What are Vascular Fungi?
Fungi are present in the air, water, soil and on the surface or insides of almost every animal and plant and in the water everywhere. The categorization of fungi is diverse and there are a vast number of described species. In terms of size, they range from the yeasts which are only a few micrometers across to polypores that may be several meters in diameter. Fungi with which we are all familiar include those used in food preparation and fermentation such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae for bread or wine making that are so small they can only be seen under a microscope. Certain species of the Zygomycota in the order Mucorales are used to make fermented tofu, while the black spores of Rhizopus sp and green ones of Penicillium sp can often be seen on bread or other food that is allowed spoil. The antibiotic penicillin that is widely used in the medical field is produced from Penicillium sp of the Mitosporic fungi. Many edible fungi such as shitake, mushrooms and agarics belong to the phylum Basidiomycota. In addition to being sometimes edible and useful for medical purposes, fungi play an important role in nature. Many fungi participate in the decomposition of biological remains and organic materials, which in turn, accelerate the recycling of these substances. Included amongst these are the wood-rotting and the coprophilous fungi. Some fungi parasitize other organisms and cause disease. The Chinese herb, cordyceps, is actually Cordyceps sp that lives on insects. Ganoderma sp may parasitize trees and lead to disease. There are also many fungi that form a symbiotic relationship with other organisms with benefit to each. The lichens seen in the forests, and almost everywhere else as well, illustrate a symbiotic relationship between fungi and algae. The roots of a majority of seed plants form endomycorrhiza with species of Endogonaceae, which helps the plants absorb nutrients from the soil. Many mushrooms form ectomycorrhiza with trees and smaller plants. In general, the many different species of fungi play important roles in ecology and are very closely related to our lives. However, our understanding of the fungi is still limited. This book introduces the Ascomycota and Basidiomycota that can be found in the wild. In addition to simply generating public interest, we hope that more students will become interested and involved in research in this field.