Stats

Lifespan

A few weeks

Size

Tiny

Diet

Decomposer

Biome

Temperate forest

Range

Worldwide

Movement

Sessile

Breeding

Spores

Defense

Toxins

Status

Rare

About

This grey fungus grows in dense, fuzzy patches on the skins of ripening forest fruits. It secretes enzymes that dissolve plant cell walls to liquefy the interior for easy absorption.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   spore

   A microscopic spore drifts on air or water and germinates where moisture and substrate meet.
2. 2.
   mycelium

   A thread-like mycelium spreads through the substrate, breaking it down into nutrients.
3. 3.
   fruiting body

   A mature fruiting body emerges to release the next generation of spores.

Learn more

• View on iNaturalist →
• Watch on YouTube →

Taxonomy

Kingdom

Fungi

Phylum

Ascomycota

Class

Leotiomycetes

Order

Helotiales

Family

Sclerotiniaceae

Genus

Botrytis

Species

Botrytis cinerea