mushrooms can be processed. Mushroom soup powders, pickles, wafers and noodles are very popular in Goa. This market can be developed. The growers need to learn the basic techniques of processing mushrooms first. Only an outline is given below.
Mushrooms respire fast. They lack protective covering and being rich in water and soft in texture are highly perishable at ambient temperatures. The post-harvest technology of mushrooms focusses on the nullification of ill-effects such as decrease in freshness, water loss, browning, off-flavour development etc. Some methods of mushroom preservation include the following:-
1. Deep freezing
2. In 20% salt solution
3. In vinegar
4. In sodium or Potassium metabisulphite solution
5. Sun drying
6. Dehydration using an oven or drier
7. Freeze-drying
8. Frying and salting
9. Canning and bottling
10. Pickling
Of these freeze drying , canning and bottling methods are expensive and are used only by the large processing units whereas other methods are inexpensive and suitable for small quantities of mushrooms. More information could be obtained from Central Food Technological research institute-CFTRI, Mysore.
Readers could take practical advice on cultivation from Directorate of agriculture , Panaji, Mushroom laboratory Ela farm and From KVK, ICAR. Many technical details have been omitted to keep the methods as simple as possible. If one succeeds in gardening then mushroom cultivation is not difficult. Include Oyster mushrooms in your menu every day and fight ageing and diseases.

More encounters with mushrooms-Goa today, October 2008

More encounters with mushrooms
Nandkumar Kamat
(Published in october 2008, Goa Today, Panaji, Goa)
During past 22 years I had many interesting encounters with the world of mushrooms. I was just a student of Ph.D. when Dr. Sangam and Mrs. Tosha had contacted me in 1990 to discuss their plans to start commercial production of button mushrooms (scientifically known as Agaricus bisporus) about which I had no knowledge then. My research was focused on wild local edible mushrooms-none of which had been cultivated before. Button mushrooms were then not popular in Goa. The government was promoting Oyster (Pleurotus species) and paddy straw (Volvariella species) mushroom cultivation programmes. These were mostly centrally sponsored. There would have been a ‘ mushroom revolution’ in Goa by now if all those ( an estimated 5000 persons since 1986-7) who attended the free mushroom cultivation training camps were to take their training seriously. But only a few attempted to cultivate the mushrooms successfully. I remember a progressive farmer from Dabhal, Nirankal, Mr. Prakash Samant who used to visit me for consultancy. Mr. Samant had seen a programme on Doordarshan and began experimental cultivation of Oyster mushrooms in 1990-1. He was encouraged by the good yields and then immediately began marketing the small crops at ‘Sahakar bhandar’ in Ponda and Panaji. The rate for a kilogram of fresh oyster mushrooms was Rs. 60 in 1992. Later he began facing contamination problems and could not get quality spawn. I was impressed when he took me to his cottage level mushroom farm inside his kulagar. Unfortunately despite my modest technical assistance, after a few years Mr. Samant had to give up this enterprise. Then there was this enterprising couple-Mr. and Mrs. Shaila Hoskote who began oyster mushroom cultivation in their apartment in Taleigao. Mr. Hoskote even added value to the mushrooms by pickling them and selling the pickles in local market. By 2000 at least ten to fifteen small scale mushroom cultivators were selling small quantities of fresh oyster mushrooms in local market. But as the popularity of button mushrooms grew, many left the business as it became a risky and unremunerative economic activity. As for Dr. Kurade, after initial setbacks, he established himself firmly in the button mushroom production business after 1994-5. Dr. Kurade’s button mushrooms is now an established and popular brand in Goa and south India. He