Five Interesting Fungi Facts That May Surprise You
Fungi play a vital role in our existence. They’re nature’s recyclers, they provide us with food and medicine and are all around us, even in the air we breath! (1)
We already use fungi in many ways we probably take for granted. Penicillin, beer, bread, cheese, wine, chocolate, marmite and quorn are a few familiar fungi derived products. (2)
Mushrooms are one of the few non-animal derived dietary sources of vitamin D. (3)
We’re only just beginning to realise the full potential of how fungi can benefit human existence; clothing, building, pollution, mental health, biofuel, sustainable agriculture are just some uses being explored. (4)
As scientists investigate new ways to exploit fungi, we are still learning about the fascinating role they already play.
Fungi Are More Closely Related To Animals Than Plants.
It may seem like a well established fact but it was as recently as 1969 when the Fungi Kingdom was officially recognised.
Fungi were considered part of the Plant Kingdom until 1959 when ecologist Robert Whittaker proposed the creation of the fungi kingdom. (5)
Plants are autotrophic, meaning they create their own food source, through a process called photosynthesis.
Fungi, like humans and other animals are heterotrophic, meaning they derive nutrients by consuming other organisms or organic matter. (6)
Of course there are vast differences between fungi and animals but some species of mushroom are eerily similar to flesh…
One such example is the aptly named Beefsteak Fungus (or Ox Tongue). This fleshy bracket is most often found growing near the base of oaks or sweet chestnuts. (7) Sadly, the taste and texture don’t quite live up to expectation as I found out! (You can read about my experience here)
Another, more palatable, example, is Chicken Of The Woods…
This yellow mushroom, when harvested at the right time, bares an uncanny resemblance to cooked chicken meat in both appearance and texture. It can be found in abundant quantities from mid Summer through to Autumn.
The Worlds Largest Living Organism Is A Fungus.
The Mushrooms we see appearing in Autumn are actually the reproductive fruiting body of the organism (like an apple is to a tree).
The organism itself is usually hidden below the surface and is known as mycelium.
It is the mycelium of Armillaria ostoyae (a species of fungus commonly called Honey Fungus) growing in the Malheur National Forest, Oregon, USA, that currently holds the title of largest living organism.
Covering an area of 2,385 acres, it is estimated to be at least 2,400 years old. (8)
Fungi Have Mastered Mind Control
Fungi are decomposers, feeding on dead plants and animals, including insects. However one fascinating group of fungi known as ‘Zombie Fungi’ actually feast on living insects!
One of the most well studied species Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, targets Carpenter ants.
Ants are habitual creatures but once infected by the fungal spores, the ant deviates from it’s usual routine, crawling, against it’s own will, to a height where the temperature and humidity are perfect… for the fungus!
Once the ant reaches the optimal destination, at the optimal time (around noon) it bites down on the main vein of a leaf. Known as the Death Grip, which won’t be released, even after death.
The fungus slowly consumes the ant’s body until eventually the mushroom sprouts through the ant’s head and finally releases spores to rain down on the ants below and begin the cycle again. (9)
There are hundreds of species of parasitic fungus targeting a variety of hosts including spiders, wasps and moth larvae.
Massospora cicadina is another fascinating example which targets cicadas, slowly infiltrating their bodies and causing their back end to disintegrate, revealing a white mass of fungal spores. Matt Kasson, a leading researcher describes the infecting insects as “flying saltshakers of death” as they continue to fly around spreading the spores to other victims.
Though their genitals have already crumbled away, they become hypersexual passing on the fungal infection in their mating attempts. Infected males even mimic the female mating signals to attract other males to attempt to mate. (10)
Sounds pretty gruesome doesn’t it! Scientists are only just uncovering clues as to what’s really going on.
In his award winning book, Entangled Life, Merlin Sheldrake explains how a team of researchers led by entomologist David Hughes made a surprising discovery in 2017.
It’s natural to speculate that the fungus somehow takes control of the host’s brain in order to manipulate the behaviour but instead they found that the brain was one of the few parts free of the fungal hyphae.
The fungus had essentially taken control of the muscles, becoming, as Sheldrake describes, a “prosthetic organ”. (11)
“We found that a high percentage of the cells in a host were fungal cells, In essence, these manipulated animals were a fungus in ants’ clothing.” David Hughes (12)
Another fascinating discovery came in 2018 from Matt Kasson and his team studying infected cicadas. A chemical analysis of the fungus in the insects’ bodies revealed cathinone, an amphetamine, as well as psilocybin, a hallucinogenic compound found in psychoactive (or magic) mushrooms. (13)
It seems we still have more questions than answers about these zombie fungi but you’ll be relieved to hear that humans cannot be infected by these parasitic fungi.
