{"id":11782,"date":"2018-10-19T12:30:19","date_gmt":"2018-10-19T16:30:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/?p=11782"},"modified":"2018-10-25T12:10:51","modified_gmt":"2018-10-25T16:10:51","slug":"take-5-fantastic-fungi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/take-5-fantastic-fungi\/","title":{"rendered":"Take 5: Fantastic Fungi"},"content":{"rendered":"

In case you’ve been living under a rock, you may not have noticed it’s been a banner year for mushrooms (although, “under a rock” might not be the worst place to find evidence of fungi). The classic “stem-and-cap” mushroom\u00a0is typically the first thing that comes to mind when most folks think of a fungus, but estimates indicate there may be more than 2-3 million<\/em> species<\/em> of fungi worldwide, outnumbering plants by 10-to-1!<\/p>\n

Biologists initially thought fungi were a part of the Plant kingdom since they have a similar lifestyle: largely immobile, often grow in soil, and produce “fruit” or fruiting bodies. However, Fungi received their own kingdom distinction in 1969 and it is now believed that fungi are actually more closely related to animals than plants\u2014they are both “heterotrophic,” meaning they can’t produce their own food like plants, which photosynthesize. In short, both fungi and animals eat other things<\/em> to get their energy, using digestive enzymes.<\/p>\n

So the next time you’re in the produce section at the grocery store and reach for a package of mushrooms, remember that you may be more closely related to those baby bellas\u00a0than the avocados across the aisle!<\/p>\n

Here are five fantastic fungi you can enjoy thanks to submissions to our annual Picture This: Your Great Outdoors photo contest. Visit our website to see and download a handy Fungi By the Numbers<\/a> guide and keep an eye out for fungi on your next nature walk.<\/p>\n

\""Bear

“Bear Tooth”, Hericium americanum \u00a9 John Zywar<\/p><\/div>\n

\""Fly

“Fly Amanita”, Amanita muscaria \u00a9 Bruce Gilman<\/p><\/div>\n

\""Onion

“Onion Bagel Pholiota”, Pholiota aurivella\/limonella \u00a9 Ed Anzures<\/p><\/div>\n

