honey fungus
- noun
- /ˈhʌni ˈfʌŋɡəs/
- Specialized
:
hongo de miel
- Genetic tests confirmed the giant honey fungus in Minnesota was a single individual spanning hectares.
Examples
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Scientists discovered a massive honey fungus clone whose mycelium covered nearly the entire woodland.
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Foresters warned that the spreading honey fungus had killed dozens of mature trees on the slope.
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The honey fungus spreads rapidly through the forest.
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Have you ever seen honey fungi growing on trees?
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Foresters warned that the spreading honey fungus had killed dozens of mature trees on the slope.
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Scientists discovered a massive honey fungus clone whose mycelium covered nearly the entire woodland.
-
Genetic tests confirmed the giant honey fungus in Minnesota was a single individual spanning hectares.
Synonyms
84
3.1
A living thing like a mushroom or mold that feeds on dead plants and food
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound follows a clear adjective+noun pattern so a learner who knows 'honey' (honey-coloured) and 'fungus' will likely infer 'a fungus that is honey-coloured', making the basic referent reasonably predictable. However, the full mycological meaning (a specific Armillaria clonal organism that spreads through soil and can kill trees) is specialized and not derivable from the constituents, so the expression is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Honey fungus: The term honey fungus can also mean one very large fungus hidden under the ground. Imagine a single, connected body sending up many honey-colored mushrooms above the soil; because those mushrooms all come from the same organism, foresters call the whole spreading fungus 'honey fungus' when it kills trees.