#mycology

Did you know fungi have sex - and are especially active on porridge?

A group of mycologists at the University of Nottingham are investigating the molecular and physiological processes that control sexual reproduction in ascomycete fungi.

The group of scientists quite literally look for sex in fungi. By examining the core biology of fungal sex, the group want to understand how this process can be exploited to do weird and wonderful things to benefit human and plant health.

One particular fungus they are studying is the Aspergillus fumigatus, which was once thought to reproduce only asexually - but the group’s research has shown that it does have a sexual cycle.

First catalogued in 1729 by Italian priest-turned-botanist Pier Antonio Micheli, the Aspergillus genus reminded Micheli of an aspergillum – a holy water sprinkler. Micheli has since been dubbed the founding father of scientific mycology.

TheAspergillus genus is the name for a group of moulds, and is particularly important as some species like the fumigatus can cause infections in humans and animals.

The group at Nottingham hope to develop a method for identifying unknown resistance genes against treatments in aspergillosis infections, which are caused by the Aspergillus fumigatus fungus. Although relatively uncommon in the UK, people who already suffer from chest conditions like asthma and COPD are at risk of contracting aspergillosis, which poses potentially very serious health risks.

You can read more about Nottingham University’s fungal sex project on the BBSRC website.

I found what is quite possibly the most beautiful turkey tail mushroom I’ve ever seen. #mushroom #turkeytail #mycology #medicinalmushrooms #oregon #pacificnorthwest #PNW #wildernessculture #wildernesssurvival #wildmedicine #plantmedicine #mushrooms #bushcraft #wildwoman #magic #pagan #heathen #wildernessquest #wildernessbabes

Bird’s nest fungus, probably the common bird’s nest Crucibulum laeve. The “eggs” in the nests are peridioles, little packets of spores attached to the “nest” by a tiny funicular cord. When rain falls in the cup, it splashes the peridioles out, breaking the cords. You can see some peridioles here that have already been splashed out onto the moss and leaves! The spores can survive being eaten by a herbivore, which helps in their dispersal. This fungus isn’t edible, not that you’d want to eat it - it’s woody and tough. Cute, though!

Pseudohydnum gelatinosum, called cat’s tongue fungus or toothed jelly fungus, is a saprotrophic species of jelly fungus that’s often collected and candied into a sort of mushroom “gummy”. It’s pretty tasteless on its own, so it takes on the flavor of whatever it’s candied with. Honestly, I think it’s not near as tasty as a Haribo bear, but to each their own! 

A really big Helvella vespertina, or grey elfin saddle! This is the North American analogous species to the European Helvella lacunosa. Some mushroom hunters collect these for their edible caps (the stem is inedible), but they’re generally not regarded as choice. Like with all mushrooms, this one should never be eaten raw, either, because it can cause GI upset if not properly cooked. 

Cute little alpine jelly cones, aka poor man’s gumdrops, Guepiniopsis alpina! I haven’t found this fungus often in the Cascade foothills, probably because it’s a snowbank mushroom and tends to grow at higher elevations. It falls squarely in the category of “you can eat it, but why would you.”

wtxch:

Amethyst mushrooms (Elaeomyxa Cerifera) by John Robinson

In honor of Earth Day tomorrow, I’m holding a flash sale in my online mushroom sticker shop! Starting now, use code EARTHDAY to get 15% off your entire order! Code is valid through Earth Day (April 22). My online shop link is here. 

I was watering my plants this morning and went to spray down the compost pile…and I found Yellow Oyster mushrooms from my spent oyster mushroom block FRUITING once again out of my compost! It looks like the oyster mushroom mycelium is starting to colonize and eat leaves in the compost so I spread more of the myceliated leaves throughout the pile and surrounded them with additional cardboard pieces. I’m so happy they’re continuing their life cycle! (Also: I keep that weird cage on top of the pile because there’s a hummingbird that likes to perch on it while eating compost flies)

fungusqueen:

Good morning! I’ve just added a new listing to my online shop! You can add on a surprise randomized vintage scientific illustration mushroom sticker if you want a little bonus mushroom! My shop link is here if you’re interested!

Here’s a pretty good display of all the possible sticker types available in the sticker packs! Sticker packs are available in the online shop! Link is here.

Just recently packed more stickers; this is what they look like before adding labels. There’s gilled mushrooms, cup fungi, morels, coral fungi and more! Available in my online shop here. 

Packed some more mushroom stickers. Each sticker pack has all types of mushroom species! Available in my online shop here. 

Mushroom grow kit update…they’ve grown considerably in size and I think they’re ready to harvest

I got a free mushroom grow kit and now these oyster mushrooms are growing in my room

fungusqueen:

Nighttime mushroom identification using Mushrooms of the Redwood Coast 

Excited to learn a little more about mushrooms every day!

Puccinia urticata on Urtica dioica

It’s hard to walk by banks covered in common nettle without noticing this fiery and gruesome rust fungus taking hold of and deforming the plant’s limbs. 

It’s best described as a species complex with a life cycle which might alternate between two hosts- in the British Isles often a nettle (U. dioica or U. urens) and a sedge (mostly Carex sp.), but its ‘sub-species’ can also be found on Aster and Ribes.      

Here you can see some beautiful up-close photos of its structures.