The Preston Heights ménage (two humans, two cats) visited Chateau de Mum (two humans, one dog, three chooks) last week, and rather than taking responsibility for the inter-species consequences (chooks-dog-cats, like rock-paper-scissors, except that cats seem to beat everyone else, especially if everyone else is the world's most chivalrous beagle and a trio of sensible bantams), I trotted off to take photos of fungi and other mycobiontical delights. Mum lives in front of a pine plantation, which means there are enough fly agarics to build an entire fairy Manhattan
Also this ramalina farinacea, the beardy lichen:
and this parmotrema something-or-other, which I wish I could grow across the walls of my living room. The trees look liver-spotted (who came up with that word, liver-spot? to say nothing of senile wart?). There's something about lichen that suggests the sturdy and eternal, even if itself it grows and spores and dies and grows. And p.s., for all you, who, like me, are enthralled by and grossly underinformed about matters micro/biological, lichens come about through symbiotic relations between fungi and algae or similar bacteria. How cool is that? THIS cool.
14 comments:
Heh. Still chuckling about the beagle and the sensible bantams.
LOVE THESE PICTURES! Wow. Might go for a stroll and photograph the mossy underbranches of the oaks in the next street later on. Before all the leaves fall off.
Yeast-based beverage? That sounds like a very well bread juice indeed.
I like lichen, and fungi is fun, but that frilly fungus has got to be the ruffed collar on this dandy little post.
Try Googling Ramaria or coral fungi - you will probably come up with a match. Some of them are edible.
Genevieve, I completely endorse your mossy-underbranches-of-the-oaks appreciation plans. It's good for the soul, that sorta fing.
Timnus, you're the mildew on the ceiling of the bathroom of my day. In a good way.
Everyone, Anonymous is my mum - whom I should have asked in the first place. Thanks, mum. The ramaria on facebook looks identical to the stuff in my photo.
you are one lucky Baronne
Haapss bvitrhdaydxz!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nothing like a nature ramble to stimulate one's appetite for knowledge and fungus.
We seem to have both fungus and a lettuce that resemble coral, and I wonder if the reefs have a coral that resemble mushrooms and lettuce?
I just wish to boast here that I have a glow in the dark fungus growing next to my front gate (well its kind of past it now, but there is another one in the Alpaca paddock we think). On demand I could even come up with the latin name, but I'm too lazy to get up and get the book at the moment. I am jealous of the archetypal red spotty ones, though, so beatifully photographed, which supposedly are around here, and which we went hunting for last weekend, without success.
Tyaakina
wv exesse
(perhaps time for me to get back to work)
those red w spots fungi are found in pine-needle buildup
Yep, wikipedia indicates they have a symbiotic relationship with pine trees. Also interesting in that wiki article, it says that they (Fly Agaric) may be the source of the drink Soma, consumed by the Aryans who colonised Persia and India, and wrote about drinking Soma at some length in the Bhagvat Gita.
I'm having trouble getting past the alpaca paddock here. Alpaca paddock! Never mind the luminous fungi, bring on the 'pacas!
Comrade ODyne, forgot to concur - but I concur - I am indeed a lucky schmuck. (What with the fungus-identifying omniscient mother, the rambling opportunities, the fancy-pants camera, etc.)
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