A Fungimap introduction to
Fabulous Fungi
Fungal Basics
Fungi are in their own Kingdom. They are found everywhere around the world, from rainforest to desert,
stream to ocean, and poles to the equator.
○ Fungi are not plants. They have no chlorophyll.
○ There are about 10,000 macrofungi in Australia of which 50% have been described
Fungi have diverse shapes. Mushroom shaped fungi have (some of) these features:
Pileus (cap)
Possible scales or warts (remnants of universal veil)
Spore bearing surface -lamellae (gills), pores, teeth or
folded surfaces
Ring (remnant of universal veil)
Stipe (stem) - may be off-centre
Volva (swelling at base)
Hyphae (mycelium)
Life Cycle of fungi
○ Macrofungi resembles a tangled mass of tiny threads (hyphae). Hyphae penetrate the material
on which the fungus is growing. It looks like cotton wool = mycelium of hyphae
○ Mycelium are white, yellow, red, blue, orange, brown, black.
○ Chemical structure not the same as plants. Plant cells have protective wall of (hard) cellulose.
Hyphae are proteins in the chitons group.
○ Hyphae grow outwards, produce enzymes that soften and break apart the chemicals in the
substrate.
○ Hyphae absorb these simpler chemicals to fuel further growth.
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○ When the mycelium has enough in storage and weather is right, then it fruits.
○ Fruiting body is more than 90% water - can grow quickly.
○ The fruiting body produces spores which are disbursed by air, water and animals.
○ If a suitable landing is found, the spore germinates and the cycle recurs.
○
Eat and be eaten
What fungi eat:
○ Dead things (saprophyte). Saprotrophic fungi are nature’s rotters. They feed on dead organic
matter.
○ Living things (parasite). Parasitic fungi feed on live plants, animals (especially insects) or even
other fungi
○ Shared meals (mutualism or mycorrhizal). Mycorrhizal fungi are symbiotic with around 90% of
Australian plants, helping them to take up water, nutrients, trace elements and get
carbohydrates. They radiate in & out of the roots. They are essential in Australia’s low nutrient
soils.
What eats fungi
Fungi provide habitat and food for many creatures.
○ Many animals and insects eat fungi. For example, truffles make up 85-90% of a pooroo’s diet. In
return they help to spread the fungi’s spores.
Fungi as weeds
○ There are a number of introduced fungi species, including the
well-known Amanita muscaria, the red and white fly agaric of
children’s stories. A concern is that they may be spreading
and displacing native fungi.
Ecology – If there were no fungi …
○ Dead trees and leaf litter would not decay
○ Carbon and nitrogen would not be recycled
○ 90% of Australian plants would be stunted
○ Many small mammals would starve
○ Terrestrial orchids would die
○ The soil wouldn’t hold together
Fungi provide a communications network to link plants
○ If plants are attacked by insects they emit chemical signals to warn other plants. It has been
shown that they also send warning signals via mycorrhizal fungi.
○
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Main groups of fungi
○ Agarics are most common. They have gills and are usually fleshy.
○ Boletes have tubes which open as pores.
○ Tooth fungi have teeth or spines.
○ Coral fungi usually grow upwards, but not always.
○ Jelly fungi have a gelatinous texture.
○ Puffball fungi have powdery spores in a sac.
○ Stinkhorns have a slimy, smelly spore mass.
○ Clubs and pins have spores on the outside surface.
○ Cups and discs may also have a stem.
○ Birdsnest fungi rely on rain the splash out spores. Cannonball fungi fire out their spores.
○ Brackets can be fleshy or leathery
Friends of fungi
○ Lichens are symbiotic relationships between a fungus and an alga or cyanobacteria.
○ Slime moulds are in a Kingdom of their own.
Fungi identification
Some fungi are easy to identify whereas others require microscopy. Start by learning a few species common
in your area and build on these. Fungi Down Under is a good place to start as it describes 100 readily
identifiable species. Other field guides and knowledgeable people will also help. Join a local group
Take detailed notes and photographs of fungi you see and build records for your area.
Fungimap: Citizen Science in action
Fungimap is a national non-profit community organisation dedicated to improving knowledge and
conservation of Australian macrofungi. Our emphasis is on enjoying and learning about fungi and our focus is
on macrofungi in the natural environment. Our mottos are 'Putting Australian fungi on the map' and
'Community based science in action'. Join with like-minded people to learn about and advocate for
conservation of macrofungi through:
○ Biannual conferences and other events
○ Local groups and national coordination
○ Education and knowledge sharing, resources
○ Mapping - National Australian Fungimap Database
○ Data for research
○ Liaison with Government departments.
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Mapping Australia’s fungi
○ The National Australian Fungimap Database contains over
100,000 observational records and more than 6500 images of
fungi, contributed by over 750 recorders
○ Data is freely available from the Atlas of Living Australia:
www.ala.org.au
○ Report your fungi observations. Report forms are available
from the Fungimap Web site.
Fungimap publications
○ Fungi Down Under, a guide to the 100 ‘Target Species’ which are easily
identifiable in the field
○ The Fungimap newsletter is available 3 times a year
○ The Fungimap Web site has a range of books and field guides
Join others to learn about and document fungi
○ Our website is a great place to start
○ Join Fungimap for conferences, forays, workshops, news and events
○ Local Field Naturalist clubs, LandCare and permaculture groups may also have members
interested in fungi
○ We can help you find interested people in your area.
www.fungimap.org.au
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