Fungi: Weird and Wonderful
Shapes of
Nature
by Lorraine Julien
After checking a “Mushrooms of
Ontario” book, I think this fungus is a member of the Coral family
of fungi, probably Golden Coral (Ramaria aurea) or Eastern
Cauliflower (Sparassis herbstii). If an expert on mushrooms happens
to read this column, I’d appreciate your comments.
Though some may not have appreciated
the considerable amount of rain we received this past summer, some
things in nature really thrived on the moisture: for instance, many
trees had noticeable growth spurts and it seemed many familiar and
strange types of fungi were sprouting up all over. I know there were
literally hundreds of mushrooms and less familiar fungi all over our
property.
During the summer, something caught my
eye as I walked past a tiny spruce tree. There, lying on the ground
near the base of the tree, was something that looked exactly like a
natural sea sponge – I found it intriguing, took some photos and
kept an eye on it. It lasted for many weeks but gradually shriveled
up once we had a dry spell in September.
The fungi world is quite complex and
very interesting as anyone who walks or hikes in the country would
know. There are infinite shapes and colours seemingly popping up
everywhere, especially after a warm rain. Though most are quite
attractive, very few mushrooms are safely edible. I’ve only eaten
puffballs and morels – mainly because they are easily identifiable
but some of the prettiest mushrooms are the most poisonous….according
to my mushroom guide.
Similar to mosses and ferns, fungi
reproduce by zillions of tiny spores rather than flowers and seeds.
Air currents and rainfall disperse the spores. Food sources vary by
species: some live on decaying wood and other dead plant material
while some fungi grow on insects.
Fungi do not just sit there and look
interesting though - they have many roles in our lives:
Fungi work at decaying and rotting
wood so that it breaks down into soil
Yeast fungi are used to leaven
bread and other baked products
We purchase edible fungi in the
grocery stores and order them on our pizzas
Fungus fermentation has been used
for thousands of years to produce wines, beer and spirits; it’s
also used to produce the citric acid used in soft drinks, candies,
and artificial lemon juice
Human organ transplants are
assisted by the anti-rejection drug, Cyclosporin which is produced
by a microscopic fungus
Many antibiotics are derived from
fungi – penicillin is probably the best known
There is a blue mould (penicillium)
that grows on many foods such as bruised fruit, cheese, bread, etc.
This member of the fungus family is quite resistant to cold and is
able to grow even on refrigerated food. Sometimes, though,
penicillium is introduced on purpose to food such as blue cheese.
The roles of fungi are not all positive
though as evidenced by the huge crop losses every year from fungal
plant diseases. You only have to look in your garden to see the
effect of powdery mildew on plants. Whenever powdery mildew is
present, the plant should be cut back in the fall and the affected
leaves should be either burned or composted thoroughly. If the mildew
is left, eventually there will be black spots on the plant that will
be ready to grow on its host again next year.
Certain skin infections in humans such
as ringworm and athlete’s foot are caused by a type of fungi.
Probably the most important role of
fungi though is to provide moisture and nutrients to trees. Every
tree has hundreds of thousands of kilometres of fungal threads
(hyphae) attached to its roots that supply the tree with the
nutrients it needs for healthy growth. In return, the tree provides
the hyphae with sugars needed to grow the fungal fruitbodies.
I have concentrated on a few
interesting fungi facts here but have barely scratched the surface of
the intriguing world of fungi. Once thought to be a type of plant,
it’s now recognized that fungi are in a kingdom of their own.
Estimates are that there are more than a million species of fungi but
only about 10% have been recognized and described by scientists. The
next time you walk past some of these strange growths, pay attention
to them: they are the ultimate recyclers of nutrients!
Please feel free to report any
observations to Lorraine Julien at naturewatching@gmail.com or
Steve Blight at natureobservations@rogers.com
