Portal:Fungi

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The Fungi Portal

A fungus is any member of a large group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. The Fungi are classified as a kingdom that is separate from plants and animals. The discipline of biology devoted to the study of fungi is known as mycology or fungal biology, which is historically regarded as a branch of botany, even though genetic studies have shown that fungi are more closely related to animals than to plants. Fungi reproduce via spores and grow as hyphae, mycelia, and further specialized structures. Fungal spores are often produced on specialized structures or in fruiting bodies, such as the head of a mushroom. Abundant worldwide, most fungi are mostly invisible to the naked eye because of the small size of their structures, and their cryptic lifestyles in soil, on dead matter, and as symbionts of plants, animals, or other fungi. Fungi perform an essential role in the decomposition of organic matter and have fundamental roles in nutrient cycling and exchange. They have long been used as a direct source of food, such as mushrooms and truffles, as a leavening agent for bread, and in fermentation of various food products, such as wine, beer, and soy sauce.

Since the 1940s, fungi have been used for the production of antibiotics, and, more recently, various enzymes produced by fungi are used industrially and in detergents. Fungi are also used as biological agents to control weeds and pests. Many species produce bioactive compounds called mycotoxins, such as alkaloids and polyketides, that are toxic to animals including humans. The fruiting structures of a few species are consumed recreationally or in traditional ceremonies as a source of psychotropic compounds. Fungi can break down manufactured materials and buildings, and become significant pathogens of humans and other animals. Losses of crops due to fungal diseases or food spoilage can have a large impact on human food supplies and local economies. Despite their importance on human affairs, little is known of the true biodiversity of Kingdom Fungi, which has been estimated at around 1.5 million species, with about 5% of these having been formally classified.

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The Cyathus type species, Cyathus striatus

Cyathus is a genus of fungi in the Nidulariaceae, a family collectively known as the bird's nest fungi. They are given this name since they resemble tiny bird's nests filled with "eggs", structures large enough to have been mistaken in the past for seeds. However, these are now known to be reproductive structures containing spores. The "eggs", or peridioles, are firmly attached to the inner surface of this fruiting body by an elastic cord of mycelia, which is known as a funiculus. The 45 species are widely distributed throughout the world and some are found in most countries, although a few exist in only one or two locales. Cyathus stercoreus is considered endangered in a number of European countries. Species of Cyathus are also known as splash cups, which refers to the fact that falling raindrops can knock the peridioles out of the open-cup fruiting body. The internal and external surfaces of this cup may be ridged longitudinally (referred to as plicate or striate); this is one example of a taxonomic characteristic that has traditionally served to distinguish between species.

Generally considered inedible, Cyathus species are saprobic, since they obtain nutrients from decomposing organic matter. They usually grow on decaying wood or woody debris, on cow and horse dung, or directly on humus-rich soil. The life cycle of this genus allows it to reproduce both sexually, with meiosis, and asexually via spores. Several Cyathus species produce bioactive compounds, some with medicinal properties, and several lignin-degrading enzymes from the genus may be useful in bioremediation and agriculture. Phylogenetic analysis is providing new insights into the evolutionary relationships between the various species in Cyathus, and has cast doubt on the validity of the older classification systems that are based on traditional taxonomic characteristics.

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Amanita ravenelii, commonly known as the pinecone lepidella, is a species of fungus in the family Amanitaceae. The fruit bodies are medium to large, with caps up to 17 cm (6.7 in) wide, and a stem up to 25 cm (9.8 in) long and 3 cm (1.2 in) thick. The warts on the whitish cap surface are large—up to 6 mm (0.24 in) wide and 4 mm (0.16 in) high. The stem has a large bulb at its base, covered with whitish to brownish scales, that may root several centimeters into the soil. The ring on the stem is thick and cotton- or felt-like. It is widely distributed in mixed and deciduous forests of the southeastern United States, where it grows solitarily or in groups on the ground in late summer and autumn. The mushrooms, which have an odor resembling bleaching powder, are not recommended for consumption.

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Things to do

If you want to help Wikipedia to improve its coverage of fungi, here are some things you can do...

