Fungi - diverse life form between animal and plant

The mushroom season is open - in September and October you have the best chance of being successful in your mushroom hunt. However, caution and expert knowledge are required. But what are mushrooms actually?

The mushroom season is open - in September and October you have the best chance of being successful in your mushroom hunt. However, caution and expert knowledge are required. But what are mushrooms actually? - Reading time: 4 minutes

We know all about mushrooms - don't we? Most people, if asked, would probably say without hesitation that their edible mushrooms are a kind of vegetable. When it comes to baker's yeast, things get trickier, because it too is a type of mushroom. But what are mushrooms really?

A realm of one's own

The extremely versatile "fungi" are neither plants nor animals, but form a third group. Like plants, they are locust-bound, but since they are not able to "feed" themselves through photosynthesis, they let themselves taste organic substances. That's right, fungi "eat", if you will - with the help of enzymes.

The species-rich creatures are closer to animals - and thus also to us - than plants, but they are still not sufficiently researched. Of the estimated 5 million species of fungi, around 100,000 have been described in more detail. Known fungi include stand fungi, including our edible mushrooms, but also unicellular organisms, of which baker's yeast is one.

The actual fungus lives underground

When we talk about mushrooms when we talk about what ends up on our plate, we are actually not right - because the so-called stand mushrooms are merely fruiting bodies. The mushroom is the so-called mycelium, a network of fine threads in the soil. If the conditions are favourable, the mycelium sprouts the above-ground umbrellas that taste so good to us. For this to happen, a warm period must be followed by enough rainfall to ensure the maturity of the fruiting body until the spores are released. Most fungi reproduce asexually, even if a genus is already next and has germ cells.

The mycorrhiza: symbiosis with fungi

In nature, the versatile inhabitants of the realm of fungi have an extremely important function. They often live in symbiosis with other plants, especially trees. Both partners benefit from this coexistence. As a mycorrhiza, the fungus surrounds the plant roots with the threads of the mycelium, thereby increasing their surface area and helping the host plant to absorb water and nutrients. The fungus also protects the tree underground from disease. In return, trees show their appreciation: they share the carbohydrates produced during photosynthesis with the fungus. The symbiosis is only in a few cases limited to certain cooperating species - both the tree and the fungus can be active in many ways, and the network of the mycelium often connects numerous trees underground. A social network, similar to social media.

For the mushrooms, this means: If the forest suffers, this life form is also threatened. Fungi and trees say goodbye together from a stressed ecosystem. Only through a return to near-natural forest management and consistent climate and nature protection can the species richness of the forests be preserved.

Identify and collect mushrooms yourself

The fruiting bodies of mushrooms in the forest include numerous popular edible mushrooms - but also highly poisonous species. Those who are not well acquainted with them can easily succumb to confusion. The bright red fly agaric is well known, but other species can also have serious consequences if eaten. Mushroom experts recommend beginners to collect only boletus at first, because lamellar mushrooms are easily confused - poisoning is often the result if a tuberous leaf fungus is mistaken for a meadow mushroom. If in doubt, the nearest mushroom testing centre is the appropriate place to sight the prey.

If you don't go mushrooming, you can get good quality edible mushrooms on the market. These include the delicate porcini mushrooms, the bright yellow chanterelles, but in autumn also the truffles that thrive underground, whose intense aroma transforms even simple pasta or scrambled eggs into a delicacy. Fresh mushrooms also offer taste experiences that leave every canned product far behind.

No matter which mushroom you choose, it should be fresh. Mushroom poisoning is mainly caused by perfectly normal edible mushrooms that are simply too old and spoiled. The protein of the fruiting body decomposes more quickly than animal proteins, and what still looks quite good on the outside is already rotting on the inside. A fresh mushroom should be crisp and fragrant. Then you can eat it without worrying.

Mushrooms are worth protecting!

Although at NIKIN we are primarily concerned with sustainable materials in the fashion industry and fighting global deforestation, it is important to think sustainably in other areas of life as well. We want to motivate people to rethink their lifestyle and possibly make it more sustainable.

In our blogs, however, we do not only talk about the above-mentioned topics, but also about various other interesting aspects of nature - such as the world of mushrooms and their special relationship with trees.