Mississippi is a hot spot for fungi thanks to it's warm and humid climate and an abundance of forested land. However, while Mississippi has numerous official state animals and plants, Mississippi has no official State Mushroom. It is time to we recognize the importance of the Kingdom Fungi in Mississippi!

Magnolia Fungus for the Magnolia State:

The Southern Magnolia, Magnolia grandiflora, is an iconic tree species native to Mississippi, so iconic that we made it our official State Tree, our State Flower, and we put it on our state flag. Mississippi is the Magnolia State, and therefore we should select a magnolia fungus to be our official state mushroom!

Introducing the Magnolia-cone Xylaria, Xylaria magnoliae, a decomposer that grows exclusively on the fallen cones of magnolia trees [1]. It is thought that the spores of the fungus enter magnolia flowers like pollen and colonize the developing cones before they hit the ground, but many unknowns remain about this species [2]. This highly specialized relationship with the Southern Magnolia makes the Magnolia-cone Xylaria a perfect symbol for the Magnolia State!

Thus, with this petition, we propose that the Mississippi State Legislature should recognize Magnolia-cone Xylaria as the official State Mushroom of Mississippi.

Example of Xylaria magnoliae growing on a magnolia cone. This image was created by Christine Braaten (wintersbefore) at Mushroom Observer, a source for mycological images. Mushroom Observer Image Number 335785, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=66577219

The Unknown Wonders of Fungi

Fungi are the great recyclers in nature, turning waste into food and fertilizer and helping to control the accumulation of leaves and woody debris that can fuel forest fires. Scientists estimate that over 2 million fungal species remain unknown [3], and many unknown species lie right beneath our feet in Mississippi. It is our hope that having an official State Mushroom will spur public interest and enthusiasms, investment in research, and a greater appreciation for these wonderful organisms.

Fungi have a myriad of applications in medicine, agriculture, and industry. Exploration of Mississippi's unknown fungi could pave the way to the development of new medicines (e.g., penicillin came from fungi), new methods of pest control, or nature-based solutions to industrial processes (e.g., fungi can be used to treat some toxic wastes). Some fungi help plants grow while others can cause disease, and therefore studying these fungi could help improve agriculture in the Magnolia State. Thus, in the long run, increased awareness about fungi could prove beneficial to Mississippi's economy.

Thanks from the USM Mushroom Society

The Mushroom Society at the University of Southern Mississippi is a student organization dedicated to education and outreach about fungi. We wanted to thank you for reading (and signing!) our petition, and would also like to share several fun nicknames that we came up with for the Magnolia-cone Xylaria to help capture its strange beauty:

• Southern Stalagmite
• Magnolia-cone Whiskers
• Grandiflora Antlers

Xylaria magnoliae on a magnolia cone from the Lake Thoreau Environmental Center, USM, Hattiesburg MS. Bonus, the tiny white/tan mushrooms on the cone are Strobilurus conigenoides, another fungus that grows on magnolia cones. Perhaps we nee two state fungi?!

We thank you for your time and consideration!

- Mushroom Society at USM

References:

[1] Rogers, J. D. (1979). Xylaria magnoliae sp. nov. and comments on several other fruit-inhabiting species. Canadian Journal of Botany, 57(8), 941-945. https://doi.org/10.1139/b79-115

[2] Ju, Y. M., Rogers, J. D., & Hsieh, H. M. (2018). Xylaria species associated with fallen fruits and seeds. Mycologia, 110(4), 726-749. https://doi.org/10.1080/00275514.2018.1469879

[3] Hawksworth, D. L., & Lücking, R. (2017). Fungal diversity revisited: 2.2 to 3.8 million species. Microbiology spectrum, 5(4), 10-1128. https://doi.org/10.1128/microbiolspec.funk-0052-2016