Its taste and aroma can give our mouth a unique taste when chewing, and when we swallow it, of course we don't need to remember that it is one of the few carnivorous fungi, capable of killing and digesting nematodes (roundworms) with its mycelia! However, it is not only related to its use as a food that has its own delicacy. Oyster mushrooms have another side too which makes them the most important in the midst of greenery.
Walking down the path amidst the greenery already gives clarity of mind. The air that is inhaled there feels completely clean. The silence did make me feel alone, but it was clear that I was not alone there. Insects hiding in the green leaves or perched on the grass are things other than me moving to and fro. Meanwhile the path eventually led me to the bank of a river.
It was there then, I was surprised to find white or cream mushrooms on a dead tree near a stream. The mushrooms were striking and just opened, without any cover. They do not hide under trees or bushes, but they are so bright to behold, as if to imply a statement: If the tree is dead and rotten, then we take the place of replacing leaves and fruit. So from the way they look, I say, they are brave. They dare to appear different amidst the greenery that surrounds them!
They grow in groups, their stems grow sideways from the dead wood so that they are called pleurotus in Latin which means sideways. Together with their shell-like cap, they are scientifically referred to as Pleurotus ostreatus. But as I said before, the case concerns them not only as food but also because they are the primary decomposers of wood that actually benefit the environment (especially forests) by decomposing dead wood and returning various important elements to the ecosystem for use by various other organisms. Although they rot wood and are one of the white rot fungi, they are never parasites. They do not grow on a living tree unless it is already dying of other causes (White rot).
Then another thing that amazes me about these mushrooms is because they can also be used for mycoremediation, that means they are one of the fungi used to restore environmental balance (remedium) or to decontaminate the environment. It is said that fungus-based decontamination has proven to be an inexpensive, effective and environmentally friendly way of removing various contaminants from damaged environments or wastewater. This is something that makes me even more amazed by the sight of these mushrooms in addition to their taste as food.
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