Portal:Fungi

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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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Dendrocollybia is a genus of fungus in the family Tricholomataceae of the order Agaricales. It is a monotypic genus, containing the single species Dendrocollybia racemosa, commonly known as the branched collybia or the branched shanklet. The somewhat rare species is found in the Northern Hemisphere, including the Pacific Northwest region of western North America, and Europe, where it is included in several Regional Red Lists. It usually grows on the decaying fruit bodies of other agarics—such as Lactarius and Russula—although the host mushrooms may be decayed to the point of being difficult to recognize.

Dendrocollybia racemosa fruit bodies have small pale grayish-white or grayish-brown caps up to 1 cm (0.4 in) wide, and thin stems up to 6 cm (2.4 in) long. The species is characterized by its unusual stem, which is covered with short lateral branches. The branches often produce spherical slimeheads of translucent conidiophores on their swollen tips. The conidiophores produce conidia (asexual spores) by mitosis. Because the fungus can rely on either sexual or asexual modes of reproduction, fruit bodies sometimes have reduced or even missing caps. The unusual stems originate from black pea-sized structures called sclerotia. The anamorphic form of the fungus, known as Tilachlidiopsis racemosa, is missing the sexual stage of its life cycle. It is able to reproduce at relatively low temperatures, an adaptation believed to improve its ability to grow quickly and fruit on decomposing mushrooms.

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Sarcoscypha dudleyi, commonly known as the crimson cup or the scarlet cup, is a species of fungus in the family Sarcoscyphaceae of the order Pezizales. In addition to its main distribution in the central to eastern United States, the fungus has also been recorded once in Bulgaria. It has been frequently confused with Sarcoscypha coccinea, but can be distinguished from this and other related species in Sarcoscypha by differences in microscopic characteristics, such as the presence and number of oil droplets in the spores. The species Molliardiomyces dudleyi is an imperfect form of the fungus that lacks a sexually reproductive stage in its life cycle.

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Credit: Jason Hollinger

The lichen Xanthoria elegans growing on exposed sandstone.

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Did you know?

... that the mushroom Cystodermella cinnabarina can only be distinguished from similar fungi by performing chemical tests and microscopic analysis of spores, basidia and cystidia?
... that the bolete eater which attacks boletes is actually another type of fungus?
... that the mushroom species Russula albidula is commonly known as the "boring white Russula"?
... that infection by pistil smut induces the development of female sex organs in a male?
... that hairy black cups use toxic chemicals to kill living things?

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General images - show new batch

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

Image 1Fungi within Ascomycota form ascogonium and antheridium with trichogyne bridge (from Mating in fungi)
Image 2Oral candidiasis (from Fungal infection)
Image 3Neurospora 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 4Young Amanita phalloides "death cap" mushrooms, with a matchbox for size comparison (from Mushroom)
Image 5
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 6Leucocoprinus birnbaumii, commonly known as the "flowerpot parasol", at various stages of development (from Mushroom)
Image 7The photochemistry of vitamin D₂ biosynthesis (from Medicinal uses of fungi)
Image 8
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 9The blue gills of Lactarius indigo, a milk-cap mushroom (from Mushroom)
Image 10Amanita muscaria, a psychotropic mushroom commonly known as "fly agaric" (from Mushroom)
Image 11Workup algorithm of fungal infection at a microbiology lab at a New England community hospital. (from Fungal infection)
Image 12Boletus edulis, also known as "cep", an edible wild bolete found in Europe (from Mushroom)
Image 13Amanita jacksonii buttons emerging from their universal veils (from Mushroom)
Image 14Ferula mushroom in Bingöl, Turkey. This is an edible type of mushroom. (from Mushroom)
Image 15Pennate 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 16Pityriasis versicolor (from Fungal infection)
Image 17
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 18Salmon with fungal disease (from Marine fungi)
Image 19Lycoperdon 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 20Typical mating fusion of two compatible monokaryons in Basidiomycota (from Mating in fungi)
Image 21
Driftwood
(from Marine fungi)
Image 22Agaricus bisporus, a cultivated edible mushroom with various names including "button mushroom", "portobello" and "champignon" (from Mushroom)
Image 23Onychomycosis (from Fungal infection)
Image 24Morphological diversity of fungi collected from a marine sponge species, Ircinia variabilis (from Marine fungi)
Image 25Ganoderma lingzhi (from Mushroom)
Image 26Tinea corporis (from Fungal infection)
Image 27Close-up cross section of mushroom gills (from Mushroom)
Image 28Pholiota squarrosa growing at the base of a tree (from Mushroom)
Image 29Amanita 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 30Eumycetoma (from Fungal infection)
Image 31Agaricus bitorquis (the "pavement mushroom") emerging through asphalt concrete in summer (from Mushroom)
Image 32Phylogenetic and symbiogenetic tree of living organisms, showing a view of the origins of eukaryotes and prokaryotes (from Marine fungi)
Image 33Morchella elata asci viewed with phase contrast microscopy (from Mushroom)
Image 34Fungi within Zygomycota form progametangia with suspensors during mating (from Mating in fungi)
Image 35Chytrid 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 36Psilocybe zapotecorum, a hallucinogenic mushroom (from Mushroom)
Image 37Agaricus bisporus, one of the most widely cultivated and consumed mushrooms (from Mushroom)
Image 38Group photograph taken at a meeting of the British Mycological Society in 1913 (from Mycology)
Image 39A tinder fungus, Fomes fomentarius (from Mushroom)
Image 40
Lichen covered rocks
(from Marine fungi)
Image 41Maitake, a polypore mushroom (from Mushroom)
Image 42The red yeast rice fungus, Monascus purpureus, can synthesize three statins. (from Medicinal uses of fungi)
Image 43There are over 100 psychoactive mushroom species of genus Psilocybe native to regions all around the world. (from Mushroom)
Image 44A mushroom (probably Russula brevipes) parasitized by Hypomyces lactifluorum resulting in a "lobster mushroom" (from Mushroom)
Image 45Mushrooms are considered a kind of fungal reproductive organ. (from Mycology)
Image 46Coprinopsis atramentaria, commonly known as the "ink cap" (from Mushroom)
Image 47Ling Zhi-8, an immunomodulatory protein isolated from Ganoderma lucidum (from Medicinal uses of fungi)
Image 48Morphological characteristics of the caps of mushrooms (from Mushroom)