Foraging for mushrooms has become a popular pastime throughout Switzerland. And fungi hold immense promise in science and industry. Yet these fascinating organisms were once seen as harmful. How has this fundamental change in their image come about? Swissinfo regularly publishes articles from the Swiss National Museum’s blog dedicated to historical topics. The articles are always written in German and usually also in French and English. Do you know what the largest living thing in Switzerland is? It can be found in the Swiss National Park spanning 35 hectares, an area the size of 50 football pitches. The answer: a fungus. No other plant or animal can grow to such dimensions. The colossal specimen in the national park is a Honey Mushroom, a member of the Armillaria genus famous for its gigantic mycelia. These interlaced, underground networks made up of numerous microscopic fungal strands form the actual body of the organism. For a few short weeks, it produces fruiting bodies that ...
