Xplore! Wild Watch

Why did everyone want to go to the party with the mushroom? Because he was a fun-guy!

I'm sorry.

Back to Species Spotlight after a break amid a hectic last week. Today we will look at Species Spotlight's first fungi, the common ink cap mushroom, which, fittingly, was the first observation posted to the page, courtesy of looghna_dainty_mac_bay from Hendersonville, Tennessee.

If any group of organisms can claim the status of "Unsung Heroes" it is definitely fungi. The world would be a very, very different place without them, and probably not one that we would want to live in, if us humans were even here in the first place! Fungi's role in nutrient cycling and as decomposers underpins every single ecosystem on Earth, and the ecosystems themselves largely exist thanks to fungi, with their mineral-mining capabilities leading the formation of soil and, consequently, large, leafy plants, almost all of which are supported by fungi in many other ways too! And that's without even touching on their role in baking and brewing! Ultimately, fungi have paved the way for life on land as we know it, including aiding the spread of mammals after the fall of the dinosaurs, an evolutionary pathway that includes humanity along its route! Furthermore, the role of fungi in aquatic ecosystems is very poorly studied, but it's almost certainly a lot more significant than we currently realise.

That is an extremely non-exhaustive and unelaborated list of fungal achievements, but if I leave you with only one thing from Species Spotlight it is that fungi are ridiculously important. I would need an entire book to really give fungi their fair dos, so I'll stop myself there, but if you are interested I highly recommend Merlin Sheldrake's Entangled Life.

Despite their significance, fungi are probably one of the most mysterious and least well-understood groups of organisms. There is generally a lot of confusion among the general public as to whether fungi are plants or not (they're not), so don't worry if you're confused! Another common misconception is that they're "halfway between a plant and animal" - again, this is not true... I don't even know what this means. No, fungi are their own Kingdom, as are animals and as are plants. They're all part of the Domain Eukaryota, which basically means they're composed of more advanced cells than bacteria. So fungi are their own special group, separate from both plants and animals.

Fungi are extremely diverse in both form and function. If I ask you to picture a fungi right now.... go ahead, give it a go... I bet your thoughts range from mildew on your wall to toadstools sprouting out the ground. That's a pretty good spread, but the reality is even more extreme than that: many fungal species are hidden from view, either by virtue of dwelling in the soil, or by being microscopic, or both; on the other end of the spectrum we have the fungus Armillaria ostoyae, the organism that covers a larger geographical area than any other, with an individual colony of this species in Oregon, USA laying claim to be the LARGEST ORGANISM IN THE WORLD, spreading over an area of over 2,200 acres (~3.4 square miles)!

Our common ink cap, Coprinopsis atramentaria, (apologies for taking so long to get to the species in today's Spotlight) fits neatly in the middle of this size spectrum, ranging between 3 and 10 cm. It is fairly common throughout North America and Europe, often being found in urban habitats or other frequently-disturbed areas from spring through to autumn. Its mycelium (sort of like the fungal equivalent of plant roots) are generally found originating from dead wood.

You will often spot it with a bell-shaped head, but this does flatten out before the end of its life. Its smooth skin helps distinguish it from other ink cap mushrooms, such as the shaggy or magpie. As far as edibleness goes - DO NOT eat it without consulting a mycologist (fungi expert) or foraging specialist. Apparently it can be safe, but is harmful (potentially even deadly) when mixed with alcohol, leading to its nickname as the Tippler's Bane.

Finally, the name "ink cap" (which it shares with several other species) comes from the fact that the mushrooms let out a stream of black liquid when picked, which was actually used as ink once upon a time.

So there we have it - the fungal kingdom and the common ink cap mushroom in a nutshell. As I said, I could spend weeks writing about fungi, but I hope this brief post has given you a small insight into hugely important role and incredible diversity of fungal heroes!

Before I go - starting tomorrow is Great Big Green Week in the UK. I will be working with fellow Wild Watch participant and Climate Cymru ambassador, rachall1, to do a local nature walk, highlighting to participants the significant role wildlife recording plays in helping our natural world. So I want to take this opportunity once again to thank you and remind you that you are making positive contributions towards the conservation of our natural world by taking part in this project.

Diolch yn fair iawn
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