31
Humongous fungus
The largest organism on Earth
is a fungus. It spreads out for
8.8 sq km (3.4 sq miles) beneath
an entire forest in Oregon, USA.
Magical
mushrooms
A mushroom is the part
of a fungus that grows
out of the soil to release
spores. Wind carries the
spores away, which grow
into new mushrooms.
T
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m
a
y
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5
m
illio
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c
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o
f
f
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n
g
i,
but
w
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a
v
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n
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t
f
o
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n
d the
m
a
l
l
y
e
t
!
Mushrooms can be
edible, but many
are poisonous!
This fungus is named
after the kokako
bird’s blue wattle.
Fungi don’t
have leaves,
roots, or stems.
Spores are like
miniscule seeds.
Star mushrooms
erupt a smoke-like
cloud of spores.
H
e
n
o
f
t
h
e
w
o
o
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s
V
e
lvet fo
ot
W
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e
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k
o
k
a
k
o
F
ie
ld
mu
shroo
m
Oyster
mushroom
030-031_Fabulous_Fungi.indd 31 08/11/2019 15:56