საქართველოს სოკოებისა და ლიქენების ეთნობიოლოგია | Ethnobiology of fungi and lichens of Georgia

Local Name
Ghvinio (1), Ghvinue (lechkh.) (2).

Description
Cap: The cap is 6–12 cm broad, convex when young, becoming broadly convex to flat with a shallow depression, dry or slightly moist, smooth, but often finely veined in radial patterns, pinkish purple to green or olive green or with these and other shades mottled, the margin usually not lined, the skin peeling about halfway to the center. Gills are attached or slightly running down the stem, close or nearly distant, not forking, or forking occasionally, white, when young soft, greasy, and flexible. Stem: The stem is 5–10 cm tall, 1–3 cm thick, white or whitish, but occasionally flushed with lilac, brittle, dry, smooth. Flesh: The flesh is white or whitish, brittle, thick, odor not distinctive, taste mild. Spores: The spores are 6.5–9 X 5.5–7 µm, elliptical, with isolated warts.
Habitat: On soils, in mixed woodland and leafy forests. Season: Summer, autumn.
Distribution: All regions of Georgia (3).

Uses
Edibility: Edible when fresh, dry and marinated (1).

Imereti — “We gather Mt’redio, Khakhvilo, Ghvinio and Ts’itlio together and then fry them in oil” (4).

References
1. Nakhutsrishvili, I.G. (2007) Fungi of Georgia. Tbilisi: Buneba Printi.
2. Ghlonti, A. (1974) Dictionary of the Georgian Dialects. Vol. I. Tbilisi: Ganatleba.
3. Nakhutsrishvili, I.G., et al. (1986) Flora of Spore-producing Plants of Georgia (Summary). Tbilisi: Metsniereba (Russian).
4. Tsartsidze, N. (2016) Vlg. Sareki, Sachkhere.

Local Name
Mt’redio (1), T’redo, Khrashuna (rach.) (2), T’reda, Khrashuna (gur.) (3).

Description
Cap: The cap is 5–10 cm broad, convex when young, becoming broadly convex to flat with a shallow depression, dry or slightly moist, smooth, or minutely velvety over the center, grayish green to yellowish green, the margin often lined by maturity, the skin peeling about halfway to the center. Gills attached or running slightly down the stem, close, often forking near the stem, creamy to pale yellow, sometimes becoming spotted brownish in places. Stem: The stem is 4–7 cm tall, 2–3 cm thick, whitish, dry, smooth, discoloring brownish in places, especially near the base. Flesh: The flesh is white or whitish, brittle, not changing when sliced, odor not distinctive, taste mild. Spores: The spores are 6–9 X 5–7 µm, elliptical, with isolated warts.
Habitat: On soils, in mixed woodland, fairly common and is often found at the base of beech trees. Season: Summer, autumn.
Distribution: All regions of Georgia (4).

Uses
Edibility: Edible when fresh and marinated (1).

Racha — “Mt’redio is like Arq’a; no one can say anything bad about these mushrooms” (2). Imereti — “We gather Mt’redio, Khakhvilo, Ghvinio and Ts’itlio together and then fry them in oil” (5).

References
1. Nakhutsrishvili, I.G. (2007) Fungi of Georgia. Tbilisi: Buneba Printi.
2. Kobakhidze, A. (1987) Dictionary of the Rachan Dialect. Tbilisi: Metsniereba.
3. Ghlonti, A. (1974) Dictionary of the Georgian Dialects. Vol. I. Tbilisi: Ganatleba.
4. Nakhutsrishvili, I.G., et al. (1986) Flora of Spore-producing Plants of Georgia (Summary). Tbilisi: Metsniereba (Russian).
5. Tsartsidze, N. (2016) Vlg. Sareki, Sachkhere.

Local Name
Q’viteli sachechela (1), Sachechela (rach.) (2), Bats’ara (imer.) (3), Chichila, Bats’ara (borjomi reg.) (4). Irmis rka (imer.) (5), Irmis chkha (kakh.) (6).

