Janet Brien's photos with the keyword: shelf fungus

(+9 insets!) On the Hunt for Fungus! You probably know that one of my favorite finds are mushrooms, and it's always something I'm looking for whenever I go on a macro stroll. It took a while to find any while we were at Tugman but eventually I hit pay dirt! Slowing down to a creep, I discovered mushrooms peeping out from beds of moss, attached to logs and even peering down at me from lofty heights on tree trunks. I even found an American yellow fly agaric , the blond version of my bucket list mushroom, the Amanita muscaria . It was easy enough to find various species of shelf fungus, and at one point I discovered a huge one right next to the trail that was bristling with droplets. Eying the beads of moisture closely, I couldn't help but ponder…those aren't dew drops, so what are they? Those Droplets are called Guttation and They Occur in Plant Species Too! This moisture oozes out of many types of fungus at times of rapid growth with proper temperature and humidity. They can be clear or tinted with colors from yellow to blood red. Some mushrooms use this guttation to create a protective slime that makes them glossy in appearance (I iincluded a picture of a Cowboy Mushroom found on our property, and it's a clickable link with many insets) In plant species, guttation happens at night when the pressure of excess water in roots forces moisture out of the leaves. This will ring a bell to you when you think about leaves that have beads of water perfectly arranged around the edge of a leaf! I always wondered how dew could have formed so perfectly that way…and now I know that it wasn't dew at all! This article is brimming with awesome photography and a lot more information about guttation, which I encourage you to read and enjoy! Read it and Weep: Fungal Guttation Immortalized Before Being Mutilated The two pictures of this lovely bracket fungus turned out to be very fortunate timing. Located along the longer Eel Lake trail, Steve and I had admired this prominently positioned fungus each time we passed and when I came back with my macro lens I got the pictures I'm sharing today. A couple of days later we made our successful hike to the end of the trail and back, and admired the eye-level bracket fungus on the way in. On the way back we encountered a very noisy group of kids headed our way, led by an obnoxious young adult. Disturbing the peace of the forest, they yelled back and forth and none of which were observing safe distancing. We noticed that the leader had a knife and was looking around and cutting things off trees. A while after we passed by, I noticed a bracket fungus with a huge section sliced off its bottom. Wait. THAT WAS THE BEAUTIFUL SHELF BRACKET I'D PHOTOGRAPHED! Suddenly it hit me--that jerk was mutilating everything he found of interest along the trail! That explained the branches, bits of mushroom and fungus we kept finding littered along the path as we made our way back. What a shame. What a jerk. But I did get these pictures for all of us to enjoy! Fungus Insets Galore! I'm including images of the wonderful mushrooms I've processed from our trip to William Tugman State Park and I hope you enjoy the show (I also added the few I put on earlier trip posts too) I hope all of you are doing well, keeping safe, dry and warm! Explored on 2/26/21; highest placement #4.

When it's wet and soggy in the tree-laden areas of our property, the fungus, lichen and moss spring back into life and grow anew. Some of these plants go dormant and awaken, refreshed, as the rainy season soaks life back into them. Other species are just waiting for water to hit their spores and they too, come to life. The variety of species boggles the mind, and unlike larger plants that are so easy to find, most of these plants require careful hunting to discover. One day I was wandering around our hillside and looked under a rotted piece of log. I saw something purple. PURPLE? Bringing my face close to the strange fungus, I could see that it looked like purple shelf fungus! Who knew there was such a thing?! I found many in the same area, including itty-bitty babies. Please roll your mouse over the upper left corner to see these fuzzy and very soft fungus babies!

Shelf fungus is often fairly boring to look at from a distance, but it's usually quite interesting up close. There are some that are very pretty, and I thought this group looked like terrestrial clams! :) Explored on March 22, 2016. Highest placement, page 5.

Photographed on the Rogue Gorge Trail, near Union Creek, Southern Oregon

Another really cool find at the Mill Creek Falls trail, Steve and I found this shelf fungus and many more like it attached to the sides and ends of countless logs. Some were found 20 feet up on the sides of trunks! I think this fungus looks like coral that I've seen while scuba diving! It measures about 1 foot in diameter! Shelf fungus comes in many varieties and is found all over the world. It's too tough and leathery to eat, but some have used shelf fungus for artwork ! It can also be ground up and used in medicinal teas. If you would like to know more about this shelf fungus, I found a super page here: Herbarium Fun Facts: Shelf Fungi

(Please scroll down to see 4 more pictures! :D) Some time ago, Steve and I went to a trail near Prospect, Oregon. It was a lush, moist conifer forest with deep shade and lots of places for mushrooms and interesting fungus to grow! Steve and I had a wonderful time taking pictures of fungus there, and I've only posted a couple of other picture from that trip, so if you like my mushroom pictures, you'll be in for a treat! I have dozens to share!! I've been holding off on my mushroom shots because it seems odd to post pictures that are out of season here. Of course the season is just right somewhere in the world, but it just doesn't feel right when it's hot and sunny! Here in southern Oregon, it's beginning to cool down at night, though it's still hot during the day. This will change soon though...AUTUMN IS ON ITS WAY!!! I can't tell you how excited I am to take a full series of fall pictures with my new camera! This dew-laden shelf fungus is in a group of fungi that comes in many varieties, sizes, shapes and colors. It is found all over the world in moist environments. Although it's too tough and leathery to eat, some have used shelf fungus for artwork ! It can also be ground up and used in medicinal teas. If you would like to know more about this shelf fungus, I found a super page here: Herbarium Fun Facts: Shelf Fungi