The open submissions period for Fungi (an anthology I am editing with Orrin Grey) is fast approaching (January 15-February 15) and I wanted to talk about mushrooms and size.
We generally think of mushrooms as small because we are used to seeing little white caps growing on the ground. We do not imagine them as large, but some of the largest organisms on earth are fungus. One species, Armillaria solidipes (formerly Armillaria ostoyae), known as the honey mushroom, was found in Oregon a few years ago. It has been growing for some 2,400 years and covers 3.4 square miles. Now let Alice chew on that!
To make things more difficult, some mushrooms don’t look like mushrooms at all. The Annulohypoxylon thouarsianum resembles a lump of coal. It’s inedible. Not that you’d like to sauté that thing.
Then there are the mushrooms that glow in the dark, members of the Mycena family. It doesn’t get any groovier than these babies.
In conclusion, when considering possible ideas for Fungi think of all the fungal variety surrounding us. Oh, and do check my list of things I’d like to see in the slush. Enjoy the mushrooms.
