Fungi - a diverse life form between animal and plant

The mushroom season is open - September and October offer the best opportunities for successful mushroom hunting. However, caution and expert knowledge are required. But what are mushrooms actually?

The mushroom season is open - September and October offer the best opportunities for successful mushroom hunting. However, caution and expert knowledge are required. But what are mushrooms actually? - Reading time: 4 minutes

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

An empire of its own

The extremely versatile "Fungi" are neither plants nor animals, but form a third group. Just like plants, they are localized, but as they are not able to "feed" themselves through photosynthesis, they allow themselves to taste organic substances. That's right, fungi "eat", if you like - with the help of enzymes.

These species-rich creatures are closer to animals - and therefore to us - than plants, but they have still not been sufficiently researched. Of the estimated 5 million species of fungi, around 100,000 have been described in detail. Among the known fungi are stand fungi, including our edible mushrooms, but also protozoa, 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 plates, 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 favorable, the mycelium sprouts the above-ground umbrellas that we like so much. For this to happen, a warm period must be followed by sufficient rainfall to ensure that the fruiting body matures before the spores are released. Most fungi reproduce asexually, even if a species is already more advanced and has germ cells.

Mycorrhiza: symbiosis with fungi

In nature, the versatile inhabitants of the Fungi kingdom have an extremely important function. They often live in symbiosis with other plants, especially trees. Both partners benefit from this coexistence. As mycorrhiza, the fungus surrounds the plant roots with the filaments 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 diseases. In return, trees show their appreciation: they share the carbohydrates produced during photosynthesis with the fungus. The symbiosis is only limited to certain cooperating species in a few cases - both the tree and the fungus can be active in many ways, and the network of 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. Mushrooms and trees are saying goodbye together to a stressed ecosystem. Only a return to near-natural forest management and consistent climate and nature conservation can preserve the biodiversity of forests.

Identify and collect mushrooms yourself

The fruiting bodies of mushrooms in the forest include numerous popular edible mushrooms - but also highly poisonous species. If you don't know them well, you can easily get confused. The bright red fly agaric is well known, but other species can also have serious consequences if eaten. Mushroom experts recommend that beginners only collect boletes at first, as lamellar mushrooms are easily confused - poisoning is often the result if a button mushroom is mistaken for a meadow mushroom. If in doubt, the nearest mushroom testing station is the best place to view the prey.

If you don't go for mushrooms, you can find good quality edible mushrooms on the market. These include the delicate porcini mushrooms, the bright yellow chanterelles and, in autumn, the truffles that thrive underground, whose intense aroma transforms even simple pasta or scrambled eggs into a delicacy. Fresh mushrooms also offer taste sensations that far surpass any canned product.

No matter which mushroom you pick, it should be fresh. Mushroom poisoning is mainly caused by perfectly normal edible mushrooms that are simply too old and spoiled. The protein in the fruiting body decomposes faster 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 pick them without worrying.

Mushrooms are worth protecting!

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

In our blogs, however, we 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.