The early promise of late summer's flush of fungi seems to have waned a little, but there are still good things to find as a walk around Park Gate (part of Lyminge Forest) showed.
I've been watching this Beefsteak Fungus growing over the past few months (it beats watching paint dry) and it's now about 18" across. If it were edible, of course, it would not have grown to that size. [Late news - it's actually inonotus hispidus - thanks Fred]By contrast...
....these are Little Wheel Toadstools, about ½" across.
The Common Earthball was given to us to show just how ugly something can be. As in "You've got a face like a Common Earthball". Well, it makes a change from "squished tomato".
When ripe it explodes, showing its glutinous tar-like interior, which I can report still smells of fungus, unsurprisingly.
Ah, that's better. A tasty Parasol Mushroom, found on the golf course. I know it was tasty, as I had it for lunch.You'll be pleased to know that I've managed to source a replacement camera from eBay for rather less than the cost of repairing the old one (so much for recycling) so hopefully the usual blurred shots of distant birds will soon reappear.
For the record, the easterly wind brought a good number of birds to the rifle range (as well as all-day cloud) including a black redstart, a reed bunting, a stonechat, a constant stream of herring gulls flying south, plenty of goldcrests and a raven. No comparison to the list provided by the redoubtable Phil Milton on Planet Thanet today, though.
5 comments:
Are you sure the Beefsteak Fungus is not edible? According to my mad permaculturalist friend, Stuart, in Brittany it is.
http://permacultureinbrittany.blogspot.com/2009_10_01_archive.html
- scroll down to the entry for the 9th October, 2009.
(Sorry, can't give direct link to entry - might explain his madness.)
Thanks for that David - I stand corrected (mind you, those French will eat anything)
I had assumed that it would be too tough to eat, and at this age it probably is. I'll make a note of it for the furure.
I found a smart looking fungus today steve, got a photo on my blog,can you name it ?
Steve ,
I agree with DOT and (French) Stuart , both my books say Beefsteak Fungus/Ox-tongue-Festulina hepatica is edible .
Only trouble is , I don't think it is that species .
Beefsteak Fungus is usually a single bracket , not tiered brackets like your specimen .
From here , I think your fungi is Inonotus hispidus , especially if that is Ash that it is growing on .
Your Little Wheel Toadstools lookmlike Marasmius ramealis , but the you knew that .
Look forward to the shots from the new camera .
Just as well I only eat the ones that I'm really sure of.
The beefsteak does look like the inonotus, thank you Fred. And it's definitely inedible.
Warren, please do not ask me for fungus ID.... I may kill you. Great posting today, by the way.
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