Organized Chaos

What am I looking at?

This is an image of the hyphae and fruiting bodies of a white jelly fungus (Tremella fuciformis). The blue and red tube-like structures are the hyphae (1), which make up the mycelium that is the main “body” of the fungus. The orangey-red growths at the top of the image are basidiomata (2), which produce the spores it uses to reproduce.

Click on the right arrow to see some additional views of this fungus.

Biology in the background

This fungus grows in the undergrowth of tropical and temperate forests around the world. It is a parasitic fungus that feeds off other fungi that decay wood, especially cramp ball fungus (Annulohypoxylon archeri). Without the presence of its host fungus, the mycelium of this fungus can grow as a slimy coating on rotting wood, but it will not produce fruiting bodies until it encounters its host species. Once it does, it quickly produces a dense hyphal network that intermingles with the host fungus, feeding off it to produce its fruiting bodies.  

The fruiting bodies of this fungus are white, frond-like, and gelatinous. They are edible, albeit rather tasteless, but their gelatinous texture is valued in many sweet and savory dishes in a wide range of Asian cuisines. The white jelly fungus is also used in several traditional Asian medical remedies.

The hyphae of this fungus can grow up to about 4 micrometers thick, or roughly 20 times smaller than the width of a human hair. The fruiting bodies can grow up to 8 centimeters across, or about the size of a human pinky finger.

Technique

These images were created using confocal microscopy.