There are mushrooms that are so photogenic that no matter how many times I shoot them, I don't have enough. But even though I do like them, it is nice to find something new from time to time. And there is a lot new to find out there. One just has to look better. Or in a place you'd never think to find a shroom.
I went to see a big pond the other day, hoping to catch some birds that like to sit on the trees, bushes, and very tall grasses around. Typically, I saw none. Like if they knew I was coming all geared up.
But I did find these little guys!
Scutellinia patagonica
Is it though? I am pretty sure it is Scutellinia. But there are enough of those little orange mushrooms out there to keep me properly confused.
Scutellinia is a genus of cup-fungi in the family Pyronemataceae. The genus is widely distributed, especially in the Northern Hemisphere, and according to the Dictionary of the Fungi (10th edition, 2008), contains 66 species.
source
The area around is pretty sandy, but with large clay deposits (It used to be a clay mine. Now just a whole left filled with water), and this is where I found this one. More moist mix of sand, clay, and plant bits. Growing nicely in groups in an area of about 2 square meters. And only there.
Everywhere around, where sand was dominating, I found ink caps and the more common brown mushrooms.
And together with the little ones, there were some common ones that I have been seeing all around. Like protective umbrellas.
You can also see here how small the Scutellinia is. The largest ones were about 1 cm across. The ones under the brown mushrooms are even smaller. They are obviously younger as they do not have that little volcano in the center I noticed on some of the largest ones. I suppose that's the mature ones.
How to join #FungiFriday:
- when Friday comes (UTC time) post your own, original photo/drawing/art/food/anything-at-all of any type of fungi (yes, I will check and report stolen images or text!)
- add #FungiFriday tag (it doesn't have to be your first tag)
- Include "My contribution to #FungiFriday by @ewkaw" anywhere in your post.
Shot with Nikon D5500 + Sigma 105mm lens
All photos, graphics and text are my own.
