The Allure of Fungi

Description

Although relatively little known, fungi provide the link between terrestrial organisms and ecosystems that underpin our functioning planet. The Allure of Fungi presents fungi through multiple perspectives – those of mycologists and ecologists, foragers and forayers, naturalists and farmers, aesthetes and artists, philosophers and Traditional Owners. It explores how a history of entrenched fears and misconceptions about fungi has led to their near absence in Australian ecological consciousness and biodiversity conservation. Through the combination of engaging text and stunning photography, the author reflects on how aesthetic, sensate experience deepened by scientific knowledge offers the best chance for understanding fungi, the forest and human interactions with them. Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 4 Copyright......Page 5 Contents......Page 6 Acknowledgements......Page 10 Prologue......Page 12 Chapter 1 An introduction to entangled worlds......Page 14 Beyond mushrooms to mycelium......Page 16 Thinking, un-thinking, re-thinking fungi......Page 18 Fungal places – from Down Under to the Swiss Alps......Page 19 Seeking fungi......Page 21 What's inside?......Page 23 Photo essay The mycelial matrix......Page 28 Image captions......Page 37 Chapter 2 Meeting mushrooms......Page 40 First fungal acquaintances......Page 41 Describing the undefinable......Page 43 Biological umbrellas......Page 45 From goblets to lattice balls......Page 46 Lichenised life on the edge......Page 50 Extremist specialists......Page 51 What fungi do – alliance as norm......Page 53 Rethinking parasites......Page 54 Fungal rotters......Page 55 Photo essay Endless forms most bizarre......Page 58 Image captions......Page 69 Chapter 3 Life in the subterrain......Page 72 Different hemispheres, different fungi......Page 75 Undesirable dwellings – dirt, litter and dung......Page 76 In not on......Page 77 Litter and literacy......Page 78 Disco in a cow pat......Page 79 A cargo of the uncanny......Page 81 Displaced fungi......Page 83 Retreating underground......Page 84 Photo essay Fungal grub and fungal havens......Page 88 Image captions......Page 99 Chapter 4 A stubbly bun skirmish......Page 102 Mushrooming from shady obscurity......Page 104 From moushrimpes to mucerons......Page 106 Of toads and toadstools......Page 107 Articulating fungi......Page 108 Idiomatic mushrooms......Page 110 Ergonomic fungi......Page 111 A meander of mycelia......Page 112 Words to conserve......Page 113 Metaphorical mushrooms......Page 114 Re-chanting the fungal lexicon......Page 116 Photo essay Biological umbrellas......Page 118 Image captions......Page 129 Chapter 5 Wicked wild mushrooms – a morality tale......Page 132 Thievish and voracious beggars – origin myths......Page 135 Rotting and disgusting – unsettling traits......Page 138 Fairy cakes and trompettes de la mort......Page 139 The death cap arrives in Australia......Page 140 Indeterminate and morphologically bizarre......Page 142 Trouble from elsewhere – conservation and invaders......Page 143 Photo essay Recycling worlds......Page 150 Image captions......Page 159 Chapter 6 Organising fungi......Page 162 The last of the natural historians......Page 163 The desire to divide......Page 164 Bounded and boundless – individuality and plurality......Page 167 Why names matter......Page 168 Naming and claiming – scientific and vernacular names......Page 169 Tallying fungi......Page 172 What makes a mushroom?......Page 174 Photo essay Undersides......Page 178 Image captions......Page 187 Chapter 7 Knowing fungi otherwise......Page 190 A farmer's way of knowing......Page 192 Aboriginal knowing......Page 196 Feeling like a mushroom – sensory knowing......Page 198 Fine-tuning to fungi......Page 199 Fungal olfaction – reigniting smell......Page 200 Getting back in touch......Page 203 Slow motion mushrooms......Page 205 Photo essay Collecting......Page 208 Image captions......Page 217 Chapter 8 Foraging and foraying......Page 220 Train-stopping mushrooms......Page 221 Fungologists seeking funguses – foraying for fungi......Page 222 Strange and new-fangled meates – foraging for fungi......Page 225 On morel grounds......Page 227 High altitude hunting......Page 230 Wild desires and treacherous gratifications......Page 232 Rethinking fungal expertise......Page 234 Photo essay Lichenised lives......Page 238 Image captions......Page 249 Chapter 9 A call for fungal wisdom......Page 252 Fungi in a changing world......Page 253 A fiscal fungal fantasy......Page 254 Lists and the list-less......Page 256 Reassessing biodiversity......Page 260 Looking with the heart – from managing to caring......Page 263 Re-enchanting the fungal imagination......Page 265 Endnotes......Page 267 Bibliography......Page 273 C......Page 276 F......Page 277 L......Page 278 P......Page 279 T......Page 280 Y......Page 281