The mushrooms

Unusual organisms with unclear and not well defined characteristics, mushrooms are commonly thought of as a vegetal species. They cannot be considered plants as they are missing two of the essential morphological and functional characteristics: the distinction of the structures into trunk, roots and leaves and the ability to use the process of photosynthesis to take the required nutritive substances.

Mushrooms are in fact heterotrophs, which means they are unable to synthesise their own organic molecules independently starting from the inorganic substances as it occurs in the process of photosynthesis. To survive they must use organic composites synthesised by other organisms.

To this end, in their evolution, they have developed an organisation of their own body (mycelium) to have a large absorption surface available. The mycelium is composed of an extended network of cellular filament and ramified structures (the ife) with a cellular rigid wall containing chitin. The plants instead have differentiated tissues andmuch more complex conductor elements.

The mushrooms constitute one of the 5 kingdoms of the living species together with the kingdom of the moner, including all the procaryotes; the protists, constituted by the eucaryotes free of differentiation in tissues; of the plants and animals.

Despite the simplicity of their structure the role of these organisms in ecosystems is of primary importance. In fact, together with the bacteria, they decompose the complex organic substances, absorb and transform them into inorganic products which are released into the ground and air. In this way the carbon dioxide and the mineral salts are newly available for the life of superior organisms.

During a first analysis 235 fungi species were found at Danta, some tied to the woody habitats, other typical of turf environs. Of them some are particularly rare or little known.

Galerina paludosa	Galerina tibiicystis
Hygrocybe coccineocrenata