Ergot fungus
The ergot fungus settles in rye flowers, receives nutrients from them and grows rapidly. The fungus secretes sweet droplets that attract insects, insects arrive at the smell, get dirty in spores and transfer them to healthy plants. This is how ergot infects more and more plants. By the time rye ripens, ergot forms dark horns in the ears, which are called sclerotia.
If you grind the grains together with the ergot horns and eat the bread baked from such flour, you will get severe poisoning. In the Middle Ages, no fewer people died from ergot poisoning than from plague and cholera.
Smut fungus
The smut fungus mainly affects cereals. It settles in a flower when it is already fertilized and a small seed rich in nutrients has appeared. At first, the plant looks healthy, because the smut infects the internal tissues, but by the time the grain should ripen, instead of it, black spores of the smut appear in the spike. The plant looks like a charred firebrand, which is why the mushroom got this name.
Tinder fungus
On the trunks of trees, especially old and dying ones, you can often find a tinder fungus. Its mycelium is inside the trunk, and the fruit tree is on the surface. The surface of the mushroom is wavy, usually light gray in color. It extracts nutrients from wood and gradually destroys it.
Until the 30s of the 19th century, when matches were invented, well-dried tinder was used as an incendiary tinder, on which a spark from a flint fell.
Difference from other types of tinder fungus
Despite the large number of varieties of the family, it is extremely difficult to confuse the fringed species with other tinder fungi, since it has a unique color. A similar variety is the oak tinder fungus, or, as it is also called, woody.
So, both species prefer to grow on trunks closer to the soil, choosing mainly a fresh frame, which is a potential victim of tinder fungus, falling into the risk zone. In addition, the oak mushroom also becomes covered with sticky drops in wet weather. But it does not do without significant differences, the main of which is the choice of the breed, because if the pine tinder fungus loves needles, then the oak tree grows exclusively on oaks.
Mushroom cordyceps
Parasitic fungi also inhabit animals and humans. The cordyceps mushroom settles in the body of caterpillars, grows inside them, gradually eating their insides, and then grows out through the oral and anal openings, forms a fruit body, on which spores mature. Interestingly, the caterpillar lives for a long time with the mycelium inside and dies shortly before the fungus breaks out.
The use of tinder fungus in medicine
Most often, on the basis of woody mushrooms, dosage forms such as tincture and decoction:
- for making tincture, dried fruit bodies are crushed, after which 20 g of mushroom powder is poured with half a liter of a solution based on 250 ml of water and 250 ml of vodka. The composition is infused for three days, after which it is taken in a teaspoon once a day in order to strengthen immunity, get rid of inflammatory processes;
- for the preparation of the broth a tablespoon of crushed tinder fungus is boiled in 400 ml of water for a quarter of an hour, after which the composition is strained and cooled. Ready-made mushroom broth is taken 15 ml three times a day for the prevention of insomnia, in order to calm the nervous system, as well as get rid of stress and irritability.
In order to effectively reduce excess weight, a teaspoon of dry mushroom powder is stirred in half a glass of water at room temperature. Such a healing, quickly burning agent is drunk on an empty stomach. Before using medicines, it is important to familiarize yourself with the contraindications, as well as get a preliminary consultation from your doctor.
Mushroom septobasidium
The septobasidium fungus grows inside insects (scale insects). Interestingly, the septobasidium mycelium grows in the form of a house with tunnels, and the scale insects themselves crawl into the mycelium and live there until the mushroom eats them.
In man
parasitic fungi cause various diseases (mycoses): ringworm, scab, athlete's foot. You can get infected after touching a sick person, animal or objects that he touched, so never use other people's things, wash your hands thoroughly after stroking a cat or dog.
The healing properties of the false tinder fungus
False tinder fungus was used by Russian folk medicine as a hemostatic (for uterine bleeding), antineoplastic agent. Also, the mushroom was used for poisoning, for problems with digestion.
The study of the pharmacological properties of the tinder fungus has shown that the fungus contains substances that increase the body's immunity. Fruit body powder extract has a beneficial effect on the liver.
It has also been established that false tinder fungus is really useful for cancer. The use of drugs from this fungus inhibits the growth of tumors, prevents the formation of metastases.
True, it is not yet clear which substances of the false tinder fungus are responsible for this healing effect. It is also unclear how it all happens. Nevertheless, the mushroom can help with such diseases.
