Mycelium
Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)
the vegetative part of fungi which is not concerned in spore bearing. It may consist simply of a much-elongated cell growing from the spore, or of a chain of cells, but in the majority it is a tissue of interlaced branched filaments of hyphæ, loosely united in many molds, membranous in dry rot, compact and tuberous in mushrooms. MYCENÆ, or MYCENE (mi-sēnē), an ancient city of Greece, nomarchy of Argolis, near the village Krabata, Krabata 22 miles S. W. of Corinth. It is said to have been founded by Perseus, 1457 B. C. It was the capital of the kingdom of Agamemnon, and was at that time the principal city of Greece. About 468, it was destroyed by the inhabitants of Argos, and never after regained its former prosperity. Its ruins are still to be seen in the neighborhood of Kharvati, and are specimens of Cyclopean architecture. The most celebrated is the "Gate of Lions," the chief entrance to the ancient Acropolis, and receiving its name from two immense lions sculptured on a block of bluish limestone above the gate. Continued exploration of the site has revealed a wealth of material belonging to different ages of history. The name Mycenæan has been given to the period directly preceding the age of Hellenic culture. MYCONI (mik'ō-nē (anciently Myco- ), an island nos in the Grecian Archipelago, one of the Cyclades, about 21 miles in circuit; produces barley, raisins, and figs, with some wine. The inhabitants are chiefly employed in seafaring pursuits . Capital, Myconi, a seaport.
What Has Changed in the Last Century
Collier's description in 1921 of mycelium as "interlaced branched filaments of hyphae" is still how a textbook would put it, and the observation that it is the vegetative, non-spore-bearing part of the fungus remains exact. What has changed is everything around that definition: fungi were then filed with the plants, whereas since the 1960s they have been treated as a kingdom of their own, and molecular work has shown them to be closer relatives of animals than of plants. Mycelium is now understood to be enormous and long-lived rather than merely microscopic — an Armillaria network in Oregon's Malheur National Forest covers several square miles and is thought to be thousands of years old — and to trade nutrients with tree roots in mycorrhizal partnerships that underpin most forests. It has also become an industrial material, grown in moulds to make packaging and leather substitutes, and it was a mould's mycelium that yielded penicillin in 1928.
Written for this edition, 2026.