Agaricus compestris (CHATRAKA)

Special Notes– Bhavamisra mentioned that “Chatraka born in a sacred place, or on the stem or on bamboose or on cowdung cake are less toxic/less harmful”. There are several types of mushrooms which are being used as nutraceuticals. One such fungus (mushroom) Ganoderma lucidium (Reshi) in now famous and its mycelium as well as whole plant are abundently used now a days.

Botanical Description – Saprobic; growing alone, gregariously, or sometimes in fairy rings, in meadows, fields, lawns, and grassy areas; late fall to early winter (occasionally in summer; sometimes year-long in California); widely distributed and common in North America. Cap: 3-11 cm; convex to broadly convex, occasionally nearly flat; whitish; smooth and glossy to fibrous to nearly wooly or scaly. Gills: Free from the stem; deep pink becoming brown and then dark chocolate brown in maturity; crowded; covered with a thin white partial veil when in the button stage. Stem: 2-6 cm long; 1-2.5 cm thick; more or less equal; sometimes tapering slightly to base; with a quickly collapsing white ring; not bruising yellow. Flesh: Thick and white throughout; not bruising yellow anywhere, even in the base of the stem; very rarely discoloring a pinkish wine color in wet weather. Spore Print: Dark chocolate brown.

Part Used– Whole plant

Dosage– 250-500 mg.