Description
Fruitbody: When fully developed the whole fruitbody is usually 10–20 cm tall, and up to 15 cm across, lemon- to sulphur-yellow becoming more ochraceous with age with numerous densely crowded branches. Stem: The stem is 5–8 cm tall, 4–5 cm thick, with whitish base which often bruises reddish-brown especially with age. Flesh: The flesh is white to pale yellowish. Taste mild. Spores: The spores are 8–10 X 3–5 µm, pale ochraceous, elliptic, roughened.
Habitat: On the ground in mixed woods. Season: Summer, autumn.
Distribution: Imereti, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Kakheti,‎ Mtskheta-Mtianeti.

Uses
Edibility: Edible when young and fresh (1).

Sachechela — is a yellow fungi, with the head which is like a teeth of combing-machine (2). Bats’ara — a golden fungi, which stretches like a rope on the ground, plenty of them grow all of a sudden (3).

Kakheti — “Irmis chkha can reaches about 10–12 kg, this fungi is entirely yellow and looks like a comb, it’s also very tasty fungi, like a meat” (6). Guria — “Ch’uch’k’ut’a is the same fungi as the Irema Sok’o is, you can find these fungi here, we don’t eat them, but cattle do eat” (7). Ch’uch’k’ut’ai — “Looks like the grass, or looks like the moss on the ground, cattle do eat” (8). Imereti — “Bats’ara sok’o is a very tasty fungi, yellow, looks like collected ropes” (9).

References
1. Nakhutsrishvili, I.G. (2007) Fungi of Georgia. Tbilisi: Buneba Printi.
2. Kobakhidze, A. (1987) Dictionary of the Rachan Dialect. Tbilisi: Metsniereba.
3. Sharashidze, G., Tsereteli, B., Alavidze, M. (1938) Lexicon of the Kartvelian languages. Gurian, Zemoimeretian, Lechkhumian Dialects. Tbilisi: Publishing House of Georgian Branch of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR.
4. Makashvili, A. (1991) Botanical Dictionary. Tbilisi: Metsniereba.
5. Chighladze, M. (2016) Vlg. Sareki, Sachkhere.
6. Tsignadze-Brekashvili, L. (2015) Zemo Bodbe, Sighnaghi.
7. Khukhunaishvili, T. (2016) Lanchkhuti.
8. Imnaishvili, G. (2006) Gurian Dialect. Tbilisi: Universal Publishing.
9. Mirotadze, I. (2016) Chiatura.

Local Name
Khetamkhali (K’almakha, T’q’ubela, Ts’iplis sok’o, Khis sok’o) (1), Ts’iplis-sok’o (gar. kakh.), Khis sok’o (kakh.), Ts’iprash t’q’ubul (svan.) (2), K’almakha zok’o (pshav.) (3), Ch’q’ublasok’o (rach.) (4).

Description
Cap: The cap is 5–18 cm across, convex, becoming flat or somewhat depressed, kidney-shaped to fan-shaped, or nearly circular if growing on the tops of logs, somewhat greasy when young and fresh, smooth, pale brown to dark brown, the margin inrolled when young, later wavy, never lined. Gills are running down the stem, close, whitish or with a gray tinge. Stem: The stem is 1–4 cm long, 0.5–2 cm thick, usually rudimentary and lateral when the mushroom is growing from the side of a log or tree, it may develop a substantial and thick stem that is dry and slightly hairy near the base. Flesh: The flesh is white or whitish, odor pleasant, taste mild. Spores: The spores are 7–11 X 3–4 µm, subcylindric or elliptical, smooth, whitish, pale cream or colourless.
Habitat: On the wood, especially on elm and beech, growing in shelf-like clusters on dead logs and living trees, primarily hardwoods, but sometimes on conifers. Season: Summer, autumn.
Distribution: All regions of Georgia (5).

Uses
Edibility: Edible when young, fresh and marinated (1).

Pshavi — “Often found in rotten beech, sometimes in shelf-like clusters, I think there is no other tasty mushroom like this” (3). Tianeti — “I gather these mushrooms and store them for the winter, usually tinned” (6). Kakheti — “Often found in autumn, in a large amount, then I gather them and freeze them” (7).

