Ethnomycology of Goa’s shiti olami
Please view
http://picasaweb.google.co.in/Nandkamat/WonderfulShitolOlamisTheEdibleTermitomycesMicrocarpusOfGoaIndia#
(see previous report at http://mushroomsofgoa.blogspot.com/2009/02/exploring-goas-rich-ethnomycologygoas.html )
After reading this background information
Scientific name:- Termitomyces microcarpus heim or Podabrella microcarpa in sensu singer
Biodiversity:- indexfungorum database lists four taxa
1. Termitomyces microcarpus (Berk. & Broome) R. Heim 1941;
2. Termitomyces microcarpus (Berk. & Broome) R. Heim 1942,
3. Termitomyces microcarpus f. microcarpus (Berk. & Broome) R. Heim 1942, and
4. Termitomyces microcarpus f. santalensis R. Heim 1977,
The above follows the classification scheme as per Roger Heim. Heim had accompanied American anthropologist R. Gordon Wasson to Santhal region to check mycoentheogens. Heim a global expert on termitophilic species then found a new taxa of T. microcarpus and named it santalensis to honour the santal tribals.
As per Rolf Singer’s scheme the species is listed as
1. Podabrella microcarpa (Berk. & Broome) Singer 1945,
2. Podabrella microcarpa var. major Sathe & J.T. Daniel 1981;
3. Podabrella microcarpa var. microcarpa (Berk. & Broome) Singer 1945
So how many species of T. microcarpus exist on earth?
In my opinion 5-8 including the three novel forms which I have reported in Goa i.e. goanensis, longiradicata and epiphyticus.
Local names:-shringar, shiringar, shiti, shitol, shit (for cold conditions)
Etymology:- from ‘beautiful” or “cold conditions”
Period of appearance:- from middle of August to January, peak in September
Habit:- in groups, clusters of 2-5 or upto 200
Habitat:- on ground rich in litter, on plastered mud floors, on sandy soils exclusively from fragments of fungus combs scattered by termites as monsoon nears end
Distribution in the world:- African countries south of sahara, South east asian countries below Himalayas (upto Yunan, Vietnam and Phillipines). Not reported from neotropics
Edibility:-known to be edible in all countries where it is found but owing to ephemeral fruiting, fragile nature, small size increases collection efforts, need to harvest fresh and consume within 24 hours
Recipes:- Goans make a spicy preparation (tonak), at least 300-1000 need to be collected for a good meal, a popular species in Ponda, Canacona, Pernem, Sattari
Cultivation status:- since these mushrooms are cultivated by fungus growing termites cultivation is difficult.
Nutritional importance:-Yorubas of Nigeria use these
for medicinal purposes, known for antioxidant value (also view Ugandan research on Nutritional and hypocholesterolemic properties
http://ajol.info/index.php/ajfand/article/view/54081)
Conservation status in Goa:-Unlike other 14 locally marketed termitophilic agarics these species are not marketed owing to their fragile and non fleshy nature and very short shelf life
In Pernem they call these edible mushrooms-Shringar or shiringar olamis because they ‘beautify’ the termite hills and the ground
In rest of Goa these are knows as ‘ Shiti or shitol olami” or just ‘xit olamis’ (Salcete)
I found them during my research work- at Margao, near Holy spirit church on cow dung plastered floor, in Molem sanctuary ( a species closer to south African) , Poinguinim, Majorda, Santa cruz, Bambolim and at Panaji ( first epiphytic occurrence in world on Ficus benghalensis, reported on http://www.bio.net/bionet/mm/mycology/1999-September/007457.html, named as Podabrella microcarpa var. epiphyticus ).
Another collection was made close to Archbishop’s palace, Altinho below Samania saman (rain tree).
At Mycology lab, dept. of Botany Goa University we’re studying these species for past 12 years.
A few videoclips on the species would be uploaded on YOU TUBE next week.
Weblinks:-
http://picasaweb.google.co.in/Nandkamat/WonderfulShitolOlamisTheEdibleTermitomycesMicrocarpusOfGoaIndia#
(see previous report at http://mushroomsofgoa.blogspot.com/2009/02/exploring-goas-rich-ethnomycologygoas.html )
There are many poisonous look alikes of shit olamis so do not venture to collect and consume any wild mushrooms.
