Fabulous Fall Fungi

When I opened my mushroom book recently, a sheath of loose-leaf paper fell out, with notes on various mushrooms that I had brought home for identification a few years ago. I still remember that day, when I laid the mushrooms out to take spore prints, and recorded their colour, texture, smell, growth form and habitat, trying to identify them (I did figure out some, but not others).

Fungi are a world unto themselves, being neither plants nor animals. Fungi do not have green chlorophyll like plants do, and cannot, like plants, manufacture their food from sunlight. Instead, fungi live off organic matter from living or dead plants and animals, and reproduce by simple, microscopic units called spores, rather than seeds.

Mushroom reproduction is complex. Spores grow into thread-like cells called hyphae. If the hyphae of two compatible spores germinate near each other, they will merge and continue to grow into a network of filaments called mycelium. The tips of the mycelium have enzymes that digest food, enabling the mycelium to expand its growth. When conditions are right, the mycelium begins to knot together, leading to the growth of the fruiting body, or mushroom.

Soon after the mushroom emerges, but before the cap opens, it is called a “button.” As the mushroom grows, the elongating stalk pushes the cap up above ground. As the cap opens, the veil (fleshy part covering the gills) breaks to reveal the gills. Sometimes the veil leaves a ring, or annulus on the stem. The gills are lined with millions of spores, which fall to the ground to begin the lifecycle again.

Though a typical mushroom is lined with gills beneath the cap, some mushrooms, such as boletes, have sponge-like pores, which contain the spores. There are many different forms that mushrooms can take, which isn’t surprising, considering that there are over one million species of fungi in the world (and it is estimated that only about 10% of the world’s fungi are known to science).

There are basically three types of fungi, parasitic, saprophytic, and mycorrhizal. Parasitic fungi require a living host, and include things such as wheat rusts, some polypores (also called conks) on trees, and even things that live on us, such as athlete’s foot. Saprophytic fungi feed on dead or decaying matter, such as wood, soil, dung, or vegetation.

The third kind, mycorrhizal fungi, exist in a mutual-benefit partnership with the roots of plants and trees. The fungi’s mycelium forms a mass of hyphae around the rootlets of the host, and an exchange of nutrients takes place. The fungus helps the tree absorb nutrients and minerals, and provides protection against diseases. The plant rootlets in turn provide the fungus with moisture and carbohydrates. Some trees and fungi cannot survive without each other.

Fungi play a critical role ecologically, through their mycorrhizal associations and as decomposers and recyclers. By consuming dead material, fungi breaks down complex organic matter back into its basic building blocks, enriching the soil so that plants can grow once again. Though often associated with death and decay, fungi are in fact one of nature’s greatest life-givers and recyclers.

There is a great wealth of fungi in our area, and November is a good month for mushrooming. Some people like to hunt for edible mushrooms, but I am more taken with the weirdly colourful inedible fungi that are lurking in the woods. This year, I came across a striking fungus called Strawberries and Cream (Hydnellum peckii). This mushroom is hard and inedible, with a felt-like white surface that is, when fresh, oozing with blood-like red droplets. The underside of the cap is covered in tiny downward pointing spines, putting this fungus in the category of “spine” fungi. It is common under conifers.

Witch’s butter is a general name for the jelly-like slimy orange or yellow fungi that are found on rotting logs or twigs. This year I learned that witch’s butter (Tremella mesenterica) is found on hard woods, whereas the similar looking orange jelly (Dacrymyces palmatus) is found on conifers. Both are common in our area.

The fly amanita (Amanita muscaria) is quite gaudy, with a brilliant orange or red cap that is dotted with white warts. The gills and stalk are white, and there is often a skirt-like ring. Fortunately, this mushroom is easy to identify, since it is very poisonous. The fly amanita is often found in mixed or coniferous woods, or forest edges.

There are so many weird and wonderful fungi out there, and I hope that over the years, I can come to know a few.

Filed under Nature Writing | Tags: Amanita, Fungi, Mushrooms, Strawberries and Cream, Witch's Butter | Comment (0)