Under Your Feet

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

h

e

r

e

m

a

y

b

e

a

s

m

a

n

y

a

s

5

m

illio

n

s

p

e

c

i

e

s

o

f

f

u

n

g

i,

but

w

e

h

a

v

e

n

’

t

f

o

u

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

d

s

V

e

lvet fo

ot

W

e

r

e

w

e

r

e

• 
  

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