''Pleurotus nebrodensis'', commonly known as "fungus of Basil" or " macchia carduncieddu(?)", is a

fungus A fungus ( : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, separately from th ...

that was declared by the

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

as critically endangered in 2006. This fungus only grows on

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

in northern

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

in association with ''

Cachrys ferulacea ''Prangos ferulacea'', known in Italy as common basilisk (''basilisco comune'') is a perennial herbaceous plant present in the Mediterranean Basin, Bulgarian Black Sea Coast, and the Caucasus. Description Herbaceous plant 60–150 cm tall, ste ...

'' (family

Apiaceae Apiaceae or Umbelliferae is a family of mostly aromatic flowering plants named after the type genus ''Apium'' and commonly known as the celery, carrot or parsley family, or simply as umbellifers. It is the 16th-largest family of flowering plants ...

). The characteristics of the mushroom are its creamy white to yellow colour, its diameter of between , its extremely angled gills, and the breaking apart of the cap surface at maturity.

Taxonomy

The first record of the mushroom was in 1866 by Italian botanist Giuseppe Inzenga, who named it ''Agaricus nembrodensis''; it was described as "the most delicious

mushroom A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground, on soil, or on its food source. ''Toadstool'' generally denotes one poisonous to humans. The standard for the name "mushroom" is t ...

of the Sicilian mycological

flora Flora is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous) native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms '' gut flora'' or '' skin flora''. E ...

". This was widely agreed upon, which has led to widespread cultivation, by professionals and amateurs. In 1886, French mycologist

Lucien Quélet Lucien Quélet in 1869 Lucien Quélet (14 July 1832 – 25 August 1899) was a French naturalist and mycologist. Quélet discovered several species of fungi and was the founder of the Société mycologique de France, a society devoted to mycolo ...

transferred the species to the genus ''

Pleurotus ''Pleurotus'' is a genus of gilled mushrooms which includes one of the most widely eaten mushrooms, '' P. ostreatus''. Species of ''Pleurotus'' may be called oyster, abalone, or tree mushrooms, and are some of the most commonly cultivated edib ...

''. Recent research has shown that ''P. nebrodensis'' is closely related to, but unique from, ''

Pleurotus eryngii ''Pleurotus eryngii'' (also known as king trumpet mushroom, French horn mushroom, eryngi, king oyster mushroom, king brown mushroom, boletus of the steppes, trumpet royale, aliʻi oyster) is an edible mushroom native to Mediterranean regions o ...

'', which also occurs in the

Mediterranean Basin In biogeography, the Mediterranean Basin (; also known as the Mediterranean Region or sometimes Mediterranea) is the region of lands around the Mediterranean Sea that have mostly a Mediterranean climate, with mild to cool, rainy winters and w ...

and is also associated with plants in the family Apiaceae.

Decline

''Pleurotus nebrodensis'' was classified as critically endangered is because it is found in an area of less than , and the population has become fractured. In addition, there are not as many mature fungi, and it is losing its natural habitat. An additional reason for the decline is that collectors are now picking unripe specimens. It is currently estimated that fewer than 250 ''Pleurotus nebrodensis'' reach maturity every year.

Conservation

Currently there are no

laws Law is a set of rules that are created and are law enforcement, enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. ...

to protect ''Pleurotus nebrodensis''. Even in protected areas there has not been a ban on picking of unripe specimens. However, a draft of rules has been created, and could be approved. This draft proposes protecting all ages of the ''Pleurotus nebrodensis'' in one part of

Madonie Park The Madonie Regional Natural Park (Italian: ''Parco delle Madonie'') is an Italian regional park located in Sicily, between Palermo and Cefalù and covers . Parco Naturale Regionale delle Madonie: 2009 Parco delle Madonie – Guida Sicilia: 2009 ...

, a sanctuary, while in another section of the park it will protect any non-mature

. In addition to this, this fungus is being grown, like a

crop A crop is a plant that can be grown and harvested extensively for profit or subsistence. When the plants of the same kind are cultivated at one place on a large scale, it is called a crop. Most crops are cultivated in agriculture or hydroponic ...

, to reduce the strain on the wild population. These fungi that are cultivated for conservation are produced in tunnels that are covered by black nets. These cultivated fungi have the same flavor and aroma as the wild specimens.

References

External links

* * * {{Taxonbar, from=Q1936172 Pleurotaceae Fungi of Europe Edible fungi Carnivorous fungi Flora of Sicily Biota of Italy Taxobox binomials not recognized by IUCN

Taxonomy

Decline

Conservation

See also

References

External links