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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Geastrum quadrifidum, commonly known as the rayed earthstar or four-footed earthstar, is an inedible species of mushroom belonging to the genus Geastrum, or earthstar fungi. First described scientifically by Christian Hendrik Persoon in 1794, G. quadrifidum is a cosmopolitan—but not common—species of Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Australasia. The fungus is a saprobe, feeding off decomposing organic matter present in the soil and litter of coniferous forests.

The small, tough, fruit bodies are grayish-brown balls that are initially enclosed by a skin, or peridium, made up of four distinct layers of tissue. The outer tissue layer splits to form star-like rays and expose a circular spore case. Inside the spore case is the gleba—fertile spore-producing tissue that is white and firm when young, but becomes brown and powdery in age. The grayish-brown spore case is set on a short, slender stalk, and has a well-defined narrow pore at the top where mature spores may escape. Fully expanded, the fruit body reaches dimensions up to 2–3 cm (0.8–1.2 in) wide and up to about 3 cm (1.2 in) tall. The outer skin is purplish-brown, with four or five cream or yellowish-brown colored rays that have their tips stuck in the substrate. There is a flat mat of interwoven mycelia between ray tips. The spores are spherical, warty, and have a diameter of up to 6 µm. Geastrum quadrifidum is one of a number of earthstars whose rays arch downward as they mature, lifting the spore sac upward, high enough to catch air currents that disseminate the spores into new habitats. The species is easily confused with Geastrum fornicatum, a larger earthstar without a well-defined pore mouth.

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Calvatia sculpta, commonly known as the sculpted puffball, the sculptured puffball, the pyramid puffball, and the Sierran puffball, is a species of puffball mushroom in the family Lycoperdaceae. Attaining dimensions of up to 8 to 15 cm (3.1 to 5.9 in) tall by 8 to 10 cm (3.1 to 3.9 in) wide, the pear- or egg-shaped puffball is readily recognizable because of the large pyramidal or polygonal warts covering its surface. It is edible when young, before the spores inside the fruit body disintegrate into a brown powder. The spores are roughly spherical, and have wart-like projections on the surface.

Originally described from the Sierra Nevada, C. sculpta is found in mountainous areas in western North America, and was first recorded from a Brazilian dune in 2008. It may be easily confused with Calbovista subsculpta, a similar puffball which—in addition to differences observable only with microscopy—is larger, and has slightly raised felty warts. Other similar species include Calvatia arctica and immature specimens of Amanita magniverrucata.

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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.
Review, improve, expand or clean some of the newly created fungi-related articles.
Expand some high priority fungus stubs.
Expand or sort other fungi-related stubs.
Add images to articles in the list of unillustrated fungi articles, or add more articles to the list.
Write fungi-related articles from scratch. For ideas of needed articles, see the redlinks on-
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WikiProjects related to fungi:

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Several Marasmius elegans fruit bodies, photographed in Wielangta Forest, Tasmania.

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Did you know?

... that species in the fungal genus Wynnea (W. americana, pictured) have asci that are capped by a hinged operculum?
... that species in the fungal genus Ameliella have been found in the Skibotn area in central Northern Norway, a hotspot of lichen species diversity?
... that upon coming in contact with an alkali solution, the hairs of the fungus Microstoma floccosum will swell and then dissolve?
... that the grisette is enjoyed by cows?
... that the yellow earth tongue has been described as a fungus one is likely to find while looking for something else?

General images - show new batch

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

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