A world under the leaves
Mycelium, roots, wood and lichens: discover relationships that a mushroom photograph does not always show.
Summary: about 1 min. Open the readings to deepen each chapter at its pace.
What appears is only a part
The mushroom is a reproductive structure of certain fungi. Mycelium, formed by filaments, can develop in the support without being evident to the surface. The spores add another step to the cycle. Knowing these parts helps to understand why fungi are not summed up in the form of a hat.
- The mushroom is just a partThere's a net the eyes don't always find.
- About 2 min of reading
- Includes activity
- Words explained
- Interactive exploration
- A journey hardly anyone seesA mushroom can release thousands of spores.
- About 1 min to read
- Includes activity
- Words explained
- Interactive exploration
Sources of this chapter
- DGADR / ICNF — Mushroom Collector's Guide, June 2013Consultation/revision: 2026-11-06
- Centre for Silvestre Resources Skills — production mushroomsConsultation/revision: 2026-11-07
- Silvestrian Resource Competence Centre — General MycologyConsultation/revision: 2026-11-08
- Australian National Botanic Gardens / Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research — The myceliumConsultation/revision: 2026-11-07
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew — Mycelium: Exploring the hidden dimension of fungi, Eddie Johnston and Grace BrewerConsultation/revision: 2026-11-06
- American Phytopathological Society — Introduction to Fungi: reproduction and growthConsultation/revision: 2026-11-07
- Australian National Botanic Gardens / Australian National Herbarium — Spore release and dispersal, Heino LeppConsultation/revision: 2026-11-07
Partners and decomposers
There are fungi associated with plant roots and others that get nutrients from dead organic matter. Mycorrhizes and decomposition are different relationships, both important to understand the soil. Nearby trees, fallen leaves and wood provide context, but not enough to identify a species.
- Roots have partnersA trade that happens out of sight.
- About 1 min to read
- Includes activity
- Words explained
- Interactive exploration
- A fallen leaf still has its wayOn the ground, matter changes hands.
- About 1 min to read
- Includes activity
- Words explained
- Interactive exploration
Sources of this chapter
- Silvestrian Resource Competence Centre — General MycologyConsultation/revision: 2026-11-08
- Gulbenkian Garden — ecology of fungi, with Susana Gonçalves (17/04/2023)Consultation/revision: 2026-11-07
Watching without turning curiosity into proof
Different blades, pores and supports help describe what you see. Liquens add associations between organisms and their own forms. Photos and readings are intended for discovery: do not use this guide to decide whether a mushroom is edible. Continue by observing and by the sources of each record.
- Blades, pores and other formsNot everyone has the same drawing under their hat.
- About 1 min to read
- Includes activity
- Words explained
- Interactive exploration
- Looks like a leaf, but it's a partnership.Among mosses, there's a lichen that deserves a second look.
- About 2 min of reading
- Includes activity
- Words explained
- Interactive exploration
Sources of this chapter
- DGADR / ICNF — Mushroom Collector's Guide, June 2013Consultation/revision: 2026-11-06
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center — Amanita muscariaConsultation/revision: 2026-11-07
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center — Gyroporus cyanescensConsultation/revision: 2026-11-07
- Australian National Botanic Gardens / Australian National Herbarium — Types of fungal fruiting bodies, Heino LeppConsultation/revision: 2026-11-07
- University of Trieste — ITALIC 8.0, Lobarina scrobiculataConsultation/revision: 2026-11-08
The territory of these comments
The photograph of this guide documents an observation in this parish. Discover the territory; the register does not indicate a point of visit or guarantees new sightings.
Know Abadim →