Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: fruiting body

We came across this little group of Puffballs during a Fungi Foray day with friends out at West Bragg Creek on 24 August 2013. I'm always happy to see Puffballs, of any species. "The distinguishing feature of all puffballs is that they do not have an open cap with spore-bearing gills. Instead, spores are produced internally, in a spheroidal fruiting body called a gasterothecium (gasteroid ('stomach-like') basidiocarp). As the spores mature, they form a mass called a gleba in the centre of the fruiting body that is often of a distinctive color and texture. The basidiocarp remains closed until after the spores have been released from the basidia. Eventually, it develops an aperture, or dries, becomes brittle, and splits, and the spores escape. The spores of puffballs are statismospores rather than ballistospores, meaning they are not actively shot off the basidium. The fungi are called 'puffballs' because clouds of brown dust-like spores are emitted when the mature fruiting body bursts, or in response to impacts such as those of falling raindrops." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puffball

This was the very first time I had ever seen this fungus, and it was growing in West Bragg Creek Natural Area just over a month ago. Also known as the hairy fairy cup or the brown-haired fairy cup. ID originally supplied by Doug Waylett. "Humaria hemisphaerica has fruiting bodies (apothecia) that typically measure 2 to 3 cm (0.79 to 1.2 in) in diameter by 1 to 1.5 cm (0.39 to 0.59 in) deep. The fruiting bodies are initially spherical and expand to become cuplike at the fungus matures. This species typically does not have a stipe―when it does, it is present as a small abrupt base. The inner surface of the fruiting body (the hymenium) is white, while the outer hairy surface is brown and covered with brown hairs that taper to a sharp point." From Wikipedia.

Macro photographed these tiny Eyelash fungi growing at Rod Handfield's property, when a few of us spent the day exploring his forest for fungi (and anything else that we could record, on 17 August 2012. "Grows on wet, rotted wood, or on damp soil nearby; growing gregariously or in clusters; spring through fall; widely distributed in North America. Fruiting Body: Cup shaped to broadly cup shaped, minute to 1.5 cm across; fertile surface ("top" or "inner" surface) scarlet red to bright orange, smooth; sterile surface ("under" or "outer" surface) brownish or pale orangish, covered with tiny dark hairs; the margin with longer, eyelash-like, dark hairs; without a stem; flesh thin and insubstantial." From www.mushroomexpert.com/scutellinia_scutellata.html

This was the first time I had seen a Rattlesnake Fern - seen on 30th July at the Sheep River Natural Area, when we botanized the Threepoint Creek Natural Area. This photo shows an enlarged view of the small fruiting body. A stalk forms at the base of the frond on the fern stem. This stalk grows above the frond and bears bright yellow spore cases in stalked clusters that resemble grapes.