Lion’s Mane (Hericium erinaceus) is a mushroom with a clump of long white teeth instead of a cap. It is native to North America, Europe and Asia. 

Lion’s Mane is known for its powerful medicinal properties and use in gourmet cooking. Growing the mushroom commercially only began recently in China.

Cordyceps is a parasitic mushroom that grows on the larvae of a moth that lives in the Himalayas. For millennia, the people in Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan have used Cordyceps for medicinal purposes.

Cordyceps, unlike most mushrooms, doesn’t have a fruiting phase, but can continue growing for six months or more. Harvesting can consist of just pulling stalks off and drying them for medicinal use. This link from Myco Forest is an informative post on consuming Cordyceps.

Cordyceps militaris can be grown on brown rice, not moth larvae, which makes it a good candidate for the Mycelerator.

Chestnut mushrooms (Pholiota adiposa), also called cinnamon caps and fat Pholiota, are a relative of Shiitake. They are highly regarded for eating and have known medicinal properties.

Chestnut mushrooms’ caps have brownish scales, with frilly white veil fragments when young, and often look slightly shaggy.

Chestnut mushrooms are generally not available commercially, and there is not a lot of information about growing them at home.

Shaggy Mane (Coprinus comatus) are a tasty, easily identifiable mushroom. The most distinctive thing about Shaggy Mane mushrooms is their conical caps with upturned scales that make them look shaggy.

Shaggy manes are part of the Coprinus genus of mushrooms, also known as inky caps, whose appearance dramatically changes as they age.

When mature, these mushrooms digest themselves, liquefying their caps and gills in order to disperse their spores. 

Citizen Scientists might explore the manner that Shaggy manes signal their liquefaction. This process is very different from the spore spray that occurs with many mushrooms. Also, the dark substance that results when liquefaction is complete can be used to make ink!

It’s not likely that you’ve heard of the Sordid Blewit mushroom. It sounds like a minor Dickens villain – maybe a cousin of Uriah Heep. The Latin name for this mushroom is Lepista sordida. Lepista means chalice or goblet, and sordida means, well, vile – so “vile chalice.” The mycologist that named it was probably referring to the tendency for Sordid Blewit caps to become concave and act as a pool for rainwater and detritus.

The Sordid Blewit is one of the mushroom varieties known to create fairy rings. Fairy rings are dangerous, as you can see here:

The Sordid Blewit has a certain beauty when fully grown, with dense gills on the underside of the cap. It is common in England, Ireland and East Texas. It is edible, but little is known about any medicinal properties.

Citizen Scientists interested in projects might consider establishing the specifications for growing this mushroom indoors.  As the Sordid Blewit is known for having a longer growing season than most mushrooms, it may be a variety that can handle extremes of temperature.