Wild mushrooms in the hillside of Landour, Mussoorie

Abstract

Landour is located at an altitude of about 6,800 to 7,798 ft in the Lower Western Himalaya, in the Mussoorie Range. Along the hillside of Landour one of the oldest residential schools in Asia, Woodstock School is situated. It encompasses a considerable forested area, which is mostly monoculture of Banj Oak (Quercus leucotrichophora) with intermittent Deodars, Pines and Rhododendrons. The climatic condition, forest type and soil in the hillside are congenial for growth and development of different species of mushrooms. A variety of mushrooms belong to edible, poisonous and medicinal species can be seen during rainy season. In the present study, six different mushroom species were collected during rainy season (July to September, 2022). Amongst the six species, five species were mycorrhizal, four species were edible, three species were medicinal and two species were non edible, while one species was poisonous. This study unravelled the abundance of the mushrooms in the campus.