responded positively when I made an offer to have an MOU for research and development collaboration with Goa University. This MOU has been mutually beneficial. We would be aiming to acclimatize new species of mushrooms by conducting trial cultivation at his Bhatpal mushroom factory. We aim to domesticate local edible species of Pleurotus, Volvariella, Auricularia, Agaricus and the medicinal mushroom Ganoderma lucidum. Although I was successful in achieving a great scientific breakthrough in domesticating the local Termitomyces species during my research work ( there was a lot of excitement about it in a National Mushroom conference, Thiruvananthpuram, 1991 when I presented the findings) practically it is very difficult if not impossible to cultivate this species since it needs a mutualistic partner-the mound building termites (Odontotermes, Macrotermes, Microtermes) for fruiting. If this was not the case then it would have been the first species in the world which scientists would have attempted to domesticate. The record for largest gilled mushroom is held by a Zambian Termitomyces species-Termitomyces titanicus. It grows to a diameter of upto one metre and each single mushroom can weigh more than a kilogram. So imagine visiting a futuristic mushroom farm which produces these titanic species and carrying home dozens of edible umbrellas. During August-November we find the smallest species of Termitomyces in Goa-the ‘shiti’ or “shitol/xitol/ olamis. These sprout in hundreds and many a times in most unlikely places. Knowledgeable mushroom hunters who spot them, gather in basketfuls and immediately cook a delicious meal. My encounters with mushrooms brought me face to face with some strange experiences. Once past midnight my telephone at Santa Cruz rang. On the other side was Mr. Suhas Thakur Dessai, a teacher and progressive horticulturist from Lamgao, Bicholim. Apparently from the excitement in his voice I could see that he was describing a bioluminescent mushroom-possibly Lampteromyces japonicus. He described its’ bluish light emission from a jackfruit tree. He was prepared to travel to St. Cruz to hand over the specimen to me. I persuaded him to postpone his visit till morning. Next day he visited our microbiology department to present the rare specimen. Nothing could be done on it because it was spoiled. Thereafter I investigated the phenomenon of “devacharachi chud’. During August to October people see- “shining wood’ in the forests. This is noticed especially by the night trekkers. When one walks in the forest after a few showers, suddenly there is magical light around-a faint bluish to yellowish green glow emitted by trees. This glow comes from a natural phenomenon of bioluminescence-from the mycelium in the wood and the live mushroom species. People could not explain this phenomenon easily because there was ignorance about bioluminescence. Today we have mushroom cultures in laboratory which can made to glow in the dark. The ‘Devacharachi chud’ had a mycological explanation. During 1987-88, a person who had camped in forests near Dudhsagar waterfalls found a shining piece of wood. He rushed to press and next day a story about “radioactive wood at dudhsagar ’ was splashed in the daily on first page. I sent a letter to the editor explaining the bioluminescence phenomena. Wood can never be radioactive. On another occasion an employee of local mining firm brought a piece of wood to our laboratory. He had found it in Sanguem forest at night in September. We obtained a pure bioluminescent fungal culture from the wood. Today there is tremendous knowledge about bioluminescence and bioluminescent mushrooms. I also developed a peculiar spiritual connection with the topic of my research. It so happened that during my surveys sometimes I used to come back empty handed. Once after traveling 20 kms. inside a forest, I could not get a single mushroom specimen. Only an hour was left for darkness to fall and get back to our base camp where the hired vehicle was parked. I sat on a moss covered