Mushrooms and fungi are more closely related to animals than they are plants and have some unique DNA sequences.

Psathyrella aquatica, a gilled mushroom that grows under water in the upper Rouge River of Southern Oregon, is a genetically unique species in which little is known about its reproduction. Most gilled mushrooms reproduce by producing spores that travel through the air. Maybe its spores travel through the water?

Next, there is the eternal light mushroom Mycena luxaeterna  found in the last of the Atlantic forest habitats in Brazil. It emits a bright, yellowish-green light 24 hours a day from gel-covered stems.

The DNA sequences of this species are helping us understand how bioluminescence came to be in fungi.

It is good to explore new species. Efforts to do so help us learn more about the world around us and protect it. Preserving the variety of species on earth, allows us the opportunity to gain knowledge and resources related to learning about them.