De a legfontosabb, hogy a gombák arra késztetnek minket, hogy az életet egy teljesen más perspektívából szemléljük. A növény- és állatvilág a többsejtűvé válás során azt az utat választotta, hogy sejtjeit halmozni kezdte, majd hagyta őket specializálódni – így születtek a szervek. A gombák ezzel szemben nem halmozódnak, hanem kiterjednek, fonalakat növesztenek mindenfelé, amelyek szétválnak, később újra összekapcsolódnak, valamiféle átláthatatlan szövedéket hozva létre. Kicsit mintha egy focipálya méretű idegsejt-hálózatot látnánk, a központi agy nélkül. A növények és az állatok határai általában világosak. Tudjuk, hogy hol kezdődik a szarvas és hol végződik a szarvas, mondhatjuk tehát, hogy ez szarvas, ez meg már nem szarvas. Szóval a szarvast tekinthetjük individuumnak. A gombáknál ez a bináris szemlélet egyszerűen nem működik. Merthogy a gombák végtelenül nyitott kapcsolatokban élnek. Nem csak arról van szó, hogy képesek tartósan szimbióta lényekké alakulni, mint amilyenek a fenn említett zuzmók. Hanem olyan elképesztő hálózatokat alakítanak ki az erdő talajszintjében, összekapcsolódva más gombafajokkal, összenőve a fák gyökérzetével, hogy ott már egyszerűen lehetetlen megmondani, melyik az egyik gomba és melyik a másik, hol végződik a fa gyökérzete, és hol kezdődnek a gombák mikorrhiza-szövedékei. Egyetlen fa akár száz gombafajjal is kapcsolatot építhet ki, egyetlen gombafaj pedig akár száz különböző fásszárúval. És ez az összefonódás egészen eszméletlen következményekkel járhat, amelyeknek bizonyos aspektusait még ma sem értik a mikológusok***. It is also better for the environment, as "Hundreds of square feet of mycelial leather can be grown in less than a week on materials that would otherwise be disposed of." Identification: Has a blue to violet tinged cap and gills when young, however older caps turn tan or grey from the centre. Gills are crowded and grow into the stalk and fade to brown as the mushroom matures. The cap is roughly 5-15 cm across, and the stem 5-10 cm tall. Mycelium, Sheldrake says, is the tissue that holds together much of the world. The filaments thread through the soil, and through living and decomposing bodies, plant or animal. Each exploring tip is looking for water and nutrients, which it will begin to absorb, sending chemical signals to other parts of the network. In some species, scientists have also detected electrical waves. Other filaments nearby that receive these messages turn towards the nourishment. The network can store information. Scientists have tried removing the food source and severing all the connections. New filaments appear and set out in the right direction. It is hard not to call this “memory”.

Some fungi can be taught to break down radioactive material, cigarette butts, and dirty diapers and use it for their energy. Some fungi cannot be identified without a microscope, however those in this blog can be identified using macro characteristics displayed by the fruiting body. Most are umbrella or mushroom shaped with gills on the cap underside. Below are some key characteristics to look out for when identifying:It depends on the age of the child in question. For younger children then a picture book or one with a simple story and a lot of illustrations would be ideal. However, if the child is older then a more comprehensive book would be best. Books with amazing illustrations are always a great way for children to learn, and that’s why Humongous Fungus (Underground and All Around) by Lynne Boddy is the perfect choice. While this book is certainly a wonderfully accessible work on the science of fungi, Sheldrake goes an extra step to also be thought-provoking. He wants the readers to question certain things, like the definition of intelligence, see if they can shift their perspective on the world and its structure – all that by looking at how fungi grow, feed, mate and communicate.

nematode-eating fungi only produce worm-hunting organs and issue a chemical summons when they sense nematodes are close by. If there is plenty of material to rot, they don't bother, even if worms abound Also, he discusses fungi as if they are all miraculous and beneficial, but hardly even mentions the less than beneficial side. What about all the fungal diseases of plants, animals, and humans. As someone who has dealt with both toe fungus and yeast infections, I would like to have seen some coverage of the less wonderful aspects of fungi. Fungi not only give us penicillin, they also give us statins to lower cholesterol and many powerful antiviral and anticancer compounds In principle, fungi are some of the best-qualified organisms for environmental remediation. And did I mention that the material made from the outer layer of the portabella mushroom shows promise in replacing the graphite in lithium batteries and white rot fungi has been used to reduce bee mortality dramatically? A gombamánia néha elég extrém viselkedési vadhajtásokat is szülhet. Néha például az volt a benyomásom, hogy mikológus csak az lehet, aki élete (minimum) egy pontján alávetette magát egy igazi varacskos LSD-tripnek.Discover the kingdom of fungi with Keith Seifert’s book, for indeed, fungi are a different kingdom to plants and animals. It’s a broad book, which is suitable since fungi are so diverse and wide-ranging. It covers everything from how fungi break down wood, how fungi can zombify insects, to how humans have taken on our favourite fungi and used them to make bread, cheese, and alcohol. Sheldrake is reporting the results of an experiment. He had been dosed with LSD (a compound originally synthesised from ergot, a fungus that affects rye), as part of a study investigating whether scientists might gain unexpected insights by thinking about their work while tripping. Sheldrake’s work was on mycorrhizal fungi, which form mutually beneficial relationships with plants via their roots. He wanted to understand how and why they had learned to do this, and how in turn some plants, known as mycoheterotrophs, have developed such powerful relationships with fungi that they no longer need to bother with photosynthesis. Almost all plants require mycorrhizal partners to be healthy – more than 90 per cent of plants rely on them, Sheldrake says, making fungal partners a ‘more fundamental part of planthood than fruit, flowers, leaves, wood or even roots’– but mycoheterotrophs can sustain themselves exclusively on the energy provided by their fungal consociates. These plants have substituted out the sun as their source of power, and as a result have lost their chlorophyll and are no longer green. Some have evolved new colours, like the flaming crimson Sarcodes sanguinea; some have lost colour altogether, like the ghostpipe, Monotropa uniflora, with its pallid white stalks and flowers. All of these characters tell their story in personal terms rather than scientific detail. Children who read this book might see the forest floor in new ways, engaging with the natural world as if it were intelligent, sentient, and friendly. Best comprehensive guide: Collins Complete British Mushrooms and Toadstools by Paul Sterry, Barry Hughes