Book 4, Question 136 · Video
Why Do Mushrooms Seem to Pop Up Overnight?
The mushroom you see is just the fruit. The real body of the fungus is a hidden web of threads in the wood or soil. That web may have been there for months, and then water helps th
Read the full answer →What Crafty Clover says in this video
Intro
Hi! I'm Crafty Clover! Let's discover something amazing. Why do mushrooms seem to pop up overnight?
The Big Idea
The mushroom you see is just the fruit. The real body of the fungus is a hidden web of threads in the wood or soil. That web may have been there for months, and then water helps the cap swell up fast. Mushrooms are not plants. Fungi are their own kingdom of living things.
Threads Hide
Step one: threads hide underground. The main body of a fungus is a web of tiny threads called [mycelium, my-SEE-lee-um]. It grows inside soil or wood, where you cannot see it.
Rain Soaks In
Step two: rain soaks in. When it rains, the wood and soil get wet, and the fungus takes in water. The fungus already has a plan to make a mushroom. Fungi cannot make food from sunlight like plants do, so they feed on what they find in wood and soil.
Cells Swell Overnight
Step three: the cells swell overnight. Water fills the cells of the cap, so it inflates like an umbrella, and the night stays cool and damp. By breakfast, a brand new cap looks like magic, but it was growing for a while.
A Closer Look
Let's take a closer look at a mushroom! The cap is the umbrella that holds the spores. The threads are the hidden body of the fungus. The wood or soil is the fungus's food and home. And rain gives the water that makes the cap swell!
Quick Facts
Quick facts! Never eat a wild mushroom, because look-alikes can be dangerous. Look, but do not taste, and photos beat pockets. Do not kick every cap, because spores need to travel. Wash your hands after touching woodland fungi.
Think Like a Scientist
Now, think like a scientist! Check a log with a grown-up. Check the same log before and after breakfast. What changed? What part of the fungus did you never see? Draw the cap and the hidden web.
Outro
Mushrooms show us that a lot of nature happens where we cannot see. Science is amazing! Crafty Clover can be found on Amazon Books, Google Bookstore, and Apple Books. Available for purchase or download! Bye for now!