Agar – A gelatinous medium used to grow mushroom cultures.

Agaricus – A genus of mushrooms that includes the common white button mushroom, cremini, and portobello.

Autoclave – A machine used to sterilize equipment and substrates under high-pressure steam.

Basidiocarp – The fruiting body of a mushroom, where spores are produced.

Bioluminescence – The natural glow of certain fungi like Panellus stipticus.

Bran Substrate – A nutrient-rich additive used in mushroom substrate.

Cap – The top part of the mushroom that protects the gills or pores.

Colony – A visible cluster of mycelium or fungal growth.

Contamination – Unwanted mold or bacteria in the growing environment.

Cultivation – The process of intentionally growing and harvesting mushrooms under controlled conditions.

Culture – A sample of mushroom mycelium grown on agar.

Decurrent Gills – Gills that extend down the stem.

Dehydrator – A device used to dry mushrooms for storage.

Decomposer – Fungi that break down organic material.

Edible Mushroom – Safe-to-eat mushrooms like shiitake and oyster.

Exosporium – The outer layer of a fungal spore.

Extremophiles – Fungi that thrive in extreme environments.

Fruiting – The stage in the mushroom cultivation process where the mycelium produces visible mushroom structures, known as fruiting bodies.

Flush – A wave or batch of mushroom growth during fruiting.

Fungiculture – The cultivation of mushrooms and fungi.

Gills – Thin, blade-like structures under the mushroom cap where spores are released.

Grain Spawn – Grain inoculated with mycelium used to colonize substrates.

Gypsum – A mineral additive used to balance pH in substrates.

Hyphae – The thread-like structures that make up mycelium.

Humidifier – A tool used to maintain humidity for mushroom growth.

Hydration – Maintaining proper moisture levels in substrate and fruiting chambers.

Inoculation – Introducing spores or mycelium into a substrate.

Incubation – The period where mycelium colonizes the substrate.

Isolate – A single strain of mycelium isolated for consistency.

Kingdom Fungi – The biological classification that includes mushrooms.

KOH Test – A chemical test to help identify mushroom species based on reactions.

Juvenile Stage – Early stages of mushroom growth before maturity.

Lamellae – Another term for gills under the cap.

Lion’s Mane – An edible and medicinal mushroom with neuroprotective properties.

Liquid Culture – A liquid medium used to grow and store mycelium.

Mycelium – The vegetative part of fungi, made of hyphae.

Mycorrhiza – Symbiotic relationships between fungi and plant roots.

Mushroom Spawn – Material colonized by mycelium used for growing mushrooms.

Nutrient Agar – Agar infused with nutrients to support fungal growth.

Nutrient Supplement – Additives like bran or gypsum to enrich substrate.

Oyster Mushroom – A popular edible mushroom, known for easy cultivation.

Omphalotus – A genus of bioluminescent mushrooms.

Partial Veil – A membrane covering young mushroom gills.

Pasteurization – Heating substrate to kill contaminants.

Pins or pinning - When tiny fruiting bodies (the 'baby mushrooms') first begin to appear.

Pore – Openings under the cap in mushrooms like boletes, releasing spores.

Primordia – Tiny mushroom pins that mark the start of fruiting.

Quarantine – Isolating contaminated cultures to prevent spread.

Rhizomorphs – Rope-like strands of mycelium.

Rot – Decomposition caused by fungi, often beneficial for ecosystems.

Spawn - The colonized carrier that holds a specific strain of mushroom mycelium until it is ready to transfer to another substrate.

Spores – Microscopic reproductive cells of fungi.

Strain - A specific variety within a mushroom species.

Sterilization – Killing all contaminants in substrates and tools.

Substrate - Any material on which mushrooms can grow.

Tissue Culture – Propagating mushrooms using a piece of fruiting body tissue.

Truffle – A prized underground fungus.

Ubiquitous Fungi – Fungi found in almost every environment.

Veil – A protective membrane covering the gills during development.

Volva – A cup-like structure at the mushroom’s base.

White Rot – Fungi that decompose lignin in wood.

Woodlover – Mushrooms that grow on wood-based substrates.

Xerophilic Fungi – Fungi adapted to dry environments.

Yeast – A unicellular fungus used in fermentation.

Zygomycota – A phylum of fungi that produce zygospores during reproduction.

Zygospore – A thick-walled spore formed by Zygomycota fungi.