From abseiling to zoology, every specialist subject has its own jargon, a short-hand language that is clear to those involved and opaque to ‘outsiders’ (unless they have a key to unlock the hidden meanings). Mycology is no exception, and this glossary of mycological terms and terminology is but a summarised version of a more comprehensive source provided in Pat O'Reilly's book, 'Fascinated by Fungi'.
As you get more involved with fungi, and in particular when talking with fellow enthusiasts or reading around the subject, the jargon of terms and phrases will eventually become your own short-hand. In the meantime, here is a glossary to help with terms that are frequently used by mycologists.
Compare the width of the two columns in the table and you will see why the experts talk this way: these terms save a lot of time and paper (and therefore a lot of trees, and fungi too!).
Term
Meaning
with a peppery, burning taste
(referring to physical shape) sharp
(gills) attached to the stem over all or most of their total depth
(gills) tapering in depth toward stem so that the attachment is narrow
turning blue, grey or black when stained with Meltzer’s reagent
ring of tissue on a mushroom stem left by a torn partial veil
tiny projection on a spore where it is attached to the sterigma
cup-shaped fruitbody of certain ascomycetes fungi
(describing a cap margin) fringed with veil fragments
(often used to describe scales) flattened down onto a surface
arbuscular
mycorrhiza (AM)
(a mycorrhiza) where fungi from the Glomeromycota penetrate the roots of a (usually herbaceous) plant and provide the plant with water and nutrients while the plant supplies sugars to the fungus
(describing a ring) flaring upwards and out
fruitbody of an ascomycete fungus
a - Class of fungi that produce their spores in sac-like cells called asci
sexual spores produced in the asci of ascomycetes fungi
(pl., asci) the spore-producing cell of an ascomycetes fruitbody
self digesting or liquefying – a characteristic of the inkcap fungi
fruitbody of a basidiomycete fungus
a - Class of fungi that produce their spores on basidia
fruitbody of a basidiomycete fungus
sexual spores produced on the basidia of basidiomycetes fungi
(pl., basidia) spore-producing cell of a basidiomycete fungus
feeding on living cells of other organisms
(describing a stem) with a swollen base
crowded together in a tuft or a cluster but not attached to each other
(describing a cap) bell shaped
top part of a basidiomycete mushroom that carries the fertile tissue
fungal fruitbody comprising stem, cap and gills
a cystidium on the stem of a mushroom
component of plant cell walls and of wood composed of glucose units
a cystidium on the edge of a mushroom gill
asexual spores formed by the breaking up of fungal hyphae
ash grey in colour
swollen area formed around septum in a hypha during cell division
(usually describing a mushroom stem) club-shaped
(when comparing parts of a fruitbody) being of the same colour
the flesh of a fungal fruitbody
(describing a cap) domed without either a hump or a depression
growing on dung
a cobweb-like partial veil consisting of fine silky fibres
(describing a lichen) forming a crust on a substrate (tree, rock etc)
the surface layer of the cap or stem of a fruitbody
special sterile cell among the basidia on some fungi
(describing gills) running down the stem - as with Chanterelles
(describing a cap) where the central region is lower than the margin
(describing a ring) flaring downwards and out, like a skirt
obsolete term for a group fungi not known to reproduce sexually
(Molecular analysis can now determine their appropriate groups)
staining brick red or brown with Meltzer’s reagent
forking/divided into pairs – as in logical decision-making trees
a pair of closely associated, sexually compatible nuclei
(describing gills) widely spaced
(describing stem attachment to cap) offset to one side.
