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
acrid
with a peppery, burning taste
acute
(referring to physical shape) sharp
adnate
(gills) attached to the stem over all or most of their total depth
adnexed
(gills) tapering in depth toward stem so that the attachment is narrow
amyloid
turning blue, grey or black when stained with Meltzer’s reagent
annulus
ring of tissue on a mushroom stem left by a torn partial veil
apiculus
tiny projection on a spore where it is attached to the sterigma
apothecium
cup-shaped fruitbody of certain ascomycetes fungi
appendiculate
(describing a cap margin) fringed with veil fragments
appressed
(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
ascending
(describing a ring) flaring upwards and out
ascocarp
fruitbody of an ascomycete fungus
ascomycetes
a - Class of fungi that produce their spores in sac-like cells called asci
ascospores
sexual spores produced in the asci of ascomycetes fungi
ascus
(pl., asci) the spore-producing cell of an ascomycetes fruitbody
autodigestion
self digesting or liquefying – a characteristic of the inkcap fungi
basidiocarp
fruitbody of a basidiomycete fungus
basidiomycetes
a - Class of fungi that produce their spores on basidia
basidiocarp
fruitbody of a basidiomycete fungus
basidiospores
sexual spores produced on the basidia of basidiomycetes fungi
basidium
(pl., basidia) spore-producing cell of a basidiomycete fungus
biotrophic
feeding on living cells of other organisms
bulbous
(describing a stem) with a swollen base
caespitose
crowded together in a tuft or a cluster but not attached to each other
campanulate
(describing a cap) bell shaped
cap
top part of a basidiomycete mushroom that carries the fertile tissue
carpophore
fungal fruitbody comprising stem, cap and gills
caulocystidium
a cystidium on the stem of a mushroom
cellulose
component of plant cell walls and of wood composed of glucose units
cheilocystidium
a cystidium on the edge of a mushroom gill
chlamydospores
asexual spores formed by the breaking up of fungal hyphae
cinereous
ash grey in colour
clamp connection
swollen area formed around septum in a hypha during cell division
clavate
(usually describing a mushroom stem) club-shaped
concolorous
(when comparing parts of a fruitbody) being of the same colour
context
the flesh of a fungal fruitbody
convex
(describing a cap) domed without either a hump or a depression
coprophilous
growing on dung
coriaceous
leathery
cortina
a cobweb-like partial veil consisting of fine silky fibres
crustose
(describing a lichen) forming a crust on a substrate (tree, rock etc)
cuticle
the surface layer of the cap or stem of a fruitbody
cystidium
special sterile cell among the basidia on some fungi
decurrent
(describing gills) running down the stem - as with Chanterelles
depressed
(describing a cap) where the central region is lower than the margin
descending
(describing a ring) flaring downwards and out, like a skirt
deuteromycetes
obsolete term for a group fungi not known to reproduce sexually
(Molecular analysis can now determine their appropriate groups)
dextrinoid
staining brick red or brown with Meltzer’s reagent
dichotomous
forking/divided into pairs – as in logical decision-making trees
dikaryon
a pair of closely associated, sexually compatible nuclei
distant
(describing gills) widely spaced
eccentric
(describing stem attachment to cap) offset to one side.
ectomycorrhiza
(EM)
(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
emarginate
(describing gills) conspicuously notched near to the stem
endomycorrhiza
mycorrhiza in which fungal hyphae penetrate cell walls of host plant
endophyte
fungus living within a plant without causing visible symptoms of harm
floccose
with a covering of loose cotton-like scales
foetid
with a strong and offensive odour
foliose
(describing a lichen) shaped like a leaf
free
(describing gills) not attached to the stem
fruticose
(describing a lichen) shaped like a shrub
furfuraceous
(describing a surface) covered in particles that look like grains of sand
fusiform
(describing a stem) spindle-shaped, tapering at top and bottom
germ pore
thin region of spore wall via which spores can germinate
gills
plates of tissue bearing the hymenium in an agaricoid fungus
glabrous
(describing a surface) bald
gleba
spore-bearing tissue enclosed within fruitbodies of gasteromycetes
glutinous
(describing a cap surface) covered with a slimy gelatinous layer
granulose
(describing a cap or stem surface) covered with small granules
guttule
a small oil-like drop visible (via a microscope) inside a fungal spore
hemicellulose
amorphous (non-crystalline) polysaccharides in plant cell walls
hirsute
hairy
hispid
covered with stiff bristle-like hairs
hom*ogeneous
being the same throughout
hyaline
clear (colourless) when viewed under a microscope
hygrophanous
appearing translucent when wet, paler and more opaque when dry
hymenium
fertile spore-bearing tissue (e.g. on mushroom gill or pore surfaces)