rock and made a strong mental wish to mother earth that she should not be so hard on me and she should bless me with mushrooms. I was literally talking to myself. I knew that it was irrational on my part as a scientist. Perhaps it was stupid. But as I gathered my gear and started walking towards the base camp- I found a wooden log fully covered by wild Pleurotus species. Then a little further there were other mushrooms. By the time I reached the base camp I had collected more than 20 samples, at least 15 species. Subsequently, my faith in mother earth became stronger and stronger as SHE showed me her natural bounty. I could find rarest of the species all of a sudden. It was a miracle when my brother, Rajendra called me to sample a huge crop of Termitomyces species at Bondir, Santa Cruz, recently just after Ganesh Chaturthi. Interestingly, just on the day of Ganesh chaturthi itself, I had just peeped out in my garden at Our university quarters and was amazed to discover a carpet of “shiti/Shitol olamis”. I consider the emergence of Termitomyces species at Santa Cruz near my house as a miracle because never in my memory, at least for past 45 years, I had seen this rare species anywhere in Santa Cruz. Initial investigations have revealed that it may turn out to be a novel species which I would like to name after my beloved father who is no more in this world. Over past three years I have also seen a new trend-with changing climate and few unseasonal showers new species of mushrooms are appearing. On April 6th, the caretaker from our vice chancellors’ residence called me to check mushrooms on the lawns. These turned out to be a novel species of Boletaceae-never seen in our campus or anywhere in Goa before. Thanks to generous support from western ghats secretariat, planning commission, Government of India, I could survey and catalogue with excellent help from my project assistants Ms. Kumud Phadte and Ms. Nikita de Silva the mushroom diversity of Goa’s western ghats. Highlights of this work have been published in Economic surveys-2005, 2006, 2007 a prestigious and useful publication of Goa government. My students did some interesting work for their M.Sc. dissertation projects. Notably, Ms. Asavari Kulkarni who works for M/S V.M. Salgaokars was successful in cultivating the wood ear or judas’s ear mushroom-Auricularia species on drumstick wood and paddy straw. Dr. Harshala Gad worked under me to discover the secret of Termitomyces mushroom genetics. Ms. Rajshree Patil showed that polystyrene foam- Thermocol could be decomposed by mushroom cultures. Ms. Paramjit Kaur prepared new strains of button mushrooms which gave excellent yields in Dr. Kurade’s factory. Ms. Kumud and Ms. Nikita helped me in cultivating a new, local strain of Oyster mushrooms which can be easily cultivated outdoors. Ms. Amisha Shirodkar worked on Calcium biomineralization and obtained excellent results from Ganoderma lucidum cultures. Ms. Jyoti Kalngutkar meticulously worked on mushroom cultural taxonomy and found exciting forms. Ms. Chinchu Remanan was first student from Asia to isolate yeasts from beetles feeding on mushrooms. Ms. Suchita Naik catalogued the toxic, hallucinogenic and medicinal mushrooms of Goa. At present Ms. Charmaine Desouza is working under me to catalogue mushroom diversity of Panaji and suburbs whereas Ms. Yvrone Rodrigues is cataloguing the biodiversity of lesser known mushroom species. Within a year or two we would be able to have a satisfactory scientific picture of the world of mushrooms in Goa. The knowledge would be suitably disseminated with peer reviewed research papers, popular articles, monographs, brochures, handbooks and mushroom cultivation kits. Attractive CD/DVD ROMS and video clips would be brought out capturing all the magic of Goa’s beautiful mushrooms. Obviously such scientific and research endeavor needs strong and sustained public support and encouragement. My encounter with mushrooms may continue till mother earth blesses me with HER bounty. I owe everything to her.

