Moss-green coming up through the cracks...
Saturday, 27 February 2016
Monday, 22 February 2016
Blackening Russule
Monday Mushroom #99
The blackening russule begins as a stout, creamy white mushroom with a coffee-coloured flush to the depressed center of its cap.
This mushroom's gills are very distinctive: exceptionally thick and widely spaced. To me, they look rather like sliced almonds and have the same brittle texture.
Last time, I covered Asterophora lycoperdoides - the powdery piggyback fungus, which grows out of these black lumps.
The blackening russule begins as a stout, creamy white mushroom with a coffee-coloured flush to the depressed center of its cap.
 |
| Young blackening russule - Russula nigricans |
This mushroom's gills are very distinctive: exceptionally thick and widely spaced. To me, they look rather like sliced almonds and have the same brittle texture.
 |
| blackening russule - Russula nigricans - gills. |
As they age, they shrivel and turn black...
 |
| Mature blackening russule - Russula nigricans |
Persisting as cryptic black lumps on the forest floor after the season ends.
 |
| Blackening russule - Russula nigricans - old, detatched fruiting body. This one is still recognisably a mushroom, but will disintegrate into charcoal-like lumps over time. |
Saturday, 20 February 2016
Friday, 12 February 2016
Monday, 8 February 2016
Powdery Piggyback
Monday Mushroom #98
The blackening russule - Russula nigricans is well named for the way it turns black on maturation, eventually degenerating into nondescript brittle black lumps that strongly resemble charcoal. It is a very common fungus round these parts and has developed parasitic hangers on - another fungus called the powdery piggyback fungus - Asterophora lycoperdoides - which emerges as little white mushrooms as the russule blackens.
The blackening russule - Russula nigricans is well named for the way it turns black on maturation, eventually degenerating into nondescript brittle black lumps that strongly resemble charcoal. It is a very common fungus round these parts and has developed parasitic hangers on - another fungus called the powdery piggyback fungus - Asterophora lycoperdoides - which emerges as little white mushrooms as the russule blackens.
These parasites are unusual in that their caps disintegrate into a brownish, spore bearing powder by a process totally unrelated to the development of spores on their gills.
Friday, 5 February 2016
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)