#• finn's freaky fungi fact ^^ •

[mycoblogg]

freaky fungi fact - mycology vocab :-)

deliquescence : the process of certain fungi (most often ink caps) where they turn to liquid.

this process is observed in a handful of different fungi !! as their caps mature, they furl inward & turn to a spore-filled, inky liquid.

yes, this liquid can be harvested & used for actual pen ink. :-) just make sure to add preservatives to avoid it causing a rotten smell.

to use it in a sentence : the mushrooms above are experiencing deliquescence ; they are deliquescing !! ink caps are deliquescent.

#• finn's freaky fungi fact ^^ • #|| #fungus #fungi #mushroom #mushrooms #mycology #cottagecore #forestcore #foraging #nature #earth #biology #ecology #science #deliquescence

[mycoblogg]

finn's freaky fungi fact : rosecomb mutations :-0

rosecomb mutation : "distortions, lumps & gross malformations occur on the mushrooms. often gills are present on the top leading to the name rosecomb. cause: contamination of the substrate with oil, diesel or distillate fumes."

here are some images of this mutation on agaric fungi !!

[image iDs: 1 - a photograph of a cream-white mushroom with a mutation that has lead to the formation of an extra clump of gills, & even a smaller mushroom on top, growing in a green forest patch. 2 - a photograph of a large, flat grey-white mushroom with wavy edges, that has mutated another, smaller mushroom on its cap. it grows between ivy. 3 - a brown mushroom with extra gill growth on top of its cap, growing between mud & woody mulch. end iD]

#• finn's freaky fungi fact ^^ • #|| #rosecomb mutation #mutation #biology #science #genetics #pollution #fungus #mushrooms #cottagecore #nature #earth #forestcore #mushroom #foraging #mycology #fungi

[mycoblogg]

Tell me a shroom fact please

a recently-found amber fossil (dating to ~100 million years ago) suggests that dinosaurs ingested psychotropic fungi !!

in this fossil, we see some of the earliest recorded evidence of grass. atop the grass? a fungal parasite. in comparison with our fungi today, this fungus is most similar to ergot - fungi that grow on rye & produce alkaloids. ergot has been used as a medicine, a poison & a hallucinogen by humans for thousand of years.

"there’s no doubt in my mind that it would have been eaten by sauropod dinosaurs, although we can’t know what exact effect it had on them." - george poinar jr, of the oregon state university's college of science.

the small chance that dinosaurs tripped on psychedelics keeps me going, tbh.

#• finn's freaky fungi fact ^^ • #• askbox replies: • #(ask : warmilkbread) #|| #fun fact #dinosaurs #amber #paleontology #fossils #grass #dinos #science #biology #history #fact #mushrooms #fungus #mycology #mushroom #earth #nature #fungi

[mycoblogg]

freaky fungi fact - mycology vocab part ii :-D

guttation : the secretion of droplets from the pores of fungi (& plants).

there are a handful of different fungal species that guttate - it usually works similarly to how sweat works for humans :-) mushrooms will have too much moisture, & secrete some. this guttation can end up looking super cool !!

if you were curious : these droplets often taste bitter, & some mushrooms even use this bitterness to deter animals from eating them before they are mature. ^^

to use in context- the mushrooms are guttating ; they are experiencing guttation ; a handful of mushrooms guttate !!

[images : source, source & source]

#• finn's freaky fungi fact ^^ • #[hynellum peckii] #[rhodotus] #|| #fungus #mushrooms #mycology #fungi #earth #cottagecore #nature #mushroom #forestcore #foraging #science #guttation #guttate #english #vocabulary

[mycoblogg]

what's the most recent mushroom fact you learnt??

