The higher basidiomycetes (Gasteromycetes and Hymenomycetes) including many edible species, have developed various mechanisms to release their spores. This video shows architecture and formation of fruit bodies by time-lapse cinematography as well as the diversity of spore production strategies. In the Hymenomycetes structure and arrangement of the hymenium on external surfaces are illustrated and, in the case of Itersonilia, the formation and ejection of basidiospores is shown. In the Gasteromycetes, various fruit body types are explained, and reproduction is shown in Sphaerobolus, bird's nest fungi, puffballs, earth stars, a stinkhorn and the cuttlefish fungus. |