These latter structures are nothing more than the fruiting bod-
ies of some fungi species and are formed with the sole and
exclusive purpose of producing spores for dispersion or repro-
duction. Thus, depending on each type of their reproduction
and also of the structures in which they express their identity,
sexual or perfect, the following phyla were created within the
Fungi Kingdom: the Chytridiomycota, Zygomycota, Ascomyco-
ta, Basidiomycota and “Deuteromycota”, which, currently meet
the individuals properly allocated in a classification defined for
genus and species(5).
Regarding reproduction or multiplication, there are
some variations in fungi, for example, the presence of sexual
spores that are formed by the mixing of genetic material of
different individuals, by meiotic division, similar to animals,
whose union of different gametes forms the new individual
(perfect or sexual fungi). We also find among the fungi, indi-
viduals that multiply by mitosis where, in this case, successive
cell divisions or fragmentation of the stalk (fungus body) occur,
there is no mixing of genetic material from different individuals
or cells. Considering this last form of multiplication (imperfect,
mitosporic or “asexual” fungi), there is a “Provisory Phylum”
called Deuteromycota, gathering all the fungi that propagate
this way. Just to finalize the understanding of the fungi repro-
duction, since they can present more than one form of mul-
tiplication, a fungus can have one or more scientific names
depending on the stage (perfect or imperfect) in which it is at
the moment of its morphological identification, remembering
that the same individual may present one or both phases at
the same time. In this case, the name of the perfect or sexu-
al phase will prevail when it is identified in the individual. For
example, Pseudocercospora musae is the name of a fungus
identified by its mitosporic spores (imperfect or asexual phase)
and therefore is grouped within the “Deuteromycota Phylum”.
When this same fungus produces the meiotic spores (perfect
or sexual phase) or they are identified, the name of this fun-
gus becomes Mycosphaerella musicola and it is reallocated in
the Ascomycota Phylum. There is still a growing tendency for
changing the classification rules in order to maintain only one
name per fungus. However, regardless of how they are named
and grouped, the classification and taxonomy of fungi intend
to order in a practical way the different groups through com-
mon characteristics that facilitate the understanding and the
knowledge of the diversity among them.
If we imagine all fungi known to science so far, we need
to develop different ways of grouping, preserving and using
them, due to the high diversity found, especially in tropical
countries such as Brazil that has one of the largest biodiversi-
ty of the planet and draws attention to those unknown species
with potential to be used.
So, we think: how in an island of Vera Cruz, Land of San-
ta Cruz, in such a giant Brazil, tropical and with infinite biodi-
versity, there is such a few information about fungi in its past?
Or at least of those ones that emerge and stand out in the hu-
mid environments of the woods and fields?One of the explanations could be that since the Portu-
guese did not have mycofilic habits, the fungi did not arouse
interest for exploration at the time of the discovery of Brazil,
and much of the botanical collections made by the settlers are
found in foreign universities (14).We have much to do to rescue the history of Brazilian
mycology and the work of historians has fundamental impor-
tance in order to trace a reliable identity of what existed here in
the past. In books, journals, maps, illustrations and paintings,
we are sure to always find a wealth of expression that, inevi-
tably, can be a window to the present. Most botanical illustra-
tions are undoubtedly works of art by naturalist artists. Prac-
tically, all the illustrations of individual plants, shrubs, foliage
and the jungle, were made with such a degree of perfectionism
that we see no indication of the presence of fungi on leaves,
flowers or fruits. It is likely that plant species at that time also
had common diseases and symptoms. These observations oc-
casionally portrayed by that artists of the time could be a rich
source of information about the associations between fungi
and plants, since most fungi are invisible to the human eye.There are few publications recognizing fungi in the
past. Guilielmi Pisonis, cites and illustrates some Brazilian
mushroom species in 1648 and 1658, and the earliest collec-
tion in Brazil, or the earliest recorded one, was made in 1767,
near Rio de Janeiro, in the city of São Sebastião, by the French
Philibert Commerson who obtained an isolate of the fungus
Pycnoporus sanguineus, today deposited in the Museum of
Natural History of Paris, France (14).From 1500 until approximately 1750, the great voyag-
es were carried out by adventurers, mercenaries (15) and nat-
ural sciences lovers (16) or at the behest of old world kings for
conquest, land tenure and establishment of cities in Brazil (17).
From these voyages, a large bibliography was generated in
the form of logbooks, very rich books and especially letters, in
which information from the “New Land” could be glimpsed and
sought by the metropolis.Although mycological records are scarce, agriculture is
recognized to have been developed and organized for at least
10,000 years (18), constituting an inexhaustible source for con-
jectures and rescue research on the history of constant asso-
ciation between fungi and plants.