Globally ethnomycology dates to days of mankind’s’ hunting and food gathering period. No new knowledge in ethnomycology has been created in past three thousand years. Fundamental principle of ethnomycology is respect for and sustainable use of fungal resources without destroying habitat and diversity of species exploited. This principle no longer works in materialistic Goa with 65 percent people in urban areas being indifferent to ethnomycological ethos due to onslaught of market forces.
As the term implies “ethno” stands for local, culturally, ethnically distinct communities. Ethnic community in Goa means the ethnic Goans who worship either aniconic form of the goddess of termite hill Santeri/or her iconic form -Shantadurga and “mycology” is about fungi.
Shiti olamis, also known by vernacular names such as Chhiti, Xiti (Sanguem, Quepem, Canacona), Shiti / Shitol ( Salcete, Marmagoa, Tiswadi, Bardez, Ponda, Dharbandora, Bicholim), Sringar (Pernem, Bicholim) are growing all over Goa from last week.
Etymology of these names shows that “Chhiti means small, shit/Shitol means “under cold conditions” and “Sringar” means ‘well adorned or beautiful”. Even Marathi author late Sunita Deshpande (wife of Pu La Deshpande), described these species in her memoirs “Aahe Manohar Tari” from Ratnagiri.
The scientific name of these species is Termitomyces microcarpus Heim (1942) or Podabrella microcarpa in sensu singer (1986).
World’s largest database of fungi- indexfungorum lists four taxa-1. Termitomyces microcarpus (Berk. & Broome) R. Heim found in 1941; 2. Termitomyces microcarpus (Berk. & Broome) R. Heim, found in 1942, 3. Termitomyces microcarpus f. microcarpus (Berk. & Broome) R. Heim, found in 1942 and 4. Termitomyces microcarpus f. santalensis R. Heim, found in 1977.
The above follows the classification scheme as per French mycologist Roger Heim. Heim had accompanied American anthropologist R. Gordon Wasson to Santhal region in Bihar and West Bengal to check mycoentheogens. Heim a global expert on termitophilic species then found a new taxa of T. microcarpus and named it santalensis to honour the Santal tribals.
Rolf Singer was a famous American mushroom biologist. Singer disagreed with Heim on Termitomyces and listed the same species as 1. Podabrella microcarpa (Berk. & Broome) Singer , found in 1945, 2. Podabrella microcarpa var. major Sathe & J.T. Daniel , found in 1981; 3. Podabrella microcarpa var. microcarpa (Berk. & Broome) Singer, found in 1945.
So how many species of T. microcarpus exist on earth?.
In my opinion about 10 including the three novel forms which I reported in Goa i.e. goanensis, longiradicata and epiphyticus. The Shiti olamis appear from middle of August to January with maximum crops in September.
Traditional collectors find them in groups, in clusters of 2 to 5 or more than 200 in large areas in a typically scattered manner. These mushrooms appear on fragments of underground white to yellowish fungus comb ejected by the termites. We have checked this in our lab, leaving no doubts about their nutrition.
Shiti olamis can appear at most unlikely places – below areca trees in typical kulagars of Goa (Canacona, Ponda, Sanguem, Quepem), on sandy soil in coconut plantations (Majorda, Cansaulim, Chinchinim), ground rich in litter ( Tiswadi, Bardez), on large termite mounds (Pernem), on forest floor ( Molem sanctuary) on mud floors plastered with cowdung slurry ( Margao) or even from collapsed mud walls (Santa Cruz) etc.
One new species was encountered at a height of two metres on trunk of a banyan tree at Campal, Panaji.
Shiti olamis have been reported from African countries south of Sahara, South East Asian countries below Himalayas (upto Yunnan, Vietnam and Philippines).
There were claims from Costa Rica by mycologist Luis Gomez of finding three more species Podabrella albida, epipolia and poliomphax.
Shiti olamis are known to be edible in all countries but ephemeral fruiting, fragile nature; small size increases their collection efforts.
After 24 hours the mushrooms are infested by worms. Goans make a spicy preparation (tonak), for which at least 300-1000 shiti olamis need to be collected for a good meal.
Yoruba tribals of Nigeria use African variety of Shiti olamis for medicinal purposes.
In August 2009, I showed samples of some ‘Shiti Olami” mushrooms found in the Bondla wildlife sanctuary in the meeting of Goa State wildlife advisory board held under the chairmanship of ex CM Digamber Kamat at Bondla. But the chairman began complaining about how “wild olamis’ that year were not easily available. “ Goa has world’s largest gene pool of these Termitomyces species “I told him and said- “we should not encourage their exploitation from wild. He changed the topic.
“Finally a question may be asked what if these mushrooms appearing in thousands are not collected. Answer is simple -what if hundreds of eggs of Oliver Ridley turtles are not collected for consumption, or why bull frogs should not be trapped as “jumping chicken”?.
The tiny Shiti olamis produce millions of tiny spores. An intricate natural food chain depends on them. Spores which survive are collected by the termites for starting a new robust fungal garden underground. There are many toxic look-alikes of Shiti olamis so amateurs should never venture to collect any wild mushrooms thinking they are edible. Those who come across Shiti olamis in different areas of Goa can inform me on this ID- nandkamat@gmail.com so we can subject these beautiful species to proper scientific studies they deserve because we are likely to find many new varieties.