Rare 'earth mango' mushroom unearthed in Palakkad's Karakurussi

Karakurussi: A rare medicinal mushroom, locally known as nilamaanga (earth mango), has been unearthed in Karakurussi during a routine preparation of land at a residential premises here.
The discovery was made in the premises of the house belonging to Govindanunni, a resident of Nedumann Vettathparambu in Kundamthodu, while the land was being tilled for cultivation. The specimens, resembling small mangoes attached to stalks, gave the fungus its local name, nilamaanga. Around twenty of them, varying in size, were recovered from the site and have since been preserved at the house.
Scientifically known as Sclerotium stipitatum, the nilamaanga, also referred to as chithalkizhangu or termite tuber, is typically found in association with termite mounds and old building debris. It is known to be a preferred food of white termites. The fungus is characteristically black on the outside and white within.
The Swaminathan Foundation in Wayanad has documented the species in its publication Aushadhakkoonukal (Medicinal Fungi). The book notes that the black, powdery filaments that often emerge from beneath the soil during the Malayalam months of Mithunam and Karkkidakam are believed to originate from nilamaanga found underground.
Traditional knowledge attributes several medicinal uses to the fungus. It is believed that crushing the mushroom, warming it in coconut oil and instilling a few drops of the oil into the ear can help relieve ear pain. It is also used in traditional medicine for conditions such as cough, jaundice, stomach ache, eye disorders, vomiting, and general body pain.
However, the increasing use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, which has led to soil degradation, is considered one of the key reasons for the growing rarity of nilamaanga in recent years.