Figure 1.10 Fungi. The mushrooms produced by this sulphur tuft fungus (Hypholoma fasciculare) in Belgium are fruiting bodies of much larger, unseen masses of threadlike hyphae that penetrate decaying wood and leaf litter. Fungi are effective decomposers.

Photos by Philippe Clement/naturepl.com (top) and Steve Gschmeissner/Photo Researchers, Inc. (inset).