Assess some fungi articles.
Join Wikipedia:WikiProject Fungi or ask on the talk page.
Join the lichen task force.
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Expand some high priority fungus stubs.
Expand or sort other fungi-related stubs.
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Write fungi-related articles from scratch. For ideas of needed articles, see the redlinks on-
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Credit: Dan Molter

The gills of Lactarius indigo, showing the distinctive blue coloration.

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Did you know?

... that consumption of the psychoactive mushroom Psilocybe argentipes by mice who compulsively bury marbles significantly inhibits this behaviour?
... that the mushroom Entoloma austroprunicolor of Tasmania's wet forests changes from bluish-purple, to reddish purple, to purplish grey as it ages?
... that Disciotis venosa, Hygrophorus subalpinus, Mycena overholtsii, Plectania nannfeldtii, Ramaria botrytis, and Clitocybe glacialis are all mushrooms that grow in or near snowbanks?
... that the spiny puffball, an edible fungus, can inhibit the growth of several bacteria pathogenic to humans?
... that Cantharellus lateritius may typically be distinguished from other chanterelles by its smooth under surface?

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General images - show new batch

The following are images from various fungi-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Young Amanita phalloides "death cap" mushrooms, with a matchbox for size comparison (from Mushroom)
Image 2The blue gills of Lactarius indigo, a milk-cap mushroom (from Mushroom)
Image 3Fungi within Ascomycota form ascogonium and antheridium with trichogyne bridge (from Mating in fungi)
Image 4There are over 100 psychoactive mushroom species of genus Psilocybe native to regions all around the world. (from Mushroom)
Image 5Phylogenetic and symbiogenetic tree of living organisms, showing a view of the origins of eukaryotes and prokaryotes (from Marine fungi)
Image 6Leucocoprinus birnbaumii, commonly known as the "flowerpot parasol", at various stages of development (from Mushroom)
Image 7Group photograph taken at a meeting of the British Mycological Society in 1913 (from Mycology)
Image 8Morchella elata asci viewed with phase contrast microscopy (from Mushroom)
Image 9Onychomycosis (from Fungal infection)
Image 10Mushrooms are considered a kind of fungal reproductive organ. (from Mycology)
Image 11Eumycetoma (from Fungal infection)
Image 12Amanita muscaria, the most easily recognised "toadstool", is frequently depicted in fairy stories and on greeting cards. It is often associated with gnomes. (from Mushroom)
Image 13Ling Zhi-8, an immunomodulatory protein isolated from Ganoderma lucidum (from Medicinal uses of fungi)
Image 14Pennate diatom from an Arctic meltpond, infected with two chytrid-like [zoo-]sporangium fungal pathogens (in false-colour red). Scale bar = 10 μm. (from Marine fungi)
Image 15Morphological characteristics of the caps of mushrooms (from Mushroom)
Image 16Agaricus bisporus, a cultivated edible mushroom with various names including "button mushroom", "portobello" and "champignon" (from Mushroom)
Image 17Agaricus bitorquis (the "pavement mushroom") emerging through asphalt concrete in summer (from Mushroom)
Image 18Amanita jacksonii buttons emerging from their universal veils (from Mushroom)
Image 19Maitake, a polypore mushroom (from Mushroom)
Image 20Psilocybe zapotecorum, a hallucinogenic mushroom (from Mushroom)
Image 21Boletus edulis, also known as "cep", an edible wild bolete found in Europe (from Mushroom)
Image 22Workup algorithm of fungal infection at a microbiology lab at a New England community hospital. (from Fungal infection)
Image 23Neurospora crassa life cycle. The haploid mycelium reproduces asexually by two processes: (1) simple proliferation of existing mycelium, and (2) formation of conidia (macro- and micro-) which can be dispersed and then germinate to produce new mycelium. In the sexual cycle, mating can only occur between individual strains of different mating type, A and a. Fertilization occurs by the passage of nuclei of conidia or mycelium of one mating type into the protoperithecia of the opposite mating type through the trichogyne. Fusion of the nuclei of opposite mating types occurs within the protoperithecium to form a zygote (2N) nucleus. (from Mating in fungi)
