Fungi around the world

Curiosities29

Short, sourced facts about fungi. Each one is marked as confirmed, disputed or a myth, so you always know what you are reading.

• Thousands of mating types in split-gill fungi: what does that mean?
• A fungus builds sticky nets when it detects nematodes
• Some fungal spores can swim

Statistics22

Numbers on the world of fungi — always with a unit, a period and a method. How many species there are, and how far mycelium actually reaches.

• 9.5% of mycorrhizal richness hotspots fall within protected areas
• Poland produced 308.3 thousand tonnes of cultivated mushrooms in 2025
• One in four recorded species was seen just once

History21

A timeline of mycology: the discoveries, atlases, classifications and studies that built what we know about fungi — from the microscope to DNA.

• 1941: a fungus connects genes with chemical reactions
• 2008: the genome of the first mycorrhizal fungus
• 1951: the first effective antifungal medicine

People22

The researchers, illustrators and popularisers who changed what we know about fungi — who they were, what they found and what they left behind.

• George Wells Beadle
• Marie-Anne Libert
• David S. Hibbett

New species23

Fungi newly described for science: where they were found, who described them and where the publication is. With identifiers and a source link.

• Chicitaea yueliangshanensis: a new lichen hidden on bark
• Purpureocillium atlanticum: a fungus from a Brazilian spider burrow
• Pleurotus sinensis: a new species among pinkish oyster mushrooms

News30

What is happening in the world of fungi: research, discoveries and decisions that change what we know. Every piece links to its source.

• Snake skin matters: lipids, bacteria and a fungal pathogen
• Tree diversity makes its strongest mark belowground
• How a fungus builds its cell wall: another piece of the yeast puzzle

Places22

Museums, fungaria, research institutes and educational trails devoted to fungi — where to go, and what you can actually see when you get there.

• Wheatfen: wetland fungi at Ted Ellis’s reserve
• Bratislava: Monday mushroom advice at the SNM
• Official mushroom control in Zurich

Countries21

Country profiles: mushroom seasons, kitchen traditions, characteristic species and the rules on picking — what to expect once you are there.

• Slovakia: woodland traditions and levels of protection
• Wallonia: a ten-litre bucket and the owner's consent
• Croatia: three kilos, and a hundred grams of truffle

Travel19

Mushroom destinations, trails and expeditions: where to go, when the season starts and what the forest is like — from the Carpathians to Lapland.

• Poloniny: two routes into woodland that keeps its dead wood
• Norway: where innmark ends and utmark begins
• Rold Skov: as much as an ordinary bag will hold

Culture19

Fungi in art, literature, food and tradition — from folklore and painting to fermentation and the materials now being grown from mycelium.

• John Cage: fungi between field walks, collections and art
• Mycoprotein: when the mycelium is the product
• Shiitake: from the log to the bag of sawdust

Conservation22

Threatened species, habitats and what actually protects fungi: red lists, legal protection, and the measures that make a measurable difference.

• After fire, fungi and plants do not recover at one pace
• Orchid conservation also begins with its fungi
• A fungus with a protection zone around its site

Events13

Mushroom festivals, mycological walks, workshops and conferences in Poland and beyond — when they take place and what to expect from them.

• Gdańsk 2026: Mycology, The Secret Life of Fungi at the Old Town Hall
• Oliwa Forest: a mycology walk with Polish Sign Language, 19 September 2026
• Wheatfen 2026: the British Mycological Society fungus identification workshop