Let's talk about the different fungi found here in my locale; specifically those growing wild in my yard. The yard surrounding my home is pretty big, about 1800 sq.yards. We have various types of fruit-bearing trees and some ornamental bushes. Among them, I was astonished to find a variety of fungi.
I've noticed that these fungi thrive in the moist conditions of the monsoons and the onset of winter. Fungi include the following organisms: yeasts, rusts, smuts, mildews, molds, and mushrooms.
I have seen these species of fungi growing wild in my garden, specifically mushrooms, bracket fungus, branching fungus and much more which I am yet to discover. As I discover the fungi one at a time, I have decided to pen down their types and provide some photographs of these little beauties. They are very beautifully created. So let us check out my wild collection.
Please note: These are not the edible types, they just happen to grow wild.
Mushrooms
Mushrooms are probably the best-known fungi. These are usually found springing up on pieces of broken and decaying tree branches and rotting wood sprawled around in the yard. As trees grow, some of the branches dry up and fall to the ground, then they begin to decay in the rain. Sometimes the bark of the trees dry up and they too decay in the monsoon. The mushroom is a common sight after a cool and wet weather. Mushrooms generally consist of a stalk with a large cap on it. This cap produces the spores that the mushroom release in order to reproduce and colonize new environments.
Many species of mushrooms are edible and delicious, but others can be very toxic. Since knowing the difference can take a very experienced eye, eating wild mushrooms is usually not a fantastic idea for the average person.
Now let us have a look at some I found in my garden:
White Mushrooms
These white mushrooms have a white cap and a white stem, One of these has an umbrella-shaped cap whereas the other has a flat cap. Mostly these grow on the ground and in vases with nice wet soil. These mostly grow in the rainy season, in the months between June and September. Just caught sight of them in some random pictures of my yard. They are specs of beauty that many a time go unnoticed in our delight over large ornamental plants; a pretty sight.
Red Mushrooms
These Red mushrooms have sprung up on the ground. They are very small in size, just a couple of inches tall. The red color caught my attention. These have grown in a climate of a combination of sunlight and rain.Yes in this month of October, it is rainy and sunny too. If you notice, the cap is floral shaped, red in color and a bit flat.
The stem is a dull shade of orange. Strangely, after a few days, the red color fades away. On researching about this red mushroom on the internet, it said that these mushrooms are poisonous. Is it like Poison Ivy? Let us look at a few pictures of these red mushrooms growing wild in my yard.
The two images show the top cap of the bright red mushroom and the faded red mushroom.
This red mushroom belongs to a genus Russula. They are typically common, fairly large, and brightly colored – making them one of the most recognizable genera among mycologists and mushroom collectors. Their distinguishing characteristics include usually brightly colored caps.
The Cap (up to about 70mm) is red, convex at first, broadening and flattening with maturity, usually with a shallow central depression where the color is darker. The cap is viscid (or slippery) when wet, and striated around.
If you see the second image you will notice that the bright red color has faded to a lighter red color and the cap has flattened as mentioned above. This is an interesting piece of information that I came across the internet.
Coral fungi
Coral fungi or clavarioid fungi are mushrooms that are usually shaped like coral but can also be shaped like forks, worms or clubs. They are rubbery and sometimes are brightly colored. These Coral shaped fungi grow mostly on the moist ground. Specifically during the rainy season between the months of June and September.
These fungi appear to be simple and pure white in color. It has a very beautiful structure just like a coral reef in the sea and hence the name.
Bracket Fungus
Bracket fungi or shelf fungi are among the many groups of fungi. They belong to the mushroom family. Tree bracket fungus is often referred to as shelf fungus because of the way it sticks out from the infected part of the tree.
As long as the host plant survives, the shelf will continue to grow, so the simplest answer to how long does bracket fungus live is — as long as the tree it infects.
Here in my garden, the bracket fungus has sprouted through a moist crack in a cemented structure. The cement structure houses the roots of a tree. It is a cream or off-white colored bracket fungus having layers.
It has grown now in the month of October in the alterations of heavy rains and bright sunlight. I did notice that in a few days time due to bright sunlight, the structure of the bracket fungus has rotted and fallen off.
It was quite a big structure though. Hope you enjoyed these collections of mushrooms. Awaiting to discover more fungi in my garden.
Below are photos of some Bracket Fungi I spotted in my Yard. Click on each image to view an enlarged version. Will keep this post updated as and when I find some new species.
Comments
Post a Comment