Future Fungi and Flowers

Fungi are a relatively-neglected Kingdom, distinct from the Plantae. In its latest report, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew has speculated, about the number and potential status of our planet's undiscovered species of both plants and fungi (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/oct/10/uncharted-territory-kew-scientists-say-more-than-2m-fungi-species-waiting-to-be-identified-aoe). Kew reckon there are 100,000 species of vascular plants to still be identified. Of those discovered in 2020, 77% already met the criteria for being 'threatened'. Almost 60% could be documented as 'endangered' (potentially disappearing as they are discovered). Scientists have generally been much slower to document the Fungi than the vascular plants. Kew, however, estimates the Earth probably has circa 2.5 million species in this Kingdom. They range from tiny yeast-like organisms to massive networks of mycelia, often with familiar fruiting bodies (mushrooms etc.). Only 155,000 fungi have been currently identified. So, what of the more than 2 million fungal species yet to be discovered? Some of these may also be on the verge of extinction. Given, however, the very different intensities of plant and fungal study, the numbers of 'new' fungal species 'threatened' or 'endangered' could be very different. Having said that, fungi offer many potential solutions to current environmental problems. The Kingdom deserves a much stronger scientific focus.