Fungi Decoded: Adventures in the Mycosphere--Encounters with Thirty Fungi

by Britt A. Bunyard

Overview

A visual celebration of the Fungus Kingdom, offering an accessible introduction to mycology in its first half before diving into 30 profiles of diverse and astonishing mushrooms.

Informed by the latest research, and mycologist Britt Bunyard’s decades-long relationship with fungi across the globe, Fungi Decoded offers a tour of the world's most intriguing mushrooms, spotlighting well-known fungi such as the Fly Agaric as well as morphological oddities such as Stinkhorns and Bird’s Nest Fungi. Through in-depth profiles on thirty mushrooms, you will learn about a variety of morphogroups, distributions, habitats, and substrate types.

This book also explores the most intriguing questions at the heart of these extraordinarily strange organisms. What makes some fungi glow? Which fungi strangle nematodes? How have fungi changed the course of human history? What happens if you step into a fairy ring of mushrooms? Why do some fungi grow in dung?

Featuring vivid illustrations and filled with fascinating information, Fungi Decoded is perfect for both new fungus fans and seasoned mycophiles.

Note: This book is not meant for identifying edible mushrooms.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798217033997
Publisher:	Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed
Publication date:	09/30/2025
Sold by:	Random House
Format:	eBook
Pages:	192
File size:	49 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Britt A. Bunyard, PhD, is the founder, publisher, and editor-in-chief of the mycology journal Fungi. Britt has worked academically as a mycologist his entire career, teaching a number of university courses and writing scientific articles for many research journals and popular science magazines. He has served as an editor for mycological and entomological research journals and mushroom guide books. A popular evangelizer on all things fungal, Britt has been featured on NPR’s "All Things Considered", PBS’s NOVA and Wisconsin Foodie television programs, and in The Atlantic, Vogue, Forbes, Saveur, Women’s World, and others. He serves as executive director of the Telluride Mushroom Festival. He co-authored Amanitas of North America, Mushrooms and Macrofungi of Ohio and Midwestern States, and The Beginner's Guide to Mushrooms.

Read an Excerpt

Introduction

Fungi are without doubt the most important link among all life on the planet.

ungi have evolved the ability to utilize almost anything as a food source; they trick plants—and animals—into doing their bidding. They effectively poison, trap, kill, enslave, and zombify other living organisms. And they are without doubt the most important link among all life on the planet.

Neither plants nor animals, fungi form their own kingdom of living things. Although quite different from us, they are more like animals than any other life-form. This book aims to introduce some of the more charismatic species from the mysterious kingdom of fungi.

Most species of fungi we will probably never see nor get to know; most are microbes and too small to see with the unaided eye. However, some fungi produce reproductive structures (mushrooms) that are large enough to be seen, and these “macrofungi” will be the main focus of this book.

Unlike plants, which can create their own food by harnessing the energy of sunlight, fungi have to take energy and nutrients from other organisms (what’s called a heterotrophic lifestyle).

Most fungi survive by doing one of three things in the environment. Many fungi are saprotrophic, meaning they break down dead matter from other organisms in order to live. Others get what they need by parasitizing a living host: many animal and plant diseases are caused by molds and other fungi; and others live as partners with other organisms, especially plants. Some fungi are harmful to their hosts; others may be toxic if eaten. But the more we learn about them, the more we see that the healthy function of the natural world around us is closely tied to them.

Fungi grow in a wide variety of habitats, and most, if not all, have an important role in the environment. Many species are specific about their food source and will be found near certain kinds of trees. Some prefer dry areas such as deserts or beaches. Many fungi are important as decomposing organisms, aiding in the breakdown of wood, leaves, and other organic debris in woodlands, grasslands, and even urban settings where woody mulch is used. This results in the recycling of essential nutrients.

If you are fascinated by fungi but perplexed by their myriad forms and colors, this book is for you. With careful observations of shapes, colors, odors, and so on, along with noting the habitat in which they are found, it is possible to get to know and better understand them.