Feel like Mario! (4 photos)

Mushrooms that grow up to a person's waist? This can only be seen in a science fiction film, book or game, you might think. What if I told you that such mushrooms actually exist? Almost. No, they won’t give you superpowers, but rare specimens can reach more than 50 centimeters in height, and their caps are a full meter in diameter.





A small person or child may well sit under a mushroom in order to hide from the rain under its hat. And the coolest thing is that you can eat these mushrooms!



The name of these mushrooms perfectly describes their size. Meet the Macrocybe titans, rulers of the world. These beautiful representatives of the fungal kingdom form hard, large fruiting bodies that grow in clusters. The average cap size of young mushrooms is 8 centimeters, the size of mature ones reaches 50 centimeters in diameter. The color of the cap and stem is yellow-ocher, with a darker center and a grayish tint at the edges. With age, the mushroom gradually becomes completely white.





The average height of the leg is from 6 to 30 centimeters. Up to 12 cm in diameter, rarely more. The leg is cylindrical and very strong. In general, you will recognize the dream of the Mario brothers from a thousand, even with your eyes closed. By the way, this is not the only giant mushroom. There are also giant mushrooms, for example Termitomyces titanicus, which grow in Africa (first photo). There, some mushroom caps can reach more than a meter in diameter. True, I know little about them, but I know for sure that in our friendly team there is a person who can tell about them.



Where does Macrocybe live? Unfortunately, not with us. To collect these mushrooms, you only need a knife, a compass, a map of the area, a trunk for the mushroom itself, rubber boots, a first aid kit and, most importantly, a ticket to Florida. Well, if you don’t want to stay there, take a local guide with you.