Picture of fungal mycorrhizae in soil. When you see a mushroom or any fungus above ground, that is analogous to its fruit. It is not the whole life form, or even most of it. Most of the organism lives underground and often connects with the roots of plants to share resources. Fungi are nature's great organizers.
@Food it does seem that way
@interneteh John Cage: artist who was really into mushrooms https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-experimental-artist-john-cage-obsessed-mushrooms
drugs reference
@Food @interneteh I was really expecting this to be about psilocybin mushrooms lol
@interneteh I read a really excellent sci fi book recently, Semiosis by Sue Burke, about humans colonizing a planet where the plants ended up domesticating the animals and improving their communication through root networks to the point they attained sapience. I highly recommend it
@interneteh oh, but also, they have their bodies inside out: their digestive system are exposed as to break down minerals (stones, rock, anything) found in soil as to get part of their nutrients (and exchanging them with plants via specialized roots for other nutrients! ;D)
@interneteh communication channels!