How does the fungi isonotus hispidus reproduce?

Answer 1

Conviently, the fungus is a member of Basidiomycotina, which is so named for the method of sexual reproduction that occurs.

It begins when two compatible haploid hyphae meet. Fusion of the hyphae occurs and gives rise to a dikaryotic hypha (that is it has two haploid nulcei), which grows into a mycelium with each cell having two nuclei. Eventually, the fungus gets a cue that it is time to reproduce. The hyphae begin to differentiate and give rise to fruiting structure you observe on tree trunks. Again, all of cells of this fruiting structure are dikaryotic.

The underside of this fruiting structure has pores. These pores are lined with a layer of cells called the hymenium. Within this lining, special cells called basidia arise. It is within the basidia that sexual reproduction is completed. (It can be years, centuries even, between the start and finish of sexual reproduction!) It is within the basidia that the haploid nuclei finally fuse to form a diploid nucleus. This nucleus undergoes meiosis. During meiosis, sexual recombination occurs through the swapping of loci between paired chromosomes and the random segregation of chromosomes (one of each pair) into the two new haploid nuclei. These nuclei may divide mitotically to form more haploid nuclei or they may not. In either case, the new nuclei migrate toward the top of the basidia. There they migrate into buds being produced. These buds mature into the aptly named basidiospores. When mature, they will be forcibly flung toward the center of the pore. Gravity will bring them down and out of the pore where they will catch the wind and be carried to a new habitat. One there, they will grow into new haploid hyphae and start the process all over.