Types and groups
Conventionally, all parasitic fungi are divided into obligate and optional... Obligates are completely dependent on their carrier. They live on its surface or inside. Since they have a small amount of enzymes and consume only a certain set of nutrients, they have a rather narrow specialization. Most can only develop on certain species and varieties of animals or plants
Facultative are saprotrophs, which lead only partly parasitic life. Settling on a plant, they completely destroy it, and then continue to live, feeding on its remains. Unfortunately, these "scavengers" have a wide specialization and can settle on many types of plants.
The cohabitation period of the parasite and its host can be very different. From several days to several years.
Depending on the way the parasites act on their host, the diseases they cause are divided into two groups:
- Mycoses... They arise as a result of direct interaction with pathogenic microorganisms. In turn, they are divided into dermatomycoses, which develop on the surface of living organisms, and deep mycoses, caused by exposure to internal organs.
- Mycotoxicosis... They occur due to poisoning with toxic substances that the parasite produces. It can also happen after eating foods that have been infected with parasitic fungi.
Consider all fungal parasites:
Where it grows and when to collect
Another name for tinder fungus is pine, because it prefers coniferous forests. However, this does not mean that it cannot be found in a mixed zone or in some birch grove.Moreover, a cork-like hoof can easily grow on a personal plot.
So, the favorite species of tinder fungus in European and Russian forests are alder, hornbeam, beech, spruce, pine and birch, which are initially occupied in the lower part of the trunk with further migration of the parasite towards the crown.
Due to the similarity of the climate, the tinder fungus is a frequent visitor to the North American forests, growing from May to November. And even light frosts do not harm the tinder fungus, although critically low temperatures greatly inhibit its development.
Interesting!
If you transfer the cork fungus to the nutrient soil, it will give only one crop.
Parasitic fungi that live on plants
The most numerous group of fungi and parasites lives on plants. Most of all they like to settle on grasses, nightshades, and trees.
Head mushrooms
A very common pest of cereals. In total there are about 1000 representatives of this subspecies... It infects the plant during the flowering stage. As a result, by the time of ripening, the ears are covered with a bloom of black microspores, making the plants look like a firebrand. Hence the name of the subspecies.
Smut mushrooms are very difficult to kill. Their spores are resistant to etching. In the winter, they form a protective shell, and in the spring, falling into the ground along with the seeds, they germinate inside the sprout. They easily adapt to any climatic conditions. They can be found in tropical countries and in northern latitudes. This parasite is capable of destroying entire fields.
Rust mushrooms
They live on fruit trees, cereals, tomatoes and other plants. Spreading, they form spots of orange or cinnamon color, similar to rust. They damage the outside of the plants, thereby reducing the yield of vegetables and fruits. This type of microorganism does not completely destroy the plant, but eating from it gradually disrupts the physiological functions of the host. You can fight rusty fungi by spraying.
The developmental cycle of these parasites consists of five stages. Moreover, on one plant, you can see several at once. Rust fungi can also overwinter in the tissue of a perennial plant, and in spring or summer, the whole process is repeated.
Some of its subspecies can grow on only one type of plant, others on many.
Polypores
They differ from their counterparts in the tubular form of the hymenophore. They grow mainly on trees, occasionally in the ground. The fruit body of the tinder fungus looks like hoof-shaped growths, located in the form of shelves on the trunk of a tree.
They can be of very different sizes and colors. There are soft tinder fungi and hard, as if stiff. Before the invention of matches, dried tinder was widely used for making fires.
Fungi are parasites living on animals and humans
There are about 1000 species of parasitic fungi that inhabit humans or animals. And about 100 of them are pathogenic for humans. Fungal spores can be contracted through tactile contact, through things and objects, or through the air. Depending on the type of exposure, fungi parasites can cause mycoses (infections), mycoallergosis (allergic reactions), mycotoxicosis (chronic poisoning with fungal toxins) and mycetism (poisoning).
Candida
A yeast mushroom that has many subspecies. Refers to conditionally pathogenic microorganisms. It is rather a symbiont, since it can live in the body of a person or an animal for many years in a row without showing itself in any way.
Candida lives in the intestines of about 80% of people and even takes part in the digestion process. But a number of circumstances, for example, a decrease in immunity or others, can lead to the development of candidiasis. And this is a very dangerous and unpleasant disease. This fungus can live on the skin, but it especially loves to be located on the mucous membranes of a person. For example, in the mouth or genitals.There he manifests himself with a whitish bloom, itching and burning.
Treatment of candidiasis should be comprehensive and systemic. Since it is almost impossible to completely destroy candida in the body, the main task is to strengthen the body and prevent infections from developing.
Aspergill
A genus of aerobic molds. They include several hundred subspecies and are found in all corners of the world. They can grow on vegetables and fruits, food, rotten trees, or damp walls. At the same time, colonies are formed in the form of a fluffy plaque on the affected surface.
