Fascinating Fungi

Posted onOctober 04, 2018

We have fabulous Fungi all around us and although we mostly think of the varieties we see sprouting from the ground and from tree stumps, a huge number of fungi are in the soil, the air and in our bodies and are too small to be seen.

At Teign Trees & Landscapes we are fascinated by fungi of all shapes and sizes and we see our fair share of specimens out and about in woodlands and what better time to Blog about Fungus than on National Fungus Day?

We wanted to know more about Fungi so we visited the British Mycological Society’s website for more information and found a very interesting The Secret Life of Fungi.

Fun Fungi Facts....

1. Fungi are in a kingdom of their own but are closer to animals than plants.

2. They have chemicals in their cell walls that are shared with lobsters and crab.

3. A fungus has been discovered that is capable of breaking down plastics in weeks rather than years.

4. There is evidence to suggest that yeasts - a type of fungus - were being used to produce the alcoholic drink Mead as long as 9,000 years ago.

5. At least 350 species are consumed as foods including truffles (which can sell for thousands of pounds) Quorn, and those in marmite and cheeses.

6. Plastic car parts, synthetic rubber and LEGO are made using itaconic acid which is derived from a fungus.

7. 216 species of fungi are thought to be hallucinogenic.

8. Fungi are being used to turn crop waste into bioethanol.

9. Products made from fungi can be used as replacements for polystyrene foam, leather and building materials

10. DNA studies show that there are thousands of different fungi in a single sample of soil, many of which are unknown and hidden and are reffered to as 'dark-taxa'.

There are also loads of events on over the weekend of 6 & 7 October to celebrate all things fungal so check out this page for information on events taking place near you.

Obviously it's important not to touch or ingest any Fungi you encounter unless you are 100% sure of the species.

The photos at the top of this Blog were taken by our teams and so often we tend to just walk by or maybe don't even notice a little 'mushroom' on the lawn or a perhaps on a tree stump, but if you take time to have a closer look you will see how wonderful and diverse fungi actually are.

Image Nick Wright © 2023