A giant fungal network in Oregon
In Oregon’s Malheur National Forest, researchers identified a large honey-fungus network as one genetic individual, or genet. A coarse-scale genetic survey estimated it covered about 965 hectares, roughly 9.65 km². Most of the organism is mycelium hidden in soil and roots; visible fruiting bodies are only the seasonal part of the fungus.
Illustration is AI-generated and conceptual; the underground mycelium is not to scale.
The Oregon fungus is often called the heaviest or one of the largest fungal organisms, but it should not be called the largest living organism by area without qualification: a 2022 genetic study identified the seagrass *Posidonia australis* as a single clone estimated to cover about 200 km² in Australia’s Shark Bay.