The danger to humans is that when inhaled, fungal spores can enter the lungs and bronchi, causing various diseases. Also, people can get mycotoxicosis when eating foods contaminated with the fungus.
How to deal with parasites
• It is necessary to alkalize, remove harm from parasites and fungi. This should be done regularly. It is the acidic environment that is the beginning of malignant tumors. In an alkaline environment, cancer cells do not develop, but in an acidic environment they feel great. Fungi and parasites are very acidic. If they are present, all erythrocytes stick together into columns and cannot perform their functions. The function of red blood cells is to bring oxygen.
• Limit simple and complex carbohydrates to reasonable limits. To figure out which carbohydrates you can, which you can't, which ones to limit, which ones to refuse.
• Do not take antibiotics at the first sign of a cold.
• Eliminate thermostable yeast from the human diet. Stop eating yeast bread.
Fig. 4 Ant tree.
Fungi are parasites living on insects
Fungi that parasitize insects are called entomopathogenic. Insect infection occurs with the help of spores, and as a result, the victim of the parasite almost always dies.
Cordyceps one-sided
This type of fungus affects only one species of ants. And the way they interact is very interesting. Penetrating into the insect, the fungus begins to actively spread throughout the body, forming some chemical compounds that can control the behavior of the ant.
In fact, the cordyceps turns its victim into a zombie. An infected ant leaves its colony, climbs a low plant and is firmly fixed there with the help of its jaw. He no longer moves and gradually dies. But even after death, the fungus does not allow the insect's jaws to unclench. Gradually, the body of the fungus sprouts from the body. This process takes 4-10 days.
Interestingly, what ants can sense if an infected individual enters a colony. It is dragged away from the nest to avoid spreading.
Entomophthora
A species of entomopathogenic fungi that parasitize many insects. For example, cabbage whites, spiders, ticks, aphids, locusts, etc. The method of infection is interesting. This type of mushroom, responding to the vibration of an insect suitable for them, shoots spores at a great distance.
A velvety coating forms on the surface of an infected insect, and the mycelium of the fungus penetrates inside. Gradually, the parasite completely eats the insect, leaving the shell intact.
Saprophytes - varieties of parasitism on living matter
Some types of fungi do not feed on rotted organic matter and vegetation, but are able to digest the keratin contained in the bones and hair of a living organism. This feature was formed as a result of competition for food habitat. There is not enough food for everyone and you have to somehow adapt.
All saprophytes are parasitic fungi that digest living vegetation and organic matter with pleasure. This ability arose in them as a result of a kind of competition for survival. The varieties of fungal parasitism are extremely diverse:
- Vegetable - saprophytes, feeding on sap and plant tissues;
- On insects - mushrooms can destroy a huge anthill in a matter of days and are a real misfortune for beekeepers;
- Animal - almost all wild animals suffer from fungus, this problem also affects entire farms;
- Man - everyone knows fungal diseases of the skin, hair and nails, as well as the mucous membrane;
- Brothers mushrooms - also become a victim of the parasitism of their fellows;
- Lichens are ideal food for saprophytes.
As you can see, nothing and no one in nature escaped the sad fate of becoming a carrier of saprophyte. They exist as aggressive individuals that feed only on the killed organism. For this they have a special poison in store, with which they kill the victim.
Mushrooms are parasites, the report on which we present to our readers, can take care of their prey, as they are able to feed only on living cells and juices. In any case, the waste products of the saprophyte penetrate the victim's body, gradually poisoning and destroying it.
Let us consider in detail the most dangerous individuals that cause irreparable damage to agriculture. Livestock and directly to humans.
Plant parasitic fungi
Parasitic fungi infest crop plants, causing enormous damage to agriculture by reducing the yield and quality of agricultural products, as well as plant death. They infect stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, plant seeds. There are many types of fungi that parasitize the underground parts of plants: roots, tubers, bulbs. Plants infected with fungi become unviable.
The main methods of protecting plants from fungal diseases are: the creation and cultivation of disease-resistant varieties, a high culture of agricultural technology, the development and use of effective and safe means of preventing and suppressing pathogens.
Head mushrooms
Smut fungi parasitize on cereals - wheat, oats, etc. The fungus of smut is located inside the stem of a cereal plant. The inflorescences of plants affected by smut, because of its black spores, look like charred, but similar but smut (hence the name of the disease - smut).
Ergot
The ergot fungus parasitizes more than 250 species of cultivated and wild-growing cereals, but mainly on rye. Ergot settles in the ovary of the plant's flowers. When plants are damaged by ergot, poisonous black horns (sclerotia) are formed in place of the ovary, consisting of tightly woven hyphae of the fungus.
