THE SECRET NATURE OF FUNGI

Fungi have always been associated with mystery and intrigue. I look forward each year to the onset of autumn when I can spend a little time exploring the woodlands in search of these fascinating subjects. Often described as the custodians of the kingdom of the underworld, they are a quirky group of beings whose origins, date back 400 million years, and probably even longer. Fungi are one of nature’s natural decomposers and are inextricably linked with many different organisms. They are frequently described as nature’s undertakers, responsible for breaking down dead and organic material and recycling the nutrients again through the various ecosystems. Most vascular plants rely on the tiny mycorrhizal threads that pervade their root systems providing nourishment and essential nutrients. Most people assume that fungi are related to plants; scientifically they are not. Modern DNA research has shown that fungi are more closely associated with animals rather than plants and produce spores and not seeds.