Vruchtlichamen
Vruchtlichamen are the visible reproductive structures of many fungi, plants, and some algae. In mycology the term literally translates as “fruit bodies” and refers to the part of the organism that bears spores. These structures arise from a network of mycelium and can take a variety of shapes, sizes and textures. Typical examples include the gilled and bracket mushrooms of terrestrial fungi, the puffballs of the Lycoperdaceae, and the gleba-bearing fruit bodies of truffle species. Fruuchtlichamen may be terrestrial, aquatic or attached to host tissues, depending on the life strategy of the species.
The main biological purpose of a vruchtlichaam is spore dispersal. In wind‑dispersed species the capsule or
Despite their importance in ecology and medicine, vruchtlichamen are sometimes difficult to study because they can
In botanical collections and herbaria, vruchtlichamen are often preserved as dried specimens, sometimes with the mycelium