I’ve already answered this question, in post #15. Please read it. The answer is no.
Individual kelp stalks, a Brown Alga, can be 60 m long. Brown Algae do not belong to the Plantae and are not technically plants. And the largest single organism on Earth is believed to be a gigantic Honey Fungus in Oregon that is over two miles wide. But even ordinary mushrooms are macroscopic and visible to the naked eye. These are regarded as single organisms. I have also mentioned amoebae that are several inches across and easily visible to the naked eye.
And that’s just the above-ground part of the fungus. The vegetative part, the mycelium, is usually below ground or inside whatever the fungus is feeding on. Individual threads, or hyphae, are mostly microscopic, but the mycelium can be dense enough to be visible to the naked eye as well.
Finally, to the point of my question:
Assuming that th largest mushroom is the largest living entity that is not animal or plant, what is the smallest animal or plant larger than the largest mushroom? (I,e., ALL living entities larger than this are either animals or plants.)
As has been pointed out, the mushroom on the surface is only the temporary reproductive body of a fungus, most of which is underground and invisible most of the time. But even if for a moment we allow that the reproductive body is “the” mushroom, the one in my link is said to weigh around 20 kg. So now you are asking if there is a term that covers plants and animals that are over 20 kg but nothing else? Really?
At this point, I have to question whether you are even reading the answers that have been provided, since this has already been answered. As I previously mentioned, the largest fungus is the largest known organism on Earth. The weight of such an organism is difficult to estimate, but it may be more than 600 tons, thus outweighing the largest blue whale three times. Even the largest fungal fruiting body weighs more than half a ton, in the same ballpark as a cow.
The largest fungus is far larger than any plant or animal that has ever existed. Even the largest fruiting body is heavier than probably 95% of all plants or animals.
The half-ton one I linked to is hard and woody, so no.
The gigantic fungus in Oregon is a Honey Mushroom. These are small mushrooms that are regarded as a delicacy, but they have to be cooked before eating to destroy some toxins.
Where did you get this idea that fungi MUST be smaller than animals and plants? It is a rather strange notion to hold on to so dearly, against all evidence. Size does not determine the kingdom of an organism.
Your initial assumption (that plants and animals are automatically bigger than other forms of life) is just wrong, unfortunately. What is it you’re actually trying to write? There’s probably a better factoid you could stick in its place.
Hey, I’m a city boy and knew nothing about there being 600-pound mushrooms.
Had I known, I would never have asked my question.
I had thought that the largest non-annal, non-plant was very small, so that the fact that the huge number of animals and plants larger than the largest non-animal, non-plant , making up all living entities larger than this small entity would be impressive.
However, given the 600-pond mushroom fungus, it is only insignificantly true that “all” the larger than mushroom entities are animals or plants It’s a tiny number, so who cares.
I apologize for wasting your time.
Steven Estes
