The Nutrient Cycle - Soil: Reflections on the Basis of our Existence - page 94

Explosive stems . The Pilobolus fungus genus often grows on herbivore droppings. It has spore-
containing vesicles that turn towards the light and eject spores at a speed of 25 m/s—an accel-
eration rate faster than a bullet from a rifle. If the spores land on a blade of grass, they can
eventually end up in a horse's stomach. After passing through the animal's digestive tract, they
grow directly in the fresh manure
the fungi that appeared on a fresh pile of horse manure. I directed them to put
the manure in a sealed transparent container lined at the bottom with damp tis-
sues. The students made daily observations, described all the fungi and took
documentary photographs. After a few weeks I received a detailed report com-
plete with photos of sporulating Pilobolus covering the entire manure pile.
Pilobolus is a fascinating fungus that subsists on the most readily available
nutrients. Its strategy is to be a first mover and to grow fast. The horse ingests
Pilobolus spores attached to blades of grass, and the spores germinate directly
after passing through the horse's gut. Pilobolus then thrives for a brief period
after the horse excretes the manure before giving way to other fungi, which
are left to exist on cellulose fibres and hard-to-digest lignin. Meanwhile, the
Pilobolus orients itself to the light before emitting its spores in pressurised
blasts that are the fastest recorded motion in the natural world, reaching speeds
of up to 25 m/s. Ideally, the tiny spores land on vegetation that will be grazed
by a new host. Pilobolus's ability to orient towards the sun has inspired an
American dance company to invent a new type of modern dance. Check out
Pilobolus on YouTube and enjoy fungus-inspired choreography.