 

My Tryst with the mushrooms-I

Tryst with the mushrooms-I
(Published in ‘Goa Today’ September 2008)
Nandkumar M. Kamat
Department of Botany, Goa University

I was standing on the rocky bank of the Kushavati river examining the rock art gallery (GT, June 1993). The shamanistic connection was immediately clear to me. The small carving-a petroglyph of what looked like the world’s most popular, trance inducing Psilocybe mushroom close to the labyrinth indicated that the people of Kushavati culture were not different than people elsewhere in the pre historic period. They shared the same spiritual plain although their material world could have been dictated by the local resources. I had already identified, classified and interpreted the Zooomorphs in the Panasaimol rock art gallery ( ‘animals in rock art, in the ‘biodiversity on the western ghats, IIRR & WWF, 1995), but this was the first find in India-a mushroom carved by the ancient shamans of Kushavati on the rocks. It was an unique mycomorph. I am describing a nomadic society in the Zuari river basin which had no concept of gods or religion. But they were hunters, food gatherers. They were experimenting with plants and fungi. Wild Psilocybe mushrooms come up from dung. There was no way a shaman could have identified them as edible or toxic. They always took a calculated risk. So when the shaman tasted the raw Psilocybe mushrooms he (or was it She??) began experiencing its’ strange psychedelic effect. This also explains the source of creative impulse behind the rock art gallery. The psychedelic mushrooms have mind altering substances called “entheogens’ which produce a profound, undescribable spiritual experience. The rock art gallery at Panasaimal expresses visions of both-the spiritual world ( labyrinth) and the material world (geometric figures, cupules, phytomorphs, zoomorphs, anthropomorphs) of shamans of Kushavati valley. Although we have lost the link from the shamans of Kushavati to tradition of nature worship, the foundation of Goa’s ecotheological traditions- as elaborated in my research paper ‘ecotheology of termite Hill’ (Govapuri, 1999) are rooted in the people’s fascination of wild mushrooms and especially those which they found useful- to cook, as medicines and for magic. My tryst with the world of mushrooms began in 1986 when I worked for my Ph.D. My aim was to catalogue only the diversity of wild edible mushroom species of Goa. For nearly seven years ( 1986-92) I continued my field work and it brought me in contact with thousands of people who were repositories of ethnomycological knowledge. While continuing my scientific field and laboratory research, I also collected local knowledge on edible , toxic and medicinal mushrooms. About 100 different species of edible mushrooms have been discovered in Goa. But only 45-50 are locally known as edible. All types of mushrooms in Goa are known as “alami’ or “olami’. The most common words for mushrooms in Maharashtra and Goa are Alambi (Marathi), Alami (Konkani) and in Karnataka 'Anabi'. On etymological basis I found that these names had their origin in the cult of santeri/ Ela-Yellamma, the termite-hill goddess.. “Bee’ or “beej” stands for seed. So, Elam-beej or the 'Seed of Elam' became corrupted as Elambij -Alambij -Alambi -Alami -Anabe (Kannada). I specialize in the termitophilic mushrooms which grow on termite hills. Locally these mounds or hills are known as “Roen’. Goans consider them as sacred and believe that it is abode of goddess Santeri or Bhumika. Termitophilic species are found in tropical and subtropical Africa and Asia. At least 70 species have been recorded so far-the smallest one is just the size of a Rupee coin and the largest one almost a metre in diameter, weights upto two kilograms and is found in Zambia. During 22 years of my research I have catalogued alongwith my students about 30 different species of Termitomyces mushrooms in Goa. But unfortunately despite ban on their collection from the wild life sanctuaries these species are still overexploited and marketed. This has resulted in erosion of the diversity and has caused natural imbalance in ecosystems dominated by the termite hills. Post shamanism- the Goans continued their fascination of mushrooms by worshipping the termite hills. There is a scientific explanation of the fertility aspect of the termite hills which are built by worker termites over a period of 2-3 years. Termites are social insects having different classes and a system of division of labour. Only the termites of Macrotermitinae sub-family build massive overground mounds/hills. These have compartments where the termites store their food. This food is composed of finely divided and regurgitated dead plant matter. The termites grow a type of fungus called Termitomyces over this food-pile. The fungus grows on the pile and makes its digestion easier for the termites. After rains the fungus grows very fast. The walnut shaped mass ( which locals call “olamo’) inside each compartment shows growth of small white needles. The needles which soon assume shapes of matchsticks elongate and drill through the thick dome of the mound. Then comes a point when these mushrooms