There are several fungi in danger of extinction in Mexico due to trade, excessive exploitation, degradation of their environment and the inadequate management of biodiversity. Among them are the Boletus edulis, Psilocybe pleurocystidiosa and Entoloma giganteum.
Fungi -also called mushrooms- have an important function in the cycle of nature, because they break down complex substances into simpler substances for the use of plants and animals..
Mushrooms are practically a different family from the animal kingdom and the plant kingdom, because they do not contain chlorophyll to be plants, nor do they reproduce like animals. They are classified in the fungi kingdom.
Fungi reproduce through a system similar to the seeds of plants, because they spread cells called spores, from which new fungi are born.
Mexico is the country with the fourth largest biodiversity in the world. It is estimated that there are more than 200,000 species of fungi throughout the country, of which only less than half are classified..
The Mexican state of Veracruz has the largest number of known mushrooms. Since the industrial revolution, a great new wave of species extinction has been occurring, where the fungi kingdom is no exception.
It is a large mushroom, which reaches up to 30cm in its hat. The outer ring of his hat tends to be white and the other parts colored between beige and brown..
It has abundant meat, as its parts are known. It can be appreciated with a soft texture in the rainy season.
This type of fungus is flexible, adapting to different climates and vegetation. It predominates in the states of Chihuahua, Mexico, Nuevo León and Tlaxcala.
It is a hallucinogenic mushroom. It was first ranked in the 1980s.
It is found predominantly in the state of Oaxaca.
Currently its habitat is threatened. Its first sighting was in 1917, but it was reclassified in 1951. It is located in Tlaxcala.
Its upper part grows between 5 to 8 centimeters. It does not have an odor, but a sugary taste.
Small groups of these fungi are normally found near the pines. It is characterized by appearing only in the fall. It predominates in the state of Nuevo León.
Also called the Caesar mushroom, it is an edible mushroom, native to Southern Europe. Its common name derives from the fact that it was one of the favorite mushrooms of the Roman emperors.
Its spores are white. It is a particular species because it is cut from its habitat in the "egg" state, that is, when the fungus is closed..
It predominates in the states of Chihuahua, Federal District, Durango, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Mexico, Michoacán, Morelos, Nuevo León, Oaxaca, Puebla, San Luis Potosí, Veracruz
The German naturalist Jacob Christian Schäffer described the species as Agaricus russula in 1774, and the American Calvin Henry Kauffman gave it its current name in 1918..
Its upper part has a circumference between 5 and 12 centimeters. It is a range of colors because it ranges from red wine, through purple, white or pink with pink stripes.
Its spores are white. It predominates in the states of Chihuahua and Nuevo León.
This species is endemic to Chiapas, specifically to the Tapachula region. It has a crown that can be 58 millimeters in diameter. Its color varies between bluish violet tones when fresh and dark brown when dry..
The most likely cause of the decline of this species is the loss of tropical evergreen forests, both for logging and for using the land for agricultural and livestock purposes..
It can be found in different areas of Oaxaca. Its habitat is the dry forests or subtropical mountain mesophiles. It is dark brown violet in color, with whitish and subfloose edges.
This species has a great cultural importance, since they are used by indigenous groups in religious rituals due to its hallucinogenic and medicinal properties. The high rates of deforestation and the collection of this fungus have made it one of the endangered species.
This species is endemic to Mexico so it is of great relevance for the biodiversity of tropical forests. Its crown can measure 57 centimeters in diameter with a color that varies between light purple and brown..
Its habitat, evergreen and sub-deciduous forests, have been significantly reduced so this fungus is facing extinction.
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