THANK YOU FOR ASKING THIS !!

carnivorous fungi : fungi that derive some or most of their nutrients from consuming microscopic or minute animals.

most of these species trap & stun nematode worms (pictured below), making them nematophagous organisms.

other carnivorous fungi may attack amoebae or collembola (pictured below).

fungi trap & eat these tiny animals in two main ways :

constricting rings (also called active traps)

adhesive structures (also called passive traps)

some fungi have a profound ability to "sense" when a nematode worm is near before activating their "traps". scientists are unsure how they evolved this ability without proper brains.

in total, there are about 150 species of fungi that attack, kill & digest animals.

a good example is pleurotus ostreatus (pictured below), which uses a calcium-dependent toxin to paralyse its prey (nematode worms) within minutes, & leads to necrosis of the miniscule animal. it acts as quite a protein-rich food source !!

another fun fact : i used to farm these at home :-)

#• finn's freaky fungi fact ^^ • #• askbox replies: • #(ask : anonymous user) #|| #THANK YOU ANON #THANK YOU SO MUCH #PLEASE ASK THIS ALL THE TIME I AM CONSTANTLY LEARNING #<33 #| #fungi #fungus #mushrooms #mycology #mushroom #nature #earth #science #biology #carnivore #carnivorous fungi #fun fact

[mycoblogg]

freaky fungi fact : entomopathogenic fungi !!

entomopathogenic fungi are fungi that can kill or seriously disable insects.

this group of fungi lives in the soil & infects insects by penetrating their bodies to feed on them, & eventually kill them. they are sorted into five divisions (ascomycota, zygomycota, deuteromycota, oomycota & chytridiomycota), each with their own properties.

they have a big impact on insect population dynamics in soil.

there are currently over 800 different entomopathogenic fungi that have been identified.

below the cut are some images of insects that have been infected. CW for animal death + bugs / other critters + just general disturbing imagery.

a beetle parasitised by an unnamed entomopathogenic fungus. [source]

a cicada parasitised by the massospora cicadina fungus. [source]

a spider parasitised by an unnamed entomopathogenic fungus. [source]

[the lovely user who asked me to talk about this : source<3]

#thank you to tumblr user copper-sands for suggesting i talk about this<3 #i learn so much every day. #| #• finn's freaky fungi fact ^^ • #[massospora cicadina] #|| #fungi #fungus #mushroom #mycology #mushrooms #earth #nature #forestcore #cottagecore #foraging #cw animal death #cw bugs #bugs #insects #animal death #parasites #massospora cicadina #entomopathogenic #fungal parasites #insect #critters #science #biology #ecology

[mycoblogg]

a freaky fungi fact !! :-)

up until 2022, the largest living organism in the world was thought to be a network of honey fungus.

a 2400 year old network of mycelium in oregon's blue mountains - nicknamed "humongous fungus" - was thought to be the biggest living organism in the whole world. this fungus occupied 2384 acres of soil (965 hectares), which is equal to nearly 4 square miles or 10 square kilometres. many people do not realise that most of a fungus is actually underground in the form of mycelium !! think of it as the "roots" of the fruit body (mushroom). this network has been able to survive over 2 millennia by parasitising the plant roots around which it grows. they are also able to grow shoestringlike structures to bridge gaps between food sources !!

unfortunately, this organism was overtaken by a giant patch of seagrass in june of last year, according to the guinness world records.

click here to learn more about the honey fungus :-)

[image description for above photograph : a picture taken in oregon of a cluster of fruit bodies from the "humongous fungus" mushroom network. they grow in a large group, covering a wooden stump & much of the forest floor. the mushrooms themselves are brown with round caps, white edges, & lighter brown stipes. they are surrounded by fallen leaves & moss in the foreground, while the background features tall trees. end iD]

#• finn's freaky fungi fact ^^ • #[armillaria mellea] #: honey mushroom : #: pipinky : #: honey fungus : #: pinky : #: stumpie : #: stump mushroom : #|| #fungi #mushroom #fungus #mushrooms #cottagecore #earth #foraging #nature #forestcore #mycology #armillaria mellea #honey fungus #stump mushroom #stumpie #honey mushroom #pipinky #pinky #oregon #world record #fact #fun fact

[mycoblogg]

mark your calendars : international mushroom day !! [source]

mushroom day occurs on the 15th of october every year :-)

this holiday originated in australia & celebrates everything related to fungi, including mushroom farmers, health professionals & mycologists !! the point of the holiday is to encourage the eating & growing of mushrooms as a means to live sustainably. ^^

[images : source & source]

#• finn's freaky fungi fact ^^ • #[mycena interrupta] #: pixie's parasol : #[mycena haematopus] #: bleeding fairy helmet : #|| #fungi #fungus #mycology #mushroom #mushrooms #cottagecore #earth #nature #forestcore #foraging #mushroom day #international mushroom day

