If you had not noticed, summer is over and it is getting colder and wetter. To paraphrase Julius Caesar: guttula iacta est. Or to put it in plain English: the droplet has been thrown. We can no longer go back and will have to see this fallthrough. So, to help you through this perilous time, we will give you a way to find some joy in the moistest of seasons. For the next six weeks, we will write about fungal forming mushrooms in our series “Mushrooms and Toadstools: Must be Fall”. By showcasing the beauty and character of this special group of organisms, we hope to brighten your dreary fall and maybe change your lives in the process.
The mysterious kingdom of Fungi. Organisms that in the past were lumped together with plants because of their immobile nature. Throughout history, fungi have been seen as a symbol of bad tidings, a sign of ill omen if you will. They have often been linked to witches, witchcraft, fairies, leprechauns, and other fantasy creatures. Whatever negative preconceptions about fungi you may possess, we hope to dispel these biases and convert you to the church of Funguïsm. Showing you how truly beautiful these creatures can be.
Fungi have an image problem, both visibility and attractiveness wise. They only appear when the weather is damp enough, which is when most people are sitting cozily by a fireplace and drinking hot cocoa in their comfortable houses. And when they do show themselves, all they really give the aboveground world is their reproductive organs, the mushrooms. Which would be considered unacceptable behavior for any human being. It might even be deemed rude. For shroomies however, it is the natural way.
Mushrooms. What are they? Why are they? What drives them?
The function of a mushroom can be best compared to that of flowers; they are the sexual reproductive organs of the fungus. A few notable differences between fungi and flowers are the moment of visibility, and the fact that we as humans don’t use mushrooms for bouquets or perfumes. The first difference is due to most flowers appearing in spring, while most mushrooms appear in fall. The second one is because mushrooms often aren’t perceived as smelling great. However, they come in a variety of colors and structures, but unlike flowers they often tend to be a bit less in your face (not always though). Most mushrooms rely on wind to spread their spores and as such, do not have to be extremely colored to attract pollinators. There are of course other methods to distribute spores into the world. Puffballs, like Lycoperdon, rely on the impact of rain, footsteps, or other things falling on them to compress the air inside and eject spores outward.
This does not mean there are no mushrooms that spread spores via pollinators. Mushrooms that utilize insects as pollinators often use scent as a primary lure. Phallus impudicus, known as the common stinkhorn (grote stinkzwam in Dutch), produces a slime that smells like a carcass toattracts flies. These flies swarm to the mushroom cap where the sticky spores attach to their legs. They then carry these spores to other parts of their environment. Other mushrooms, such as truffles, function like fruit in plants, they want to be eaten. This way, their spores can be spread through the feces of animals and into the environment. Too bad they made themselves taste so delicious that those spores often end up in our sewage systems.
When two spores meet, and there is a mutual spark, a connection, they can merge and form the ultimate bond: new organism. Together, forever, stronger than before, as one. Once two spores have vowed to stay together, they start growing hyphae, thin threads made from chitin. When there are many of these hyphae, they become a network called mycelium. Even though hyphae are on average (between 4 and 6 µm wide and between 30 and 500 µm long), mycelium can become one of the largest living organisms in the world. In the Strawbery Mountains located in Oregon, US, scientists found a fungus with mycelium that spans an area of 9.1 square kilometers. (known as Armillaria ostoyae or Honey Fungus). Not only is this mushroom tremendously large, it is practically immortal as it is estimated to be about 8000 years old.. Try to trump that, tortoises and trees!
Recyclers, reapers and romancers
As you probably know, some fungi are parasites, others are recyclers or upcyclers (they break down organic material) and a lot are in a symbiotic relation to get their nutrition. They are always heterotrophic. This means, unlike plants, algae and some bacteria, they are unable to create their own food. They need to eat other things. Most species are polite and wait for other organisms to die to start eating them. Others are even more polite and are real upcyclers as they class as “coprophage” also known as eaters of feces (aka poop). They make sure that nothing goes to waste and everything is reusable. Others are fully dedicated to destroying the life of other organisms. Formitopsis betulina, aka birch bracket aka razor strop aka berkenzwam (birch fungus) aka berkendoder (birch killer) is the most common brown-rot fungus on birch trees. It invades weakened birches, causes brown-rot and eventually death. Not to worry, for every parasite, there are multiple symbiotes. These fungi create loving and healthy relationships with plants, algae or cyanobacteria based on mutual respect and trust. The fungus provides an extensive root-network for water, nutrients and protection in return for some sugar. How beautiful the world can truly be.
Next week: Fantastic Fungi and where to find them.
References
https://www.opb.org/television/programs/oregon-field-guide/article/oregon-humongous-fungus/ for mycelium stuff
https://www.jstor.org/stable/43234042 for smelly stuff
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-10767-z for color stuff