A fungi story

This is a short fungi science story I wrote for OurAmazingPlanet. It will be published next week...

I first noticed it jogging one day through Brooklyn's Prospect Park. The base of an oak tree near the trail seemed to have sprouted a bulbous alien tumor the size of a basketball. It glowed creamy orange in the backlit afternoon shadows. What in the world IS that?

Why just another one of that enigmatic tribe of organisms collectively called fungi. They slime our bathroom tiles, they make our bread rise, they ferment our wine, and they insinuate themselves into nearly every corner of life. Fungi are some of the most interesting and least understood of all organisms. As neither plants nor animals fungi make up their own distinct kingdom. Since they break down and consume other organisms for nutrition, unlike plants, they are kissing cousins to animals. As diverse as they are strange, mycologists, or fungus experts, estimate there may be more than 1.5 million fungus species on Earth. Most of these have never been described to science.

Many fungi live murky subterranean existences underneath the soil. Mushrooms sprouting from the earth after a spring rain, are in fact only the reproductive fruiting body of long string-like fungal hyphae in the soil. Like a plant spreading its seeds, fungi sprout mushrooms to spread their spores. Unlike plants that photosynthesize energy from sunlight, fungi use enzymes to directly break down organic compounds for nutrients. It is no coincidence to see fungi sprouting from decaying vegetation and dank decayed wood. Their ability to mysteriously suck life from death plays a vital role in breaking down dead material and recycling nutrients back into the environment.

Fungi's ability to break down the dead also applies to the living. Many fungi are parasites of other life-forms. Fungi that parasitize our crops wreak havoc every year on our food supply and have even had disastrous effects in history. The potato blight (Phytophthora infestans) that decimated Ireland's food supply in the 1800's and sent an exodus of refugees to the United States was in fact caused by a fungi. Today pathogenic fungi still cause millions of dollars of damage to crops worldwide. Some species, like the unfortunately named corn smut, (Ustilago maydis), attack our corn crops but are also eaten by us. Considered a delicacy in Mexico, where it is known as huitlacoche, it is slowly gaining popularity north of the border too.

Many fungi survive through bizarre relationships and complex deceits. Some parasitic Cordyceps fungi begin life as spores that may fall on an ant. Here they grow and germinate on the ant's body while eating it alive. When its host is extinguished, the fungi sprouts a mushroom from the dead ant's carcass to send off spores and begin the process anew. Meanwhile, leaf-cutter ant species actually cultivate elaborate fungus gardens for food. Miniature farmers, leaf-cutters have co-evolved with some Lepiotaceae species of fungus in a mutually beneficial relationship. They are so co-dependent neither can now exist without the other. Fungi that eat ants, and ants that eat fungi: to step into the alien fungi world is to dapple in real life science fiction.

On that late afternoon in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, I came face to face with my own science fiction fungi. On a hunch I looked up that creamy orange monster and as it turned out I had discovered a huge sulphur shelf mushroom, (Laetiporus sulphureus). Otherwise known as the chicken of the woods, this species is one of the most prized and delicious edible wild mushrooms of the woods. Since many wild mushrooms can be deadly toxic it is very important never to eat wild mushrooms if there is any doubt to their identity.

Having discovered an edible wild mushroom bonanza we harvested over 6 pounds of chicken of the woods that day! In case you are wondering, they take their name from their delicious taste, which is uncannily like chicken. Dining on this fungi delicacy for the next week, we made chicken of the woods pasta primavera, chicken of the woods pizza, and yes, even chicken (of the woods) nuggets! Who knew you could find such wild mushroom delicacies in the heart of New York City of all places? Perfectly in tune with their mystery, I should have known. Fungi continuously find ways to surprise.