Note: Khetamkhali use for food in all regions of Georgia, especially in Eastern Georgia.

References
1. Nakhutsrishvili, I.G. (2007) Fungi of Georgia. Tbilisi: Buneba Printi.
2. Makashvili, A. (1991) Botanical Dictionary. Tbilisi: Metsniereba.
3. Shanidze, A. (1984) Georgian mountain dialects. Collected Works in Twelve Volumes. Vol. I. Academy of Sciences of the Georgian SSR. Tbilisi State University. Tbilisi: Metsniereba.
4. Kobakhidze, A. (1987) Dictionary of the Rachan Dialect. Tbilisi: Metsniereba.
5. Nakhutsrishvili, I.G., et al. (1986) Flora of Spore-producing Plants of Georgia (Summary). Tbilisi: Metsniereba (Russian).
6. Tushuri, G. (2014) Vlg. Sakdrioni, Tianeti.
7. Chaduneli, Z. (2015) Vlg. Gurgeniani, Lagodekhi.

Local Name
Machalo (1).

Description
Cap: The cap is 4–10 cm across, convex then depressed to funnel-shaped, often becoming wavy or cracked at the margin, cream at first and covered in a whitish bloom then smooth and tinged ochraceous, finally ochre-brown. Gills are deeply decurrent, white to pale flesh. Stem: The stem is 2–5 cm long, 1–2 cm thick, frequently excentric, usually several fused into a common base, whitish becoming tinged with cap colour. Flesh: The flesh is whitish, odor of flour. Spores: The spores are 8–11 X 3.5–5 µm, subcylindric or elliptical, whitish, pale cream or colourless.
Habitat: On the wood of recently dead hardwoods, in damp forests, especially on hornbeam and beech. Season: Summer, autumn.
Distribution: All regions of Georgia (3).

Uses
Edibility: Edible when young and fresh (1).

Tianeti — “Machalo looks like Khetamkhali mushroom, but whitish and appears in spring time” (3). Kakheti — “Usually Machalo appears in spring time, but not in drought periods” (4).

Note: Machalo use for food only in Eastern Georgia.

References
1. Nakhutsrishvili, I.G. (2007) Fungi of Georgia. Tbilisi: Buneba Printi.
2. Nakhutsrishvili, I.G., et al. (1986) Flora of Spore-producing Plants of Georgia (Summary). Tbilisi: Metsniereba (Russian).
3. Mamadashvili, T. (2014) Tianeti.
4. Batsilashvili, B. (2015) Kvareli.

Local Name
Arq’is sok’o (1) Arq’is zok’o (khevs.), (tush.), (pshav.) (2).

Description
Bracket: The bracket is 10–20 cm across, 2–6 cm thick, subglobose at first, expanding to hoof-shaped often with a rudimentary stem, margin thick and rounded, upper surface with a thin separable skin, smooth, whitish when young darkening to fleshy grey-brown with age. Flesh: The flesh is white, rubbery. Taste slightly bitter, smell strong and pleasant. Spores: The spores are 4.5–6 X 1.3–1.5 um, cylindric to bean-shaped, colorless.
Habitat: On dry or living birch, in subalpine forests. Season: All year.
Distribution: All regions of Georgia (4).

Uses
It grows on birch and local kids make the balls from these fungi. Also, from these fungi make tinder (in Khevsureti). Non-edible (2).

Tusheti — “It grows on the birch, at first it’s a white, and then becomes darker, in my childhood they were compounding up a medicine of limbs, but I don’t remember how” (5).

References
1. Nakhutsrishvili, I.G. (2007) Fungi of Georgia. Tbilisi: Buneba Printi.
2. Shanidze, A. (1984) Georgian mountain dialects. Collected Works in Twelve Volumes. Vol. I. Academy of Sciences of the Georgian SSR. Tbilisi State University. Tbilisi: Metsniereba.
3. Chincharauli, A. (2005) Khevsurian Dictionary. Tbilisi: Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of Georgia.
4. Nakhutsrishvili, I.G., et al. (1986) Flora of Spore-producing Plants of Georgia (Summary). Tbilisi: Metsniereba (Russian).
5. Bakuradze, V. (2014) Vlg. Omalo, Tusheti.

