Soumendra Nath Das

‘Rugda’ (Astraeus hygrometricus), a rare and wild indigenous edible mushroom, is found in the dense humid sal (Shorea robusta) forest areas of the red lateritic zone of the Chotanagpur plateau of West Bengal, comprising Purulia, Bankura, Birbhum and West Midnapore districts. To the local tribal communities, it is also known as Futka, Khudki and Pattu. Rugda grows naturally under the soil at the base of sal trees during the rainy season…read more on NOPR