fungus among us
...
Hard to sum up this trip. I've not written about my dad's health, because I'm not sure how he would feel about this. So, for now, I'll continue to write about the flora and fauna -- and fungi.
Martha and I were out with our uncle and aunt, on a rather serious errand, and as I walked past someone's garden, I noticed a very strange bright red cage-like mushroom. We didn't have time to linger, but I shot off a couple of photos of the STINKHORN MUSHROOM. My relatives must have thought I was insane.
These mushrooms are supposed to smell like rotting flesh, but I did not stop to take a sniff.
Remember these tiny mushrooms?
They are called Bird's Nest Mushrooms, and yesterday we got to see why. The cylindrical mushrooms are less than a quarter of an inch across, so you can imagine how tiny the "eggs" are. They "eggs" are actually minute puffballs that burst and broadcast the mushroom's reproductive spores. Not at all like the giant puffball mushrooms we loved to stomp on when we were kids!
Hard to sum up this trip. I've not written about my dad's health, because I'm not sure how he would feel about this. So, for now, I'll continue to write about the flora and fauna -- and fungi.
Martha and I were out with our uncle and aunt, on a rather serious errand, and as I walked past someone's garden, I noticed a very strange bright red cage-like mushroom. We didn't have time to linger, but I shot off a couple of photos of the STINKHORN MUSHROOM. My relatives must have thought I was insane.
These mushrooms are supposed to smell like rotting flesh, but I did not stop to take a sniff.
Remember these tiny mushrooms?
They are called Bird's Nest Mushrooms, and yesterday we got to see why. The cylindrical mushrooms are less than a quarter of an inch across, so you can imagine how tiny the "eggs" are. They "eggs" are actually minute puffballs that burst and broadcast the mushroom's reproductive spores. Not at all like the giant puffball mushrooms we loved to stomp on when we were kids!
Comments
Buggylou
Its like a suprise blog of photos- "guess what this is?"
I never would have thought that red thing was a mushroom. Would it be terrible of you to bring home bits of those spores in a bag? I suppose you cannot-
...due to some biological international law, or something pesky like that.
But when I used to teach kids in Monkton Maryland at a place called Nature Camp, I can guarantee those 2 featured fungi would have been a big hit with the kids.
I actually started a collection of the mushrooms we found inthe woods, and started our own "mushroom garden" just so kids could walk thru and look at them. It didn't exactly work out, due to my not completely understanding the whole delicate balance of fungi growing needs. But those 'shrooms look like they should be in a museum or something.
Also, the red one looks like a deflated soccer ball of some sort. Hmm, I wonder what sort of handmade paper that would make. Do you know if there is a "mushrooms online site" that sells dried- out wild mushrooms? They sell everything else online as it is, mushrooms should not make a diference.
Now I'm off to buy a peice of toast with the face of jesus on it, or elvis, it's not exactly clear.
Tell your dad to try eating some of these mushrooms you found, maybe they will perk him right up for a bit.
Annalisa
dewberry
Love the fungal photos.
--klk/FungusWoman