Local Name
Kveq’nis gula, sadmamglije (javakh., kakh.), Mutselgvremia (imer.) (1), Kueq’nis-Guli (2).

Description
Fruit body: The fruitbody is 5–6 cm across, like a whitish to yellowish “egg”, usually at least partly submerged in the ground, when sliced revealing the stinkhorn-to-be encased in a gelatinous substance. Mature Fruiting Body: Spike-like, to 20 cm high, with a cap 4-6 cm wide, which is covered with olive brown to dark brown slime, often developing a perforation at the tip. Cap: The cap is 4–5 cm tall, bell-shaped, the cap surface pitted and ridged beneath the slime, sometimes with a whitish to purplish “skullcap”, with carrion smell. Stem: The stem is 1–3 cm thick, whitish, hollow, the base enclosed in a white sacklike volva, which is often at least partly submerged underground. Spores: The spores are 3,5–5 X 1,5–2 µm, elliptical or oblong, smooth, with yellowish tinge.
Habitat: On soils, amongst grass on lawns, meadows and pasturelands, cultivated areas, in leafy forests (often in beech forest), also on the edges of forests. Season: Summer, autumn.
Distribution: All regions of Georgia (3).

Uses
Edibility: Edible when young and fresh (1).

Kakheti — “Kveq’nis gula is a fungilike plant, pinkish, usually appears in the early spring, its root is looks like a ball underground, and also like an albumen under the derma, used for treatment of a heart pain” (4). Pshavi — “Kveq’nis gula it’s a name of the fungi, usually appears in the forest, on reiny days, shaped like an apple, same size, with squeaking smell, flesh is jellylike, locals peel them and eat. There is another variety of this fungi, which is narrow and reversed, looks like a tall cup, pure white, with holes, sometimes locals fill this fungi with strawberries and eat so (5). Dusheti — “As I remember from my childhood, my foster mother used this fungi for treatment of a quinsy, before the fungi was egg-shaped, she was peeling off the fungi’s skin and we were swallowing the whole of the fungi” (6). Imereti —”When the fungi is egg-shaped, I gather and dry them on the sun, then mill and store the powder, then I mix the small portion of this powder with water to use for treatment of a fright neurosis” (7). Tetritskaro — “When the fungi are egg-shaped, I gather and put them into the vinegar for two weeks and keep them on sunny place, then take out from vinegar and dry them on the sun for a quite long time, then mill and store the powder, when a heart attack disturbs me, I take the powder by the tip of the knife, then mix it with the water and then drink this mixture, I learnt from my grandmother to how to use this mixture” (8).

References
1. Nakhutsrishvili, I.G. (2007) Fungi of Georgia. Tbilisi: Buneba Printi.
2. Orbeliani, Sulkhan-Saba (1991) Georgian Dictionary. Tbilisi: Merani.
3. Nakhutsrishvili, I.G., et al. (1986) Flora of Spore-producing Plants of Georgia (Summary). Tbilisi: Metsniereba (Russian).
4. Menteshashvili, S. (1943) Kizikian Dictionary. Tbilisi. Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the Georgian SSR.
5. Khornauli, G. (2000) Pshavian Dictionary. Tbilisi: Chronograph.
6. Bulalauri, P. (2014) Vlg. Bulachauri, Dusheti.
7. Angelina. (2016) Vlg. Chashora, Sachkhere.
8. Tsiklauri, M. (2004) Manglisi.

Local Name
Q’velis sok’o (1), K’atsiq’ura (imer.) (2).

