The scientists at the renowned Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew are trying to correct an injustice: They don't believe fungus gets the respect it deserves. She, too, was a devoted fungus fan who clashed with Kew's top mycologist — as fungus specialists are known. Nonetheless, the Kew fungarium, hidden outside of public view, houses roughly 1.25 million specimens, making it the largest fungus collection in the world, said chief mycologist Ester Gaya. It also houses — under lock and key — a rare collection of fungi known colloquially as "magic mushrooms" for their psychedelic properties. Then there are the fungi that live inside ants, controlling their movements before killing them.

Source: ABC News September 12, 2018 07:18 UTC