Glossary Adaptation a physical or behavioural feature of Bolete [boal-eat] a fleshy mushroom with a an organism that helps it to survive in its spongy layer of tubes underneath its cap habitat Button a young mushroom before it opens up Agaric [ag-uh-rik or uh-gar-ik] a mushroom with gills Cap the cap-like part of the fruiting body which supports the spore-bearing surface, also Alga (pl. algae) [al-ga; al-jee] a simple, called the pileus flowerless green plant usually living in water Carnivore a living thing that eats meat. Carnivores are primarily mammals, such as Annulus (see ring) tigers and dogs but can also be plants, such as the Venus flytrap. Antibiotic a drug that interferes with the growth of bacteria. Penicillin, made by Cell wall the protective, rigid, outer layer of the mould, was the first antibiotic. Antibiotics cells of plants, fungi, and bacteria are widely used in the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. Cellulose a compound composed of glucose units; it’s a major constituent of wood and Ascomycete [as-kuh-mahy-seet ] a fungus that of plants’ cell walls reproduces by making spores inside a sac-like structure called an ascus Chitin [kahy-tin] a chemical found in the cell walls of fungi, as well as in the shells of Autodigestion self-digestion lobsters and insects Bacteria any of a large group of one-celled Chlorophyll the green pigment found in plants organisms that lack a cell nucleus; that permits them to make their own food reproduce by fission or by forming spores; through photosynthesis and in some cases cause disease Citric acid a colourless translucent crystalline Basidiomycete [buh-sid-ee-oh-mahy-seet ] a acid; derived by fermentation of sugar fungus that reproduces by producing and used mainly in the flavouring of spores on the outside of a club-shaped beverages, confections, and cell called a basidium. pharmaceuticals Bioremediation the use of biological agents, Coprophilous [kuh-prof-uh-luh s] living or such as bacteria, fungi, or green plants, to growing on dung, as certain fungi remove or neutralize contaminants, as in polluted soil or water. Bacteria and fungi Cup (also known as the volva) the sac-like cup generally work by breaking down or tissue surrounding the base of the stem contaminants such as petroleum into less after the veil has broken harmful substances. THE Fungus FILES 83 GLOSSARY Cup fungi ascomycetous fungi that expose their Fungophobe someone who fears fungi hymenium in a wide concave fruitification; most common in the spring Fungus (pl. fungi) [fuhng-guhs; fuhn-jahy, fuhng-gahy] one of the kingdoms of Decomposers organisms that are responsible living things. They lack chlorophyll, have for breaking down organic matter into a no true roots or stems, do not produce simpler form and recycling nutrients into their own food and reproduce from spores the soil Germination the process whereby seeds or Dichotomous key [di-kot-uh-muhs ] a key for spores sprout and begin to grow the identification of organisms based on a series of choices between alternative Gills plate-like structures on the under-surface of characteristics the cap of most mushrooms. Dutch elm disease a disease of elm trees caused Glycogen [glahy-kuh-jen] a polysaccharide, by the fungus Ceratocystis ulmi; it is spread molecularly similar to starch, constituting by the European elm bark beetle and by the the principal carbohydrate storage contact of the roots of healthy elms with material in animals and occurring chiefly those of infected trees. It produces brown in the liver, in muscle, and in fungi and streaks in the wood and results in the yeasts eventual death of the tree. No cure has been discovered, but prevention methods Habitat a place with a particular kind of include the injection of insecticide into environment suitable for the growth of an healthy trees and the destruction of all elms organism in infected areas. Herbivore an animal that feeds chiefly on plants Ecosystem all the living and non-living things in a certain area including air, soil, water, Hypha (pl. hyphae) [hahy-fuh or hahy-fee ] animals, and humans individual thread-like filament that forms the mycelium and fruit body. Hyphae Enzyme [en-zahym] any of various proteins secrete enzymes that digest food so that it originating from living cells and capable of can be absorbed by the fungus. producing certain chemical changes in organic substances by catalytic action, as Kingdom the highest rank of the classification in digestion into which living organisms are grouped in Linnaean taxonomy, ranking above a Eukaryotic single-celled or multicellular phylum. There is debate as to whether organisms whose cells contain a distinct there are 5, 6, or 7 kingdoms. membrane-bound nucleus. Lichen [lahy-kuh n] the symbiotic association of a Fairy ring an arc or circle of mushrooms fungus with an alga. The fungal component of a lichen absorbs water and Fruiting body the part of the fungus where the nutrients from the surroundings and spores are produced; typically called the provides a suitable environment for the mushroom alga. The algae live protected among the dense fungal hyphae and produce Fungophile someone who loves fungi carbohydrates for the fungus by photosynthesis. 