Image 24Oral candidiasis (from Fungal infection)
Image 25Ferula mushroom in Bingöl, Turkey. This is an edible type of mushroom. (from Mushroom)
Image 26
Lichen covered rocks
(from Marine fungi)
Image 27A tinder fungus, Fomes fomentarius (from Mushroom)
Image 28
Roles of fungi in the marine carbon cycle
Roles of fungi in the marine carbon cycle by processing phytoplankton-derived organic matter. Parasitic fungi, as well as saprotrophic fungi, directly assimilate phytoplankton organic carbon. By releasing zoospores, the fungi bridge the trophic linkage to zooplankton, known as the mycoloop. By modifying the particulate and dissolved organic carbon, they can affect bacteria and the microbial loop. These processes may modify marine snow chemical composition and the subsequent functioning of the biological carbon pump. (from Marine fungi)
Image 29Ganoderma lingzhi (from Mushroom)
Image 30
Diagram of a mycoloop (fungus loop)
Parasitic chytrids can transfer material from large inedible phytoplankton to zooplankton. Chytrids zoospores are excellent food for zooplankton in terms of size (2–5 μm in diameter), shape, nutritional quality (rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids and cholesterols). Large colonies of host phytoplankton may also be fragmented by chytrid infections and become edible to zooplankton. (from Marine fungi)
Image 31The red yeast rice fungus, Monascus purpureus, can synthesize three statins. (from Medicinal uses of fungi)
Image 32Fungi within Zygomycota form progametangia with suspensors during mating (from Mating in fungi)
Image 33A mushroom (probably Russula brevipes) parasitized by Hypomyces lactifluorum resulting in a "lobster mushroom" (from Mushroom)
Image 34Chytrid parasites of marine diatoms. (A) Chytrid sporangia on Pleurosigma sp. The white arrow indicates the operculate discharge pore. (B) Rhizoids (white arrow) extending into diatom host. (C) Chlorophyll aggregates localized to infection sites (white arrows). (D and E) Single hosts bearing multiple zoosporangia at different stages of development. The white arrow in panel E highlights branching rhizoids. (F) Endobiotic chytrid-like sporangia within diatom frustule. Bars = 10 μm. (from Marine fungi)
Image 35Amanita muscaria, a psychotropic mushroom commonly known as "fly agaric" (from Mushroom)
Image 36Lycoperdon perlatum (the "common puffball") has a glebal hymenium; when young, the interior is white, but it becomes brown containing powdery spores as the fungus matures. (from Mushroom)
Image 37Agaricus bisporus, one of the most widely cultivated and consumed mushrooms (from Mushroom)
Image 38Morphological diversity of fungi collected from a marine sponge species, Ircinia variabilis (from Marine fungi)
Image 39Pityriasis versicolor (from Fungal infection)
Image 40Close-up cross section of mushroom gills (from Mushroom)
Image 41Typical mating fusion of two compatible monokaryons in Basidiomycota (from Mating in fungi)
Image 42The photochemistry of vitamin D₂ biosynthesis (from Medicinal uses of fungi)
Image 43
Mycoloop links between phytoplankton and zooplankton
Chytrid‐mediated trophic links between phytoplankton and zooplankton (mycoloop). While small phytoplankton species can be grazed upon by zooplankton, large phytoplankton species constitute poorly edible or even inedible prey. Chytrid infections on large phytoplankton can induce changes in palatability, as a result of host aggregation (reduced edibility) or mechanistic fragmentation of cells or filaments (increased palatability). First, chytrid parasites extract and repack nutrients and energy from their hosts in form of readily edible zoospores. Second, infected and fragmented hosts including attached sporangia can also be ingested by grazers (i.e. concomitant predation). (from Marine fungi)
Image 44
Driftwood
(from Marine fungi)
Image 45Pholiota squarrosa growing at the base of a tree (from Mushroom)
Image 46Salmon with fungal disease (from Marine fungi)
Image 47Tinea corporis (from Fungal infection)
Image 48Coprinopsis atramentaria, commonly known as the "ink cap" (from Mushroom)