Description
Cap: The cap is 2–8 cm, convex with a tightly inrolled margin at first, becoming depressed or vase-shaped with an even margin, round in outline or irregular, often purple at first, but soon fading to reddish brown, pinkish brown, orangish brown, or tan. Gills are running down the stem, crowded, sometimes purplish when fresh and young, but soon whitish. Stem: The stem is 2–3 cm long, 1–2 cm thick, tough, often off-center or lateral, dry, densely hairy, colored like the cap or paler. Flesh: The flesh is whitish, tough, odor not distinctive, taste mild or bitter. Spores: The spores are 4.5–6.5 X 2.5–4 µm, elliptical, smooth, colourless.
Habitat: On the wood of recently dead hardwoods, in damp forests, especially on hornbeam and beech. Season: Summer, autumn.
Distribution: All regions of Georgia (3).

Uses
Edibility: Edible when young and fresh, useable also for the fermentation process of cheese, when dried and milled (1).

Tianeti — “Locals gather Q’velis sok’o, they dry this mushroom and then mill, to use for the fermentation process of cheese” (4). Kakheti — “Q’velis sok’o is a mushroom, which is often used for the fermentation process of cheese” (5).

References
1. Nakhutsrishvili, I.G. (2007) Fungi of Georgia. Tbilisi: Buneba Printi.
2. Makashvili, A. (1991) Botanical Dictionary. Tbilisi: Metsniereba.
3. Nakhutsrishvili, I.G., et al. (1986) Flora of Spore-producing Plants of Georgia (Summary). Tbilisi: Metsniereba (Russian).
4. Kantelashvili, M. (2014) Tianeti.
5. Rkinauli, T. (2015) Vlg. Tetritsklebi, Gombori.

Local Name
Ts’itelpekha mukhisdzira (1).

Description
Cap: The cap is 5–18 cm, bay to snuff-brown with olivaceous tints, tending to yellowish ochre towards the margin, slightly velvety at first, soon becoming smooth and sometimes slightly viscid when wet, bruising blue-black. Tubes lemon-yellow then greenish, becoming dark blue on cutting. Pores small, round, orange-red becoming rusty with age, readily bruising dark blue to black. Stem: The stem is 6–14 cm long, 2–5 cm thick, robust, yellowish densely covered in red dots. Flesh: The flesh is yellow, immediately dark blue on cutting, taste and smell not distinctive. Spores: The spores are 11–16 X 4–6 µm, subfusiform, olivaceous snuff-brown, smooth.
Habitat: On soils, in coniferous, broad-leaved and mixed woodland. Season: Summer, autumn.
Distribution: All regions of Georgia (2).

Uses
Edibility: Edible only when cooked (must be boiled first in the water for at least 15-20 minutes, broth is unusable) (1).

References
1. Nakhutsrishvili, I.G. (2007) Fungi of Georgia. Tbilisi: Buneba Printi.
2. Nakhutsrishvili, I.G., et al. (1986) Flora of Spore-producing Plants of Georgia (Summary). Tbilisi: Metsniereba (Russian).

Local Name
Niora sok’o (1).

Description
Cap: The cap is 1–3 cm, convex, becoming broadly convex or broadly bell-shaped but often developing a central depression or bump, dry, bald, becoming slightly wrinkled, medium brown when very young but soon fading to buff or pale tan, with or without a slightly darker center. Gills are narrowly attached to the stem, whitish, close or nearly distant. Stem: The stem is 3–6 cm long, 0.1–0.3 cm thick, equal, dry, shiny, bald, or with a few tiny hairs near the base, whitish to pale tan, becoming reddish to dark reddish brown by degrees from the base up. Flesh: The flesh is very thin, insubstantial, odor and taste strongly of garlic or onion. Spores: The spores are 8–9 X 4–5 µm, ellipsoid, coloerless.
Habitat: On the fallen needles of conifers, but occasionally found on the mossy bark of living hardwoods or conifers. Season: Summer, autumn.
Distribution: All regions of Georgia (2).

Uses
Edibility: Edible, usefull as a seasoning for food instead of garlic (1).

References
1. Nakhutsrishvili, I.G. (2007) Fungi of Georgia. Tbilisi: Buneba Printi.
2. Nakhutsrishvili, I.G., et al. (1986) Flora of Spore-producing Plants of Georgia (Summary). Tbilisi: Metsniereba (Russian).