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Glite Dictionary
🍄 Fungus threads 📦 Fungal biomaterial
mycelium

mycelium

1 9.6
A network of thin threads of a fungus that grows in soil or on dead plants
  • noun
  • /maɪˈsiːliəm/
  • Specialized
translation icon : micelio
  • The mycelium forms a network of threads underground, which is essential for the growth of mushrooms.

This is just the mycelium in the soil, right?

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Examples

  • The aggregated hyphal network of an individual fungus is referred to as a mycelium.

    Academic text (2008)

  • This is just the mycelium in the soil, right?

    StarTalk

  • This white stuff is called mycelium, and mycelium is the fungi that's actually breaking down the compost because there's fungi and bacteria at work.

  • Most fungi have hair like root structures called mycelia, and as they grow, they easily bind nearby materials, whether it be wood chips, sawdust, or regolith.

  • The mycelium spreads through the soil, helping to decompose organic material.

  • Scientists study mycelium to understand its role in nutrient cycling within ecosystems.

Surface Forms

mycelium singular
mycelia plural

Etymology

Mycelium comes from the Greek root myc- and the word mykēs, both meaning 'fungus'. It describes the thin, thread-like 'net' that makes up a fungus, so when you see white, branching threads in soil or on old bread, that hidden network is the mycelium.