Habitat/Adaptation/Nutrition

Lepiota josserandii are found single, scattered, or in groups of cultivated ground. They are usually found under bushes and trees fruiting in late summer and fall. In order to spore they require an environmental cue. Stalk height, stalk diameter and cap size are affected by temperature, humidity, and fresh air. In North America they are typically a northern California species, but have recently been found in upper New York. It is also found in parts of India and is common in Europe along with Primula obconica. Some fungi live on dead skin and hair on bodies. Lepiota josserandii like Morchella esculentoides is immotile, multicellular, heterotrophic, and has a unique way of eating. Many other organisms like Nycticebus coucang ingest then digest, but fungi digest then ingest. They have a vegetative growth form consisting of hyphae. The hyphae stretch out at the tips and have branches called mycelium. Some hyphae break through the chitin walls of fungi and enzymes then break down molecules to absorb as nutrients. Fungi also use the hyphae for surface area enhancement avoiding each other staining DNA and RNA in the tips. Fungi are not dependent on light, they can live in dark places and can grow in any direction. The fungi body structure increases efficiency for nutrient absorption and in fungi food is stored as glycogen. Fungi may be Saprophytes- Use non-living organic material as food. Parasites- Use organic material from living organisms, harming them in some way. Fungi do not have a vascular system like plants so their food and water transport is less efficient. Most fungi in general gather their nutrients from dead organic material. 

Look below! These are hyphae cells and to the right is a microscopic view of a cell. Labeling 1.- hyphal wall, 2- septum, 3- mitochondrion, 4- vacuole, 5- ergosterol crystal, 6- ribosome, 7- nucleus, 8- endoplasmic reticulum, 9- lipid body, 10- plasma membrane, 11- the spitzenkorper (the tip of growth).

 

Fungi may be:
Decomposer fungi which breakdown and absorb nutrients from nonliving organic material, such as fallen logs, animal corpses, and the wastes of living organisms.

Parasitic fungi that absorb nutrients from the cells of living hosts. Some are pathogenic, including species that affect human lungs and other species that are responsible for about 80% of plant disease.

 Mutualistic fungi absorb nutrients from a host organism, but they reciprocate with actions that benefit hosts.

 
As part of the basidiomycota, Lepiota josserandii is a decomposer, but has an interesting way of reproduction click the link to find out!

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