hypha
(pl., hyphae) filamentous thread of fungal mycelium
inferior
(describing a ring) located near the base of the stem
infundibuliform
funnel-shaped
involute
(describing a cap) rolled inwards at the margin
lamellae
gills
latex
milky fluid that oozes from cut surfaces of Lactarius species
lichen
organism comprising a fungus and an alga or a cyanobacterium
lignicolous
growing on wood
mucilaginous
(often describing a mushroom cap) covered with slime
mycelium
body of a fungus, most of which is underground or hidden within wood
mycobiont
the fungal component of a lichen or of a mycorrhizal partnership
mycology
the study of fungi
mycophagy
the eating of fungi
mycophile
a person who loves fungi
mycophobe
a person who fears or loathes fungi
mycorrhiza
structure by which a fungus and a plant exchange nutrients mutually
myxomycetes
a large and commonly encountered group within the slime moulds
necrotrophic
feeding by killing and consuming (part of) another organism
nonamyloid
not turning blue, grey or black when stained with Meltzer’s reagent
organelle
a differentiated (separate) structure within a cell
parasitism
process whereby an organism feeds at the expense of another (host)
partial veil
protective membrane covering gills during development of a fruitbody
peridioles
egg-like spore capsules in bird’s-nest fungi (Nidulariaceae)
peridium
outer wall of a fungus, especially a gasteromycete (e.g. a puffball)
perithecium
flask-shaped chambers containing asci within pyrenomycetes fungi
photobiont
photosynthesizing component (alga or cyanobacterium) of a lichen
photosynthesis
process by which plants convert carbon dioxide and water to sugars
pileus
(pl., pilei) the umbrella-shaped cap on the top of a mushroom stem
pleurocystidium
a cystidium on a gill surface
pores
the orifices of the tubes of polypore fungi via which spores emerge
pruinose
covered with a bloom (often pale, like a fine layer of chalk dust)
pseudorhiza
a tap-root-like extension at the base of a mushroom stem
pubescent
(describing a surface) covered with fine short hairs
resupinate
fruitbody that lies flat on the substrate with its hymenium outermost
reticulate
(describing a stem, notably of a bolete) marked with a net-like pattern
rhizomorph
a root-like mycelial strand comprising bunched parallel hyphae
ring
membranous remains of the partial veil attached to a stem
rufous
brownish red
saprophyte
an organism that obtains its nutrients from dead organic material
scabrous
(describing a stem or cap surface) rough with scale-like projections
septate
(describing hyphae) partitioned by cross walls known as septa
septum
(pl., septa) a cross wall separating cells of a hyphal thread
serrate
(describing gill margins) with saw-toothed edges
sessile
without a stalk
sinuate
(describing gills) with a notch near the point of attachment to the stem
slime moulds
a group of fungus-like organisms that use spores to reproduce
sphaerocysts
globose hyphal cells in the Russulaceae and certain other fungi
spore
reproductive structure of a fungus, usually a single cell
sporophore
fungal fruitbody
squamose
(describing the surface of a cap or a stem) covered with scales
squamulose
(describing the surface of a cap or a stem) covered with tiny scales
stellate
star-shaped
sterigma
(pl., sterigmata) prong at top of basidium on which a spore develops
stipe
stem of a mushroom
stipitate
(describing a fruitbody) having a stem
striate
(describing a cap) with fine radiating lines or furrows around margin
subdecurrent
(describing gills) running just a short distance down the stem
subglobose
almost spherical
subtomentose
(describing a surface) somewhat or finely woolly
sulcate
deeply furrowed
superior
(describing a ring) located near the top of the stem
taxonomy
the - Classification of organisms based on their natural relationships
thallus
(pl., thalli) the body of a fungus or a lichen
tomentose
densely woolly, velvety, or thickly covered with soft hairs
trama
the flesh or context of a fungal fruitbody’s cap, gills or stem
truncate
ending abruptly as if chopped off
tubes
spore-bearing cylindrical structures of boletes and polypores
umbilicate
(describing a cap) having a navel-like central depression
umbo
a raised central mound (often conical with a rounded top)
umbonate
(describing a cap) having a raised central mound
universal veil
a protective membrane that initially surrounds an entire fruitbody
Uredinales
rust fungi (an order within the Basidiomycota)
ustilaginomycetes
smut fungi (a - Class within the Basidiomycota)
ventricose
(describing a stem) swollen at or near to the middle
verrucose
(describing spores) covered with small rounded warts
vinaceous
the colour of pale red wine
viscid
slimy or sticky (at least when moist)
volva
remains of the universal veil found at stem base of some fungi
zonate
(usually describing a cap) marked with concentric colour bands
Zygomycota
a - Class of simple fungi whose hyphae generally lack cross walls
