Survey, Morpho-microscopic Characterization of Paddy Straw Mushroom (Volvariella volvacea) from Different Locations of Chhattisgarh, India

Paddy straw mushroom (Volvariella volvacea), commonly known as the straw mushroom, or the Chinese mushroom, belongs to the family Pluteaceae (Kotl. & Pouz) of the Basidiomycetes (Singer, 1961). The present research was undertaken to explore the diversity, distribution, morphological, and microscopic characteristics of V. volvacea native isolates from Chhattisgarh.A total of eight isolates were collected in a survey conducted across Chhattisgarh from six districts viz. Rajnandgaon, Raipur, Dhamtari, and Bemetara, Kabirdham, Durg and all the relevant information on habitat, temperature, relative humidity, location (GPS data), habit, and related substrates in native environments; were recorded delligently. Volvariella isolates collected were characterized morphologically and found possessing pink spores, free lamellae, and a stipe bearing no annulus but was encased at the base by a volva. The gills of all the isolates were freely arranged; consistency was fleshy; colour was moderate brown; and texture was smooth. The stipes of all the isolates were cylindrical, centrally attached to the pileus; the consistency was fleshy; the colour was yellowish white; and the bases were swollen. Pileus characters of all isolates show a light brown outer colour, a moderate brown middle colour, and regular margins. The volva characters of all isolates show a sheathed arrangement and brownish colour. Spore print colours were observed as pink and moderate brown, gill colour varied from light pink to brown for all isolates. Microscopic characterization was done and was found that spore size of all collected isolates ranges between six to nine micrometre and the basidium bears sterigmata.