Bird’s nest fungi are tiny — only about a centimeter wide. When mature, they form a curved splash cap containing spore sacs known as peridioles. Then they await rain. When Keep reading
Tag: fungi
Fungal Fluid Dynamics
Many plants gain the soil-bound nutrients they need by trading with symbiotic fungi. Underground, these fungi spread networks that gather and store phosphorus, which they then trade with host plants Keep reading
Spore Squirting
The fungus Pilobolus spreads its spores with a squirt cannon. Each spore sits on the end of a round fluid-filled pod. Like many plants, the fungus uses a process called osmosis Keep reading
Mushrooms Make Their Own Breeze
Mushrooms don’t rely on a stray breeze to spread their spores; they generate their own air currents instead. The key is evaporation. The mushroom cap contains large amounts of water, Keep reading