(a mycorrhiza) where the fungus forms sheathes around plant rootlets (often of a tree), growing between but not penetrating the cells of the plant root, and providing the plant with water and nutrients while the plant supplies sugars to the fungus
(describing gills) conspicuously notched near to the stem
mycorrhiza in which fungal hyphae penetrate cell walls of host plant
fungus living within a plant without causing visible symptoms of harm
with a covering of loose cotton-like scales
with a strong and offensive odour
(describing a lichen) shaped like a leaf
(describing gills) not attached to the stem
(describing a lichen) shaped like a shrub
(describing a surface) covered in particles that look like grains of sand
(describing a stem) spindle-shaped, tapering at top and bottom
thin region of spore wall via which spores can germinate
plates of tissue bearing the hymenium in an agaricoid fungus
(describing a surface) bald
spore-bearing tissue enclosed within fruitbodies of gasteromycetes
(describing a cap surface) covered with a slimy gelatinous layer
(describing a cap or stem surface) covered with small granules
a small oil-like drop visible (via a microscope) inside a fungal spore
amorphous (non-crystalline) polysaccharides in plant cell walls
covered with stiff bristle-like hairs
being the same throughout
clear (colourless) when viewed under a microscope
appearing translucent when wet, paler and more opaque when dry
fertile spore-bearing tissue (e.g. on mushroom gill or pore surfaces)
(pl., hyphae) filamentous thread of fungal mycelium
(describing a ring) located near the base of the stem
(describing a cap) rolled inwards at the margin
milky fluid that oozes from cut surfaces of Lactarius species
organism comprising a fungus and an alga or a cyanobacterium
growing on wood
(often describing a mushroom cap) covered with slime
body of a fungus, most of which is underground or hidden within wood
the fungal component of a lichen or of a mycorrhizal partnership
the study of fungi
the eating of fungi
a person who loves fungi
a person who fears or loathes fungi
structure by which a fungus and a plant exchange nutrients mutually
a large and commonly encountered group within the slime moulds
feeding by killing and consuming (part of) another organism
not turning blue, grey or black when stained with Meltzer’s reagent
a differentiated (separate) structure within a cell
process whereby an organism feeds at the expense of another (host)
protective membrane covering gills during development of a fruitbody
egg-like spore capsules in bird’s-nest fungi (Nidulariaceae)
outer wall of a fungus, especially a gasteromycete (e.g. a puffball)
flask-shaped chambers containing asci within pyrenomycetes fungi
photosynthesizing component (alga or cyanobacterium) of a lichen
process by which plants convert carbon dioxide and water to sugars
(pl., pilei) the umbrella-shaped cap on the top of a mushroom stem
a cystidium on a gill surface
the orifices of the tubes of polypore fungi via which spores emerge
covered with a bloom (often pale, like a fine layer of chalk dust)
a tap-root-like extension at the base of a mushroom stem
(describing a surface) covered with fine short hairs
fruitbody that lies flat on the substrate with its hymenium outermost
(describing a stem, notably of a bolete) marked with a net-like pattern
a root-like mycelial strand comprising bunched parallel hyphae
membranous remains of the partial veil attached to a stem
an organism that obtains its nutrients from dead organic material
(describing a stem or cap surface) rough with scale-like projections
(describing hyphae) partitioned by cross walls known as septa
(pl., septa) a cross wall separating cells of a hyphal thread
(describing gill margins) with saw-toothed edges
without a stalk
(describing gills) with a notch near the point of attachment to the stem
a group of fungus-like organisms that use spores to reproduce
globose hyphal cells in the Russulaceae and certain other fungi
reproductive structure of a fungus, usually a single cell
(describing the surface of a cap or a stem) covered with scales
(describing the surface of a cap or a stem) covered with tiny scales
(pl., sterigmata) prong at top of basidium on which a spore develops
stem of a mushroom
(describing a fruitbody) having a stem
(describing a cap) with fine radiating lines or furrows around margin
(describing gills) running just a short distance down the stem
(describing a surface) somewhat or finely woolly
(describing a ring) located near the top of the stem
the - Classification of organisms based on their natural relationships
(pl., thalli) the body of a fungus or a lichen
densely woolly, velvety, or thickly covered with soft hairs
the flesh or context of a fungal fruitbody’s cap, gills or stem
ending abruptly as if chopped off
spore-bearing cylindrical structures of boletes and polypores
(describing a cap) having a navel-like central depression
a raised central mound (often conical with a rounded top)
(describing a cap) having a raised central mound
a protective membrane that initially surrounds an entire fruitbody
rust fungi (an order within the Basidiomycota)
smut fungi (a - Class within the Basidiomycota)
(describing a stem) swollen at or near to the middle
(describing spores) covered with small rounded warts
the colour of pale red wine
slimy or sticky (at least when moist)
remains of the universal veil found at stem base of some fungi
(usually describing a cap) marked with concentric colour bands
a - Class of simple fungi whose hyphae generally lack cross walls
Fascinated by Fungi. Back by popular demand, Pat O'Reilly's best-selling 450-page hardback book is available now. The latest second edition was republished with a sparkling new cover design in September 2022 by Coch-y-Bonddu Books. Full details and copies are available from the publisher's online bookshop.