\""Turkey

“Turkey Tail”, Trametes versicolor \u00a9 Kathryn Dannay<\/p><\/div>\n

\""Yellow

“Yellow Morel”, Morchella esculentoides \u00a9 Brigitte Flick<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In case you’ve been living under a rock, you may not have noticed it’s been a banner year for mushrooms (although, “under a rock” might not be the worst place to find evidence of fungi). The classic “stem-and-cap” mushroom\u00a0is typically the first thing that comes to mind when most folks think of a fungus, but […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":68,"featured_media":11785,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[158],"tags":[123,286,83,84],"class_list":["post-11782","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-take-5","tag-fungi","tag-mushrooms","tag-photo-contest","tag-photography"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/10\/Onion-Bagel-Pholiota-aurivella-limonella-Ed-Anzures.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3t87A-342","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":8142,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/take-5-mushroom-mania\/","url_meta":{"origin":11782,"position":0},"title":"Take 5: Mushroom Mania!","author":"Ryan D.","date":"September 21, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"September is National Mushroom Month and a perfect time to spot the fruiting bodies of fungi as they flourish in the cooling temperatures. What are fungi, anyway? Fungi are neither plants nor animals. They may appear to be similar to plants, but they contain no chlorophyll and so cannot make\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Take 5"","block_context":{"text":"Take 5","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/take-5\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Exsudiporus Frostii (fungi, mushroom) \u00a9 Ruby Sarkar, Photo Contest 2013","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/09\/2291RubySarkar8017.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/09\/2291RubySarkar8017.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/09\/2291RubySarkar8017.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6217,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/take-5-amazing-fungi\/","url_meta":{"origin":11782,"position":1},"title":"Take 5: Amazing Fungi","author":"Rosemary","date":"September 21, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Did you know that our Photo Contest has a Plants and Fungi category? Here are five remarkable images of fungi from past editions of our contest. If you enjoy snapping pictures of mushrooms, we'd love to see them. There's still time to\u00a0add your entry to this year's contest, which closes\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Take 5"","block_context":{"text":"Take 5","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/take-5\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2015\/09\/Ronald-Reynolds-2012.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2015\/09\/Ronald-Reynolds-2012.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2015\/09\/Ronald-Reynolds-2012.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3942,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/five-amazing-mushrooms\/","url_meta":{"origin":11782,"position":2},"title":"Five Amazing Mushrooms","author":"Rosemary","date":"September 24, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Mushrooms, the fruiting bodies of fungi, are especially abundant as the summer winds down and the cold air sets in. Although some of our local fungi, such as oyster mushrooms, may be more familiar, they\u2019re only a small part of a remarkably diverse world that includes glow-in-the-dark, multicolored, and gargantuan\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Nature Notes"","block_context":{"text":"Nature Notes","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/nature-notes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/08\/chromefootedbolete.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/08\/chromefootedbolete.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/08\/chromefootedbolete.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15071,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/take-6-2020-photo-contest-winners-18-and-over\/","url_meta":{"origin":11782,"position":3},"title":"Take 6: 2020 Photo Contest Winners, 18 and Over","author":"Ryan D.","date":"December 21, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Among other (many less illustrious) titles, 2020 broke the record for most submissions ever to our annual Picture This: Your Great Outdoors photo contest. We sifted through no fewer than 5,000 entries across six categories: Birds, Mammals, Other Wildlife, Plants & Fungi, Landscapes, and People in Nature. It's never easy\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Photo Contest"","block_context":{"text":"Photo Contest","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/photo-contest-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Skunk Cabbage, Winner: Plants & Fungi, 18 and over \u00a9 James Doucett","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/PlantsOver6641James_Doucett34237.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/PlantsOver6641James_Doucett34237.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/PlantsOver6641James_Doucett34237.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/PlantsOver6641James_Doucett34237.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15086,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/take-6-2020-photo-contest-winners-under-18\/","url_meta":{"origin":11782,"position":4},"title":"Take 6: 2020 Photo Contest Winners, Under 18","author":"Ryan D.","date":"December 28, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"With the passing of each year, we all grow a little older (though perhaps a bit more grateful than usual to be leaving this particular year behind). But the entrants to the Under 18 bracket of our annual Picture This: Your Great Outdoors photo contest stay \"forever young,\" so how\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Photo Contest"","block_context":{"text":"Photo Contest","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/photo-contest-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Fireflies and Star Trails, Winner: Landscapes, under 18 \u00a9 Will Draxler","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/LandscapesUnder6425Will_Draxler32659.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/LandscapesUnder6425Will_Draxler32659.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/LandscapesUnder6425Will_Draxler32659.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/LandscapesUnder6425Will_Draxler32659.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12198,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/take-5-2018-photo-contest-winners-under-18\/","url_meta":{"origin":11782,"position":5},"title":"Take 5: 2018 Photo Contest Winners (Under 18)","author":"Ryan D.","date":"December 31, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"There are a lot of talented young people taking beautiful nature photographs and we were lucky enough to have many of them submit their work to the 2018 Picture This: Your Great Outdoors photo contest. We highlighted the 18 and Over photo contest winners a couple weeks ago, so now\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Photo Contest"","block_context":{"text":"Photo Contest","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/photo-contest-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Other Wildlife Under 18 Winner \u00a9 Francis Morello","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/12\/other_under_3598Francis_Morello24339_750-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/12\/other_under_3598Francis_Morello24339_750-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/12\/other_under_3598Francis_Morello24339_750-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/12\/other_under_3598Francis_Morello24339_750-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11782","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/68"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11782"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11782\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11827,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11782\/revisions\/11827"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11785"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11782"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11782"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11782"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}