Saprophyte
[ SA-pro-fite ]
Organisms that obtain nutrients from dead or decaying organic matter.
Also known as Saprobes
Scabrous
[ SCAB-rus ]
a rough surface containing scale-like projections; Scabby.
Scrobiculate
[ skro-BIC-u-late ]
A pitted or furrowed surface.
Seceding
[ si-SEED-ing ]
Gills (lamellae) appear torn away or hanging, but where attached at some point in time. Evidence of the attachment may remain on the stipe. This usually occurs in older specimens.
Septate
[ SEP-tate ]
separated by a septum.
Septum
[ SEP-tum ]
a cross wall dividing hyphae cells.
Sericeous
[ se-RISH-us ]
A silky surface.
Serrate
[ SER-ate ]
Jagged saw-toothed edge.
Sessile
[ SES-il ]
attached without a stipe (stem).
Sinuate
[ SIN-u-ate ]
Lamellae (gills) that are smoothly notched before slighting running down the stipe (stem).
Skeletal Hypha
[ skeletal HI-fa ]
Hypha that is long, unbranching with thick-walls of chitin.
Slime Mold
Eukaryotic organisms that can be either unicellular or multicellular and they reproduce by spores.
Sporangium
[ spo-RAN-gee-um ]
a saclike structure where spores are developed.
Spore
[ spawr ]
The reproductive cells of fungi.
Sporocarp
[ SPO-ro-carp ]
Any fruiting body that produce spores.
Sporophore
[ SPO-ro-fore ]
Specialized hyphae that produce spores.
Squamose
[ SKWAY-mose ]
Covered with scales; Scalelike or scaly.
Squamulose
[ SKWA-mu-lose ]
Covered with small scales.
Squarrose
[ skwa-ROSE ]
A ragged surface covered with small scales.
Stellate
[ STEL-late ]
Star-shaped.
Stipe
[ stahyp ]
The stem supporting the pileus (cap) of fungi fruiting bodies. Also referred to as a Stem or Stock.
Stipitate
[ STIP-i-tate ]
a mushroom with stipe (stem).
Stolons
[ STO-lons ]
A type of hyphae that connects sporangiophores together and usually spread horizontally.
Striate
[ STRY-ate ]
A cap margin with many fine and narrow parallel running stripes. The lines will often coincide with the gills underneath the cap. This type of cap margin is also referred to as striped, furrowed, streaked, ribbed, lined, or wrinkled. Please see sulcate and plicate before identification, as they are all very similar cap margins.
Strigose
[ STRI-gose ]
A surface covered with long bristle-like hairs.
Subdecurrent
[ sub-DE-cur-rent ]
Where the lamellae (gills) attach and extend slightly down the stipe (stem).
Subglobose
[ sub-GLO-bose ]
globelike; nearly spherical.
Substrate
[ SUB-strate ]
a nutrient-rich substance for the mycelium to colonize and where mushrooms grow.
Subtomentose
[ sub-toh-MEN-tohs ]
Lightly covered with matted hairs.
Sulcate
[ SUL-kate ]
Narrow parallel grooves that line the margins of the pileus (cap). Sulcate margins are more defined than striate but less ridged than plicated. Also referred to as plicate-striate.
Superior
[ suh-PEER-ee-er ]
A ring at the very top of the stipe (stem).
Symbiont
[ sim-BYE-ont ]
an organism living in symbiosis with another organism.
