the body of the fungi that consists of a network of microscopic filaments is called the mycelium.
the body of the fungi that consists of a network of microscopic filaments is called the mycelium.
the body of the fungi that consists of a network of microscopic filaments is called the?
mycelium
with a diameter of up to 1 m, and a height reaching 8.8 m, "prototaxites" fossils are remnants of by far the largest organism discovered from the period of its existence. viewed from afar, the fossils take the form of tree-trunks, spreading slightly near their base in a fashion that suggests a connection to unpreserved root-like structures. infilled casts which may represent the spaces formerly occupied by "roots" of "prototaxites" are common in early devonian strata. concentric growth rings, sometimes containing embedded plant material, suggest that the organism grew sporadically by the addition of external layers. it is probable that the preserved "trunks" represent the fruiting body, or "sporophore", of a fungus, which would have been fuelled by a mycelium, a net of dispersed filaments ("hyphae"). on a microscopic scale, the fossils consist of narrow tube-like structures, which weave around one another. these come in two types: skeletal "tubes", 20–50 μm across, have thick (2–6 μm) walls and are undivided for their length, and generative "filaments", which are thinner (5–10 μm diameter) and branch frequently; these mesh together to form the organism's matrix. these thinner filaments are septate—that is to say, they bear internal walls. these septa are perforate—i.e. they contain a pore, a trait only present in the modern red algae and fungi.
prototaxites
the basidiocarps, or fruit bodies, of immature "gomphus clavatus" are club-shaped and have one cap or pileus, but later spread out and have a so-called "merismatoid" appearance—several vase-shaped caps rising from a common stem. the fruit body is up to wide and tall, fan-shaped with wavy edges. the upper surfaces of the fruit bodies are covered with brown hyphae (microscopic filaments) that form small, distinct patches towards the margin, but combine to form a continuous felt-like fine-haired area, or tomentum, over the center of the cap. the color of the upper cap surface is orange-brown to violet, but fades to a lighter brown with age. the cap margins of older mushrooms can be quite ragged. the lower spore-bearing surface—the hymenium—is wrinkled, often with folds and pits, and violet to brown in color. the solid stem, which is continuous with the cap, is wide, tall, and covered with fine hairs that become coarser (hispid) towards the base. it is often compound, with several fruit bodies arising from the basal portion. fruit bodies may bruise reddish-brown where handled. the flesh can be whitish-pink to lilac or cinnamon-buff. thick under the center of the cap, it thins out towards the margins. it can be crunchy, though it is softer than that of the chanterelle. the taste and odor are mild. the spore print is yellow to orange-yellow.
gomphus clavatus