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Mushrooms
Club Fungi (Basidiomycetes)
First posted January 18, 2005 Last updated January 18,
2005
Under Construction
A mushroom grows as shown in the
above photograph. The mushroom on the left (a
cut-away view) shows how the mushroom starts with
a universal veil over the entire organism. As
the mushroom grows (second image), it parts the
universal veil at the top. As it continues to
grow, the universal veil is left behind. In some
mushrooms, the Amanitas, the universal veil is
still evident in the adult stage. It is then called
a volva.
Club Fungi (Basidiomycetes):
The Mushrooms
This group, with about 25,000 species, contains
the mushrooms and the shelf fungi. The majority
of the fungus is underground, but when it needs
to reproduce, the fruiting body, called a basidiocarp
by scientists by called a mushroom by everyone
else, is formed.
The name comes from the Latin "basidium",
which means "little pedestal", obviously
referring to the mushroom shape. |
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Mushroom Glossary http://www.bluewillowpages.com/mushroomexpert/glossary.html
The photograph of the Amanita is from Austrailian National
Botanical Gardens fungi
website.
The photograph of the orange-topped mushroom showing
the volva is from the Illinois
Mycology Website.
Acknowledgements
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