A species of giant mushrooms have been discovered in a province in China.
The massive size of the mushroom is impressing, measuring at a whopping 37 inches across and weighing 33 pounds. The large clump of mushrooms numbered over 100 caps attached at the base of their stems, according to AP. The fungus was on display by the man who found it.
The discovery of the unidentified mushroom was made in the Yunnan province, which is known as the Kingdom of Mushrooms. The province has over 600 species of edible mushrooms
Mushrooms belong to the fungi family, and is not classified as an animal or a plant. It is a different group of living organisms that reproduce by spores. Surprisingly, fungi is more closely related to animals than plans.
China has a bustling mushroom industry, selling over $44 million worth of mushrooms in 2005, according to The Diplomat. The country exports some of the priciest mushrooms in the industry, including the Tricholoma Matsutake.
Many mushrooms discovered in the wild may look safe to eat, but can be very poisonous, and can lead to death.
The recent discovery of the giant mushroom however is not the biggest fungi found. A giant honey mushroom (Armillaria ostoyae) was found in Oregon in 1998. The fungi was found growing underground, and estimated to be 2,384 acres in size and at least 2,400 years old.
The giant honey mushroom was responsible for killing large groves of evergreen trees.
Armillaria is a genus of parasitic fungi that live on trees and woody shrubs. It grows underground and most of the organism will lie in the earth. However, the specimen would send up golden-colored "honey mushrooms" during the fall season occasionally.
The honey fungus are long lived and some are known to form some of the largest living organimsms in the world.
According to Extreme Science, the honey mushrooms are supposedly edible, but whether it is tasty depends on personal opinion.