[mycoblogg]

What's your favorite fungi fact? :)

(i hope this makes sense as i'm having a speech loss episode, which sometimes affects my written language !!)

likely the most wholesome fun fact i've learnt revolves around the relationship between fungi & plants :-)

so, many different fungi form symbiotic relationships with plants. the most common way they do this is through mycorrhizal relationships, meaning the fungal roots "team up" with the plant roots, resulting in a network wherein the tree provides the fungus with carbon-rich sugars gained through photosynthesis, & the fungus shares nutrients from the soil with the tree !! they also transfer water, nitrogen, carbon & other minerals through these fungal roots called mycelia.

in essence, it's almost as if these organisms use the network trails to communicate !!

these mycelial connections can help an ecosystem thrive by building pathways between all sorts of flora, helping it all grow & flourish for much longer than it would have without the help of the fungi. ^^

this also gives us an idea of how a 2 400 year old fungus was able to survive.

here is a lovely diagram that shows a fungal network helping two trees communicate while one is unable to receive sunlight. the image description is in the alt text :-) [source]

#i love receiving these kinds of asks that just let me get excited about mycology<3 #thanks anon !! you really made my day. #my inbox is always open. #| #• finn's freaky fungi fact ^^ • #• askbox replies: • #(ask : anonymous user) #|| #fungi #fungus #mycology #mushroom #mushrooms #earth #nature #biology #forests #ecosystems #ecology #flora #plants #science #special interest #autism #neurodivergent #image desc in alt text #image description in alt #described

[mycoblogg]

fungi trivia :-) click 'read more' for the answer after you've guessed !!

answer below the cut :

the answer is B !! surprisingly (to me at least), fungi were thought to fall under the fauna umbrella until as late as 1969. since then, it has been classified as its own kingdom of life, among plantae, animalia, protista & monera.

#• finn's sillyposting lol • #• finn's freaky fungi fact ^^ • #|| #poll #fungi poll #fungus #mycology #fungi #mushrooms #earth #foraging #nature #forestcore #cottagecore #mushroom #biology #ecology #science #special interest #history

[mycoblogg]

finn's freaky fungi fact !! :-)

people often think "fungus" & "mushroom" are interchangeable, when in fact mushroom-forming fungi are only a *part* of the greater fungi kingdom.

other fungi in this kingdom include rusts, mildew, smuts, moulds, & yeasts !!

#• finn's freaky fungi fact ^^ • #|| #yeast #mould #mold #smuts #rust #mildew #fungi #fungus #mycology #mushroom #mushrooms #foraging #cottagecore #forestcore #earth #nature #fun fact #facts #true facts

[mycoblogg]

LOL but what if you run out of mushrooms to cover??

luckily, there are more than 14 000 mushroom species currently known to us !! therefore it would take me 14 000 days - or ~38 years to run out.

i also do not only post about mushrooms - i also post other members of the fungi kingdom :-) this add lichens, molds, rusts, smuts, mildew & other fungi to my list, meaning i have about 150 000 species to choose from. therefore, i could continue this blog for ~410 years. that number also excludes the amount of fungi we will discover in the future, since the estimated number of different fungi on our planet is between 2-11 million (~5479 to ~30136 years of covering one fungus daily).

so i probably won't run out !! ^^"

#sorry i got too autism at you but you asked for it LMAO #| #• finn's sillyposting lol • #• finn's freaky fungi fact ^^ • #|| #fungus #mycology #fungi #mushrooms #cottagecore #earth #forestcore #mushroom #foraging #nature #biology #autism #special interest #science

[mycoblogg]

Hello hello, I do this thing where I send my partner a mushroom fact every day and it is getting increasingly difficult (in a fun way) to find facts to send, so any resources for where you get your info or fun facts you have would be super sick :)

that's so cute?? now i don't know which you have & haven't sent, but i find my facts in all sorts of places (usually by accident).

on my blog, the "finn's freaky fungi fact ^^" tag has a few !!

here are a few articles filled with facts :

#• askbox replies: • #(ask : im-a-freaking-joy)