Hiking through the woods on a humid summer day you can find so many different mushrooms. Fungi are remarkable organisms. They aren’t plants or animals; they are their own kingdom. One of their core responsibilities is breaking down dead organic matter. Fungi can also account for devastating crop damage and might be one of the leading causes of hospital deaths.
Even though they are sedentary, like plants, they get their nutrition as we do. Ingesting nutrients into our bodies. Unlike us, digestion happens outside their cell wall…it’s probably best not to dwell on that image too long!
This might be the bitter oyster fungus (Panellus stipticus) or Gloeoporus dichrous; you can be the judge. A better identification can’t be made because nothing is left. After two days of rain, the whole clump just about melted off the log! Creepy.
The bitter oyster may be one of the 77 or so species of bioluminescent fungi.
The purple bloom russula seems to be a favorite of the squirrels. They sit on their hind legs and eat these like a sandwich.
I’m no mycologist, so don’t quote me on these identifications, they’re more informed guesses. I’m up for correction.
I didn’t study fungi as a Marine Bio student. There have only been about 1000 species of fungi identified in Marine habitats. Experts speculate we have discovered roughly 1% of the total fungal biomass of marine habitats!
For now, like Wisdom buddha, we have a terrestrial world of wonderous fungi to explore!