However, Sheldrake goes on to write about a fungus which does affect human behaviour… Ergot Fungus, which led to the discovery of LSD. But you’ll have to read the book to learn more… (11)
Mushrooms That Glow In The Dark
When’s the best time to go looking for mushrooms? Many would say early morning but Californian mycologist Alan Rockefeller likes to go at night, or at least when it’s dark.
Some fungi have a surprising visibility at night, literally glowing to varying degrees of brightness.
Alan suggests a moonless night is the best time to spot bioluminescent fungi and, if near a town or city, when the skies are clear to avoid the lights reflecting off the clouds.
There are two kinds of glow in the dark fungi; bioluminescent fungi which produce their own light in a process similar to animals like fireflies that produce green light. These often emit light which is visible to the naked eye.
And fluorescent fungi which convert ultraviolet light and can display an array of colours. These can only be seen under UV light.
The question of why these fungi glow in the dark remains unanswered. One theory is to attract insects and animals; Fungi have devised many clever ways of spreading their spores, often shooting them into the air to be carried by the wind, sometimes propelled by water droplets but insects and other animals, including humans, are often employed to help carry the spores further.
But it’s only one theory, another is that it could be a way to release metabolic waste through light instead of heat.
But as Alan points out, not everything in nature has a purpose, it may just be random. (14)
Leaf Cutter Ants Don’t Eat Leaves
We’re all familiar with the sight of those busy ants scurrying along branches carrying bits of leaf but have you ever wondered what they actually do with those leaves?
I must admit, I never gave it much thought, just vaguely assumed they used them for food or nesting material…
What they’re actually doing is incredibly fascinating. They’re collecting leaves to feed a fungus!
Is this another example of ants being exploited like the zombie fungi?
Actually, no. The fungus is the ant’s only food source and it’s a system described as one of the world’s oldest farming practices (over 60 million years!).
So who’s controlling who? In fact, it’s a mutually beneficial arrangement or what we call a symbiotic relationship. Both species not only benefit but can no longer survive without the other. (15)
When a queen leaves the nest to start a new colony, she takes a piece of the fungus with her to begin cultivating a new fungal garden.
This intriguing partnership offers valuable learning opportunities for humans, one particular area of interest is the antibiotics produced by the ants to protect the fungus from parasites. (16) Here is a short video.
Fungi Really Are Amazing!
I first started exploring the world of fungi as part of my interest in foraging. I intended to learn to identify a few edible species but as I began to explore this incredible new world, it quickly turned to something bordering obsession.
There are many colourful, weird and wonderful fungi to be found, particularly in the autumn. Get out in the woods and see what you can find.
I hope you enjoyed these fungi facts, it’s really just the tip of the iceberg. I highly recommend reading Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake, it was a big part of my inspiration to write this.
Special Thanks to Alan Rockefeller, Kim Fleming, Linden Gledhill and Peter Nijenhuis. (see links below)
References:
1. Air full of fungi, study reveals (uni-mainz.de)
2. Secret fungi in everyday life | Kew
3. A Review of Mushrooms as a Potential Source of Dietary Vitamin D (nih.gov)
4. The amazing potential of fungi: 50 ways we can exploit fungi industrially | SpringerLink
5. Biology 5 Kingdoms of Living Things Classification — Iberdrola
6. Heterotrophs | National Geographic Society
7. Fistulina hepatica, Beefsteak Fungus (first-nature.com)
8. Largest living organism | Guinness World Records
9. Multimedia Gallery — Parasite Manipulation of Host Behavior (Image 9) | NSF — National Science Foundation
10. How This Zombie Fungus Turns Cicadas into Horror-Movie Sex Bots — Scientific American
11. Merlin Sheldrake — Entangled Life How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds, And Shape Our Futures. 2020
12. ‘Zombie ant’ brains left intact by fungal par | EurekAlert!
13. Psychoactive plant- and mushroom-associated alkaloids from two behavior modifying cicada pathogens — PubMed (nih.gov)
14. Ep. 47 — Bioluminescent Mushrooms, Psilocybe of Mexico and the Power o — Mushroom Hour (welcometomushroomhour.com)
15. The Leaf-cutter Ant’s 50 Million Years of Farming (asm.org)
16. Fungus-growing ants use antibiotic-producing bacteria to control garden parasites | Nature
Images:
Liza Stirling
Kim Fleming
Linden Gledhill
Alan Rockefeller: Bioluminescent/Fluorescent Fungi.
Peter Nijenhuis
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