Rust mushrooms
Rust fungi damage plant tissues, disrupting the processes of photosynthesis, respiration, and water evaporation. The ego leads to loss of crops, and in many cases ends up with the death of plants. Rust fungi infect more than 500 plant species. The disease caused by rust fungi is called rust.
Powdery mushrooms
Powdery fungi infect hundreds of plant species. A whitish mycelium develops on the surface of infected organs, forming a powdery coating (hence the name of the disease - powdery mildew). Then the mycelium darkens. Powdery fungi are dangerous parasites of wheat, rye, lupine, gooseberry, grapevine, oak, etc.
Popular varieties
Currently, there are more than 1500 species of tinder fungi, most of which are classified as conditionally edible mushrooms.
The most popular varieties:
- Larch (real). These mushrooms are characterized by a spreading fruiting body (20-30 cm long), painted in an off-white hue. In young plants, the flesh is soft and elastic, in mature plants it is hard and crumbly.
Larch tinder fungus is not edible, but it is used for medicinal purposes for the preparation of infusions, decoctions and powders aimed at removing toxins, carcinogens from the body, destroying pathogenic flora of the liver, lungs, biliary tract, accelerating metabolism (for weight loss). Most often, it grows on dead wood and dead wood.
- Flat (sulfur yellow).A characteristic feature of the mushroom is a voluminous dark golden cap (20-30 cm in diameter), visually reminiscent of polyurethane foam. On the surface of the fruiting body, uneven nodules are often present, covered with a dense matte skin.
The sulfur-yellow tinder fungus is edible only at an early age, since the caps of overripe plants are excessively hard. In addition to the food industry, the mushroom is used in pharmacology for the production of drugs aimed at combating rheumatic tuberculosis, esophageal cancer, impotence, stomach ulcers, diabetes mellitus, and liver diseases.
- Lacquered (Reishi). A distinctive feature of the mushroom is a shiny, plausible cap, planted on a side volumetric leg. Moreover, the color of its fruiting body can vary from bright orange to dark red.
Lacquered polypores are used exclusively for medical purposes, since the mushroom is inedible. It is the strongest immunomodulator with pronounced antioxidant properties. It is believed that the fungus is able to suppress the growth of cancer cells and is useful for people suffering from arthritis, rheumatism, asthma, and respiratory diseases.
Reishi studies on the possibility of its use for medicinal purposes are ongoing to this day.
- Umbrella. The rarest species of tinder fungus listed in the Red Book. The fruit body of the fungus consists of many small brown caps, bordered by multi-colored wavy stripes. The culture grows in places with high humidity, especially at the base of stumps and trunks of beech, maple, birch, hornbeam.
The umbrella tinder fungus is classified as an edible mushroom.
- Birch. Mushroom with globular fruiting bodies, light pulp and smooth gray-white skin. This parasite grows exclusively on birch tree trunks. On its basis, drugs and biologically active complexes are created, aimed at restoring the intestines (eliminating constipation), increasing the body's immune response, and calming the nervous system. The mushroom weakens appetite, has strong diuretic properties, due to which it is used for weight loss.
At an early age, birch tinder fungus can be used for food.
In addition to medicinal and nutritional value, mushrooms are the most important component of the cycle of substances in nature. Polypores, decomposing organic compounds to mineral ones, have a positive effect on soil biocenosis.
Parasitic fungi of animals and humans
About a thousand species of fungi, including some types of yeast, also parasitize pets and humans, causing various diseases of the skin, nails, hair. Such diseases are called mycoses or fungal infections. Mycoses are widespread, in which not only skin, hair, but also nails are affected (Fig. 55).
Mycoses can be transmitted in the household by using the same towels, shoes, clothes, toothbrush, comb, etc. Fungal disease can be contracted in public toilets, saunas, baths, swimming pools, beaches. Infection with pathogenic fungi is facilitated by damage to the skin - abrasions, scratches, cracks.
To prevent mycoses, you must follow the rules of personal hygiene when visiting the pool, bath, sauna.
Microsporia (ringworm)
One of the most common fungal diseases is microsporia (ringworm). The fungus affects the outer covers of humans and animals. A common method of infection is close contact with a sick person or animal. Ringworm often affects children who play with street animals - cats or dogs. The fungus can also be transmitted through the personal belongings of a sick person. When infected, a small convex red spot appears on the body (Fig. 54). The skin is itchy and covered with dry crusts. With microsporia of the scalp, the most characteristic sign is the presence of broken hair in the lesion.
