The Fungi Store

Mushrooms are neither plant nor animal, they are their own kingdom, the fungi kingdom (includes yeasts, molds, smuts and rusts.)

Fungi makes blue cheese blue

The first strain of penicillin (which is a fungus) was isolated in the 1940s from a rotten cantaloupe

Mushrooms are merely the fruit of a much larger organism. the majority of the organism is known as the mycelium: the vegetative part of a fungus that consists of a mass of branching single-cell strands called hyphae

15% of all vaccines and therapeutic proteins are made in yeast

Some fungi are bioluminescent

The largest living organism in the world covers 2.4 miles and is located in the Blue Mountains of Oregon

Special type of fungi are used to clean up oil spills and toxic chemicals

Fungi used to be classified as plants even though they were eventually found to have more in common with animals

Mushroom tinctures are being tested on honeybees to protect them from a virus-carrying mite.

Mycelium acts as an underground 'internet' network, passing messages through tree roots to warn about pest, drought and disease

Mushrooms have been found to commute roughly 50 words.

Glomalin, a by-product from mycorrhizal fungi, can capture and store carbon in the soil, removing it from the atmosphere. This could help reverse climate change.

Feeling the urge to scratch your feet? Even if you're someone who takes two showers a day, you might be astonished to discover that the human feet host a whopping 200 different types of fungi. While these fungi can be found throughout our bodies, they have a particular fondness for establishing colonies and thriving in certain areas, with 80 types favoring the heel, 40 types between the toes, and 60 types beneath toenails.

Mushrooms have been around for a long time; they are one of the oldest living organisms on Earth, with fossil records dating back over 2 billion years.

The Amanita phalloides, also known as the Death Cap mushroom, is one of the most toxic mushrooms in the world. (WARNING: These mushrooms thrive during the fall so please be mindful of your furry babies when out for a walk. Click this link for the news video.)