Until July 2017, documenting the seasons of coastal Dorset. I'm a complete amateur so don't trust I'm always right. If ever you see I'm wrong - whether with identifications or in anything else - do say! Meanwhile . . . I've now moved to Halifax in West Yorkshire. Click on the link below to collect the new URL. Don't forget to follow there!

Monday 17 November 2008

MORE FUNGAL IGNORANCE

It would be nice to sound wise, to make a connection between fungi and the weather by saying "A conical cap is the most pronounced feature of mid-autumn toadstools. Its distinctive umbrella shape suits it to the constant drizzle and rain of an English November."
Or
.
"A tower is a good defence against wet weather."
.
.
.
.
Or "Rain runs off domes."
(Disgusting, isn't it? It's about a foot wide.)
.
.
And this would sound good - if only I could say it with confidence . . .
"Woodland fungi are protected by their water repelling surface texture and by the remains of a leaf canopy so they can be flat(ish) without suffering damage from rain. "
I could go on to show how some toadstools use low growing plants as shelter.
.
.
.
.But what of this one? It covers about three square feet and it's growing in the open. (I think it's one being rather than a group of individuals).
Is it dilapidated because it's old?
The ones which looked like this a couple of weeks ago
are certainly beyond their season now - in fact most of them have dissolved!
.
But there were trees above this one until two years ago - maybe it's missing them? Perhaps it won't be here next year. Does it mind that mud is piling into its centres or isn't it that bothered?
I don't know. But I have noticed something odd. All these fungi are growing near cars. They are either beside roads, or at the edges of paths near where roads cross. (The exception is the one hiding under the ground elder.)
My sample is too small to be scientific - interesting though, init?
P.S. Please don't let anyone think I know what I'm talking about. I DON'T! A Double P.S. All these pictures were taken in the rain - so don't be disappointed with the ones which aren't as clear as the others. It's a wonder they came out at all. (It's a wonder my camera hasn't gone rusty!)
_ _ _ _ _

19 comments:

RURAL said...

Lucy, great captures!

I am a fungus fanatic, and while I don't know what varieties they are, but I still love them!

Jen

Lucy Corrander Now in Halifax! said...

Thank you Muddy Boots Dreams

I'm a little anxious though.

Something went wrong with the spacing on this post and I think you may have visited when the text and the photos alike were all over the place!

Apologies

Lucy

Anonymous said...

You know I actually found this fascinating.

I wasn't sure what I expected. Great pictures and fitting words.

Lucy Corrander Now in Halifax! said...

Hello The Movies We saw (!)

I'm glad you enjoyed this post.

It would be interesting to know how you came across LOOSE AND LEAFY (I'm glad you did!) - and what brought you here (especially because you seem not to have expected much!).

And do come again. It's really good to hear what people have to say about the posts.

Lucy

Anonymous said...

Hi Lucy, this is quite the determination of weather forecast from the fungi. I do love those wood ones though, and have a collection of them in an old coffee can in the shed. They just might be made into something someday. I have made pictures frames lined with moss and then glued the dried wood ears to them. They last forever, nearly, as opposed to the mushroom types. Some of these are kind of yucky though. :-)
Frances

Philip Bewley said...

Lucy!
What an amazing series of images, and yes, one of them is disgusting!
:)
The photography is beautiful. I love that you have created this interesting collection.

garden girl said...

Wow, you found a lot of fungus/fungi(?) Lucy! Great photos! I love your header.

Pat said...

Wow, you have a lot of fungi!!
You really were out in the rain taking pictures...now that's a serious blogger. :)

Far Side of Fifty said...

Very Interesting Fungi ! They do seem to come out of nowhere..do their rain shedding and then turn all funny looking and be just black spots on the ground..very interesting:)

Muddy Mary said...

Somewhat tangential to gardening, I have just read a novel about love, cooking, and misidentified mushrooms: _Inn on the Lake Devine_ by Elinor Lipman. I enjoyed your photos!

Corner Gardener Sue said...

Hi Lucy! I came here through your comment on my hoes. First, I went to your "Just Pictures", which I have bookmarked from not sure which post of yours, but was curious to see "Loose and Leafy". I enjoyed seeing your creative fungi photos.

Philip Bewley said...

Hi Lucy!
:)
I love to look at your images...
The thing about this blog is you think you have read it, but if you go back to look at the posts, there is so much more one can see with repeat visits. I recommend everyone to look at the scope of this blog.
Sincerely,
Philip

Lucy Corrander Now in Halifax! said...

Frances - isn't 'Wood Ears' a good name; an excellent description?

Lucy

Lucy Corrander Now in Halifax! said...

Garden Girl - I found quite a few fungi but would have liked to find more.

I'm glad you liked the header.

There's a different one there now though - trying to keep level with the seasons! (Which will puzzle people reading future posts because this one refers to the fungi in it. Ah well!)

Lucy

Lucy Corrander Now in Halifax! said...

Patsi - I like being in the rain. I like it for itself - and I like it because fewer people will come by and ask me why I'm photographing the back of a leaf or whatever other unlikely thing I'm trying to do at the time.

Lucy

Lucy Corrander Now in Halifax! said...

Far Side of Fifty - it's so exciting to see fungi when they spring up . . . and so sad to see their demise. Sometimes they can also get to be quite disgusting and slimey and . . .

Lucy

Lucy Corrander Now in Halifax! said...

Muddy Mary - glad you liked the photos. I'll have to look out for the book.

Lucy

Lucy Corrander Now in Halifax! said...

Hello Sue - Glad you made it to LOOSE AND LEAFY. It's fun to do a trek around the blogs from time to time. (And I hope you visit back here, as well as PICTURES JUST PICTURES.)

I very much like your hoe photos. The only hoe I ever feel truly comfortable with is a dutch hoe but it's interesting to see a collection such as yours. (And they're very photogenic too!)

Lucy

Lucy Corrander Now in Halifax! said...

Philip - thank you for your extraordinarily kind and encouraging remarks!

Lucy