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Fungarium: Welcome to the Museum

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Another group of pathogenic fungi we have in our collection, yet far more grotesque, are the Cordyceps fungi. These are the so-called 'zombie' fungi - their spores will infect insects and arachnids and slowly infest its body. After a while, when the fungus has become totally pervasive inside the unfortunate insect, it starts to take over it's biochemistry and alter it’s behaviour; the insect is driven to climb a plant and hang on. From there, the insect dies and the fungus sends its fruiting body bursting out of the corpse, sending out thousands of spores to infect more victims. As gruesome as this sounds, it can also be spectacularly beautiful to see the final fruiting fungus. This group of fungi are also of great importance to human welfare, as some of their mycochemicals have medicinal uses. Most of the immuno-suppressant drugs taken by transplant patients are derived from a chemical called cyclosporin that comes from a Cordyceps fungus. Another chemical, cordycepin, is currently being investigated for potential uses in treating cancers by restricting their spread throughout the patient's body.

Tour the galleries and learn why fungi are more related to animals than plants. Discover how they evolved. Find out about their amazing variety of shapes and colors, some of them alien-like, almost monstrous, and disgustingly smelly, others incredibly beautiful.” to merge the fungal systematics expertise and resources of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and CABI, Amongst the 1.25 million specimens, we have some important historical specimens. For instance, we have specimens collected by Charles Darwin in South America whilst on the Beagle; Darwin preserved them in port until he returned to Britain. Alongside those, we also have subcultures of Alexander Flemings’s Penicillium: perhaps one of the most important fungal science discoveries in human history. The punchline, however, comes at the end of the article where the species is formally described and given the name Golfballia ambusta, Latin for ‘burnt golf ball’. Our fungal collections are particularly rich in type specimens: original material that is used to make clear links between the fungus as a living organism and the name applied to it.

Kew's Science

Native to Europe, Asia, and North America, our Turkey Tail tincture includes wild specimens found by foragers in the South West. What makes Bristol Fungarium’s Turkey Tail tincture different? 100% Organic Certified Numerous other bequests and donations over the years have greatly enhanced the collection, alongside many specimens collected by Kew staff from all corners of the globe. Worth its weight in gold, literally. Cordyceps has earned its place in the functional mushroom hall of fame thanks to unique compounds that give the ascomycete fungus its energising, restorative and uplifting benefits. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Cordyceps is seen to possess both Ying & Yan – nourishing and invigorating properties.

Also, I would like to mention the exceptional customer service provided by Bristol Fungarium. The team is incredibly knowledgeable, passionate, and always ready to answer any questions I have about their products. They go above and beyond to ensure customer satisfaction, which creates a sense of trust and confidence in their brand. Empire. The collection evolved steadily over the years (undergoing a number of name changes) to become one of Under UK law, food labelling cannot “attribute to any foodstuff the property of preventing, treating or curing a human disease”. Such claims fall under medicines regulations and require marketing authorisation from the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). A spokesperson for the MHRA said it had received no marketing applications for products containing lion’s mane, turkey tail, reishi, cordyceps, chaga or shiitake, and that a number of retailers had been warned about making health claims for mushroom products and use of the term “medicinal mushrooms”. Our specimens help us identify and describe species that are yet unknown (which is approximately over 95% of all fungal species). They also allow us to investigate the interactions between and distribution of plants and fungi, as well as understand and analyse the impact of invasive species, pathogens and climate change.

About Kew

The Mycological Library has one of the most extensive collections of taxonomic literature on fungi in the world, comprising books, periodicals, offprints, and a unique collection of c. 40,000 original illustrations. The British Mycological Society library is housed separately within the Jodrell Laboratory, together with the BMS image collection. Called ‘Yamabushitake’ in Japan meaning “those who sleep in the mountains” as named after Yamabushi Buddhist Monks – wandering ascetics from the Shugendō spiritual tradition who were thought to use Lion’s Mane to assist in meditation.

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