84 THE Fungus FILES GLOSSARY Crustose crust-like lichens that may be relationship with plant roots. The fungus buried in tree bark, or even between the obtains sugars from the plant, whilst the crystals of rocks plant gains increased supplies of nutrients Foliose flat leaf-like lichens extracted from the soil by the fungus. Fruticose miniature shrub-like lichens-- one lichen of this type is the famous Nematode [nem-uh-tohd] unsegmented worms “reindeer moss” of Lapland with an elongated rounded body which is Squamulose scaly lichens made of pointed at both ends; mostly free-living numerous small rounded lobes, but some are parasitic intermediate between foliose and crustose lichens. Nutrient cycling all the processes by which nutrients are continuously transferred Life cycle the complete life history of an from one organism to another in an organism from one stage (e.g.; the spore) ecosystem. For instance, the carbon cycle to the recurrence of that stage. The life includes uptake of carbon dioxide by cycle of an agaric is: spore-->germination plants, ingestion by animals, and (hyphae)-->mycelium-->primordium respiration and decay of the animal by -->button-->mushroom-->spore. decomposers. Mildew [mil-doo] any of various obligately Omnivore an animal that feeds on both animal parasitic fungi that form a superficial, and vegetable substances usually whitish growth on living plants Organic matter anything that is or was once Mould [mohld] a growth of minute fungi forming alive on vegetable or animal matter, commonly as a downy or furry coating, and associated Parasite an organism living in or on another with decay or dampness. Some moulds are living organism (host) from which it added to food intentionally. extracts nutrients Mushroom the fruiting body of a fungus, Parasitic mushroom/fungi a mushroom that typically containing a cap with spore lives on or feeds off a living animal or producing gills resting on top of a stalk. plant or another fungus The purpose of the mushroom is to manufacture and release spores. Penicillin (see antibiotic) Mycelium (pl. mycelia): [mahy-see-lee-uh m ] a Photosynthesis the process in green plants and mass of hyphae (usually underground) certain other organisms by which that makes up the main body of the carbohydrates are synthesized from fungus carbon dioxide and water using light as an energy source Mycologist a scientist who studies fungi Pores (also called tubes) hollow cylinders Mycology [mahy-kol-uh-jee] the scientific study containing spores and forming the spongy of fungi underside of bolete and polypore caps Mycorrhiza (pl. mycorrhizas): Potato blight any of various highly destructive [mahy-kuh-rahy-zuh / -zee ] “fungus fungus diseases of the potato root”; the formation of a symbiotic THE Fungus FILES 85 GLOSSARY Protozoa [proh-tuh-zoh-uh] any of a large seed in that it does not have its own food kingdom of single-celled, usually reserves. microscopic, eukaryotic organisms, such as amoebas, ciliates, flagellates, and Spore case (also called sporangium) the part of sporozoans mold that produces spores Primordium an aggregation of cells indicating Spore print the picture formed on paper by the first trace of an organ or structure mushroom spores; the print’s colour and pattern help in identification Ring (also called an annulus) a circular skirt on a mushroom stalk formed by a broken veil Stalk (also called the stem or stipe) the part of the mushroom that holds up the cap; Rhizomorph [rahy-zuh-mawrf] a dense mass of similar to the stem of a plant hyphae forming a root-like structure characteristic of many fungi Starch a carbohydrate, occurring in the form of minute granules in the seeds, tubers, and Sac fungi (also called Ascomycetes) fungi that other parts of plants, and forming an make their spores in sacs. This group of important constituent of rice, corn, fungi includes single-celled bread yeast wheat, beans, potatoes, and many other and multi-celled truffles. Other types of vegetable foods sac fungi can harm plants and animals. Symbiosis a relationship between two different Saprobic mushroom a mushroom that feeds organisms that is beneficial to both. (e.g. off dead trees, dung, leaves, litter, or mycorrhizal fungi and plants; a fungus other organic matter and an alga in a lichen). Scales raised pieces of broken skin on a cap or Taxonomy