Exploding fungus

avatar

In my climate, fungi only grow for a couple of weeks a year, when it rains nonstop for about a fortnight, usually after we get a visit from a tropical cyclone. Cyclone Eloise hit Mozambique about 10 days ago and is giving us fungal treasures.

The first exploders: take note of the faint lines on the puffball on the right

puffball2.jpg

Opening out, you get this:

puffball.jpg

The eggs I referred to are from stinkdomes, Clathrus transvaalensis, which have come up abundantly in my yard this year. The timing hasn't been good though, this one got too much rain and exploded. You can see the opened egg-like capsule on the right

clathrus2.jpg

This one had a different kind of bad luck, it opened successfully but then the sun came out and roasted it

clathrus.jpg

Either way, the spores will still disperse. The photographer is actually most disappointed....

These cute little purple furries are emerging in the rainy weather although I don't know what they are.

fungus.jpg

These bracket fungi withstand the sun pretty well although they only grow in rainy weather

bracket fungus.jpg

The other colony on the privet stumps is now about three years old, less furry and wet in this picture. I'm wondering whether these are perhaps a kind of Turkey tail and thus edible.

bracket fungi2.jpg

There have been no ink caps or other parasol-type mushrooms this year. Perhaps it's due to the lack of shade since I cut down all the invasive trees so I could plant others that are better for the ecosystem. Time will tell



0
0
0.000
30 comments
avatar

Interesting! Didn't really think in terms of a place having such a limited season for fungi... of course, we live in a place where everything grows moss and shrooms at the drop of a hat.

=^..^=

0
0
0.000
avatar

Realistically speking, I live close to the edge of a desert. Although we have high rainfall, there"s high runoff and the rain isnt often gentle and soaking. Your weather is milder in general

0
0
0.000
avatar
(Edited)

but on another hand, your location is good for growing succulents. right?

0
0
0.000
avatar

And the succulents often hate this weather and die, unless they are native to my area and have evolved to tolerate it

0
0
0.000
avatar
(Edited)

succulents often hate this weather and die

?? hmm. I feel confused (and uneducated). I used to think, desert = succulents. or vice versa.. isnt it correct?..

0
0
0.000
avatar

Yes, I mean they hate the fungus-friendly weather

0
0
0.000
avatar

a-aaa!!! that is obvious :)

I recently took some pictures of Aloe Vera. so, probably, Succulent growing will have an entry from me. but it is such a trivia...

0
0
0.000
avatar

We don't judge, all contributions are valued 😃

0
0
0.000
avatar

What you call a turkey tail looks like a bordered tinder fungus. There may be some kind of it. In any case, it can be collected, crushed and dried at 40 degrees Celsius. If you make an infusion in warm water, you will receive a good medicine and many trace elements for the body.
Strengthens the immune system :)

0
0
0.000
avatar

I like the purple or pink mushroom and the one that looks like a ladder.
I'm sorry but I don't know anything about mushrooms, I don't even know edibles but I do like to see them, they are cute.

0
0
0.000
avatar

I don't know much more although I do like to eat them

0
0
0.000
avatar

Mushrooms are a stranger in my local cuisine and also not very common in nature. So I grew up not having any idea of it.
Seeing these fungi photos reminds me how climate and environment are so different from place to place.
👏👏👏

0
0
0.000
avatar

Yes, that's true. My country has many people from Bangladesh, India and Pakistan and I really enjoy Indian subcontinent cooking. Not many mushrooms, for sure

0
0
0.000
avatar

Great to hear that.
See you around 🤗

0
0
0.000
avatar

Those pink ones are pretty unique, some kind of fuzzy polypore would be my guess.

0
0
0.000
avatar

Yes, I'll watch and see what they turn into

0
0
0.000
avatar

I haven't been able to find an ID on them, maybe if they grow larger they will show more features.

0
0
0.000
avatar

I'll let you know how they go

0
0
0.000
avatar

some kinds of this mushroom very beautiful and interesting i really like it ....

very good and amazing shot...

0
0
0.000
avatar

There are a lot of puff-ball in the woods near me and sometimes come across the Giant ones😎 which get as big as a watermelon. When they're firm, they make for good eating - sliced and sautéed.

0
0
0.000
avatar

I've seen pictures of the giant ones but we don't get them here. I'd love to try them

0
0
0.000
avatar

😎 Nice to hear from you... @nikv I hope all your feline friends are doing well. Of course, I hope that for you too.

0
0
0.000
avatar

The purple furries as you call them, look like a type of lichen. Very cool. We are in an extreme drought. Haven't had a decent rain since last spring. Even the cacti are suffering. My yuccas aren't fairing very well either. A couple of branchesbroke off, so I transplanted them into buckets and gave them away. As far as I know, they all seem to be thriving.

0
0
0.000