Today is Indigenous Peoples' day! I decided to write about Turkey-tail mushrooms because:
- They have several medicinal properties
- They are very important for the environment
- They are an aggressively growing mushroom and are easily grown
- They are quite colorful
- They are very common and can grow in disturbed environments
- I see them often and they are one of my favorite fungi
My mom found a good website about culturally important plants and fungi for the Lakota people and here's what I gathered about the Turkey-tail fungus:
CULTURALLY IMPORTANT PLANTS OF THE LAKOTA
The entire fungus is used to strengthen the immune system. A decoction made from the mushroom and mycelium of the fungus is used to treat hepatitis and liver infections. The polysaccharides found in the fungus's mycelium and the decoction have significant anti-carcinogenic activity.
The Lakota word for Turkey-tail is čhán sinté
 |
| My photo of Turkey-tail mushrooms (blue-gray and brown-yellow) and unidentified polypore (reddish-tan) |
Sourced from Culturally Important Plants of the Lakota. Information about Turkey-tails is listed on page 44 of the PDF and is number 310: Trametes versicolor
Comments
Post a Comment