emerge in open. At this stage if anyone looks at their shape, size and colour, they look like small serpents, with bulbous hoods or depending on the species like erect phalluses or hooded snakes. If these are not consumed by animals or collected by humans the growth is complete in a few days. A beautiful umbrella like object with a cylindrical support and a ring is seen. It gives a fruity smell. This is the well known 'Termitomyces' mushroom. The prehistoric food gatherers must have discovered the food-value of these mushrooms. Simultaneously they were also fascinated by their magical appearance. The food- generating capacity of the termite-hill, after insemination by rains, was considered as fertility magic by the women-Shamans. Further, the food-piles, if a termite hill is excavated or destroyed, look like dissected animal-brains. For a hunting community, the association was not difficult. Termite-hill thus became a cult-symbol and the snake-like forms, white at the top and black underneath, the immature or pseudorhizal stage of Termitomyces mushrooms were transformed into Kshetrapala gods -the consorts of Santeri, Renuka andYellamma. The 'Nagakashtha' is one of the chief emblems of cult of Santeri, Renuka and Yellamma. It is carried by the Matangis in Karnataka and by the Guravas in Goa. The 'tarangas' are 'Nagakashtas' of Santeri and Ravalnatha, which are taken in a procession. The origin of 'Nagakashtha' could be traced to the snake-like objects emerging from the womb of the earth-goddess the Roen/Santeri. Later while working with Goa’s eminent cultural historian Dr. Pandurang Phaldessai I came across interesting designs of “Tarangas’ the sacred ceremonial insignia of goddess Santeri which matched the details of the morphology of a typical Termitomyces mushroom. The isomorphy was so fantastic that perhaps Goa is the only place on earth outside central America where such an importance has been accorded to worship of mushrooms. In this regard, it is pertinent to record the experience of the Bengalese tribes. They named the mushrooms growing on Termite-hills as ‘Durga-chhata’ or the Umbrella of Durga. This name signifies the importance of the termite hill as an iconic goddess Durga and the Termitomyces mushroom as her umbrella. Today I have no doubts that the first settlers of Goa-the Austric language speakers made the first connection between mushrooms and the goddess Santeri- the aniconic popular earth goddess. The Africans could not evolve a similar cult despite the abundance of mushrooms. Ethnomycology is the study of use of fungi by people. Goa has rich ethnomycological traditions. Even if we take the local names of various species of mushrooms it is sufficient to get some ethnomycological insight. With the first showers we get “fuge’ or “bhuifod’, these are the giant edible boleti. Some specimens weigh upto a kilogram. The mushrooms which sprout from the termite mounds are known by various names in different areas of Goa. A species with a beaklike protrusion (umbo) is known in Canacona as “chochyale or Toshale”. One which grows solitary is known as ‘Khutyale’. Edible Russulas are known in Cotigao sanctuary as “Pava alami or Shendari alami’. Then there are kuski alami, surya alami, dukra alami, tel alami. Almost at the end of monsoon till mid November we get ‘shiti or shitol’ alamis. This is a variety of termite hill mushroom species. I’ve collected ‘Shii’ alami’ from western ghats forest to coastal areas of Salcete. People gather these in basketful and cook immediately. It has to be noted that amateurs should never venture to collect any mushrooms from the wild for consumption because a large number of species are highly toxic. Those who collect mushrooms from the wild and sell these by roadside or in markets are expert mushroom collectors. They have the traditional knowledge of mushroom habitats, morphology and season. They can distinguish between the edible and toxic species. In forests they visit the same spots in search of a harvestable crop. Goans may love to purchase and cook the wild mushrooms. But the growing demand, higher prices have caused overexploitation of the wild species. I have done survey of marketed wild species from 1986. In that year mushrooms fetched a price of Rs. five per hundred. I found 10 to 14 species in market. By 1991-2 the price increased to Rs. 100. This year it has gone through the roof at rs. 400 for a packet of 60 or 80 mushrooms. The number of marketed species has come down to just five or six. The market trends show that the government and the consumers are not showing the same respect as they have for conservation and protection of marine turtles , marsh crocodiles, dolphins and bull frogs. I have clearly established that Goa has one of the best diversity of wild mushrooms in India. Besides we have rich ethnomycological and mycotheological traditions. My tryst with mushrooms continues but more about it in the next issue. ( to be continued) .

All About Mushrooms Of Goa

This is a single portal on ethnomycology, biodiversity, taxonomy, ecology, biology of Mushrooms of Goa and research carried out at Goa University by Dr. Nandkumar M. Kamat and his students