mycelium

Everyday

Mycelium is the mass of thin white threads of a fungus that grows underground or inside rotting wood; mushrooms grow out of it. tree →

In the lessons

Met in science lessons on fungi, decomposers and soil. Mycelium links tree roots and helps plants share food, sometimes called the «wood wide web».

Examples

• Mushrooms grow from mycelium under the ground. tree →
• The mycelium spread through the rotting log. tree →
• Mycelium looks like white cotton threads. tree →
• Fungi break down dead leaves with their mycelium. tree →
• Some trees swap food through mycelium in the soil. tree →
• A single mycelium can be huge. tree →

Note

Plural: mycelia. Say «my-SEE-lee-um». The mushroom is only a small part of the fungus; most of it is the mycelium.