The Smell of Molten Projects in the Morning

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Monthly Image: Mushroom

This one grew along a trail in the Cary Institute of Ecosystems Studies forest:

Mushroom 2560x1440
Mushroom 2560×1440

It makes a great landscape monitor background…

Comments

9 responses to “Monthly Image: Mushroom”

  1. Frans Avatar
    Frans

    Do you perhaps know what kind of mushroom that is? My European eyes are wholly unaccustomed to spiky mushrooms.

    1. Ed Avatar
      Ed

      Our field guide says it’s probably a Gem-studded Puffball, but that doesn’t pin it down very closely. If that’s what it is, then you won’t see one in your forest: it’s native to North America.

      We are not eaters or smokers of wild mushrooms, so getting a precise ID remains of academic interest… [grin]

      1. Frans Avatar
        Frans

        Oh, that reminds me, we do actually have a similar kind of puffer. But I prefer these: they turn into a fun ball that rolls around in the wind or thanks to human kicks, puffing out spores.

        Incidentally, in Dutch they’re called stuifzwammen, which means as much as dust-making fungi, or perhaps dashing fungi.

        1. Frans Avatar
          Frans

          http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parelstuifzwam

          Ah yes, here it is. Wikipedia claims it has the same scientific name, but I find it somewhat unlikely that a European mushroom would be growing in America? Although I guess it could’ve been (accidentally) imported.

          1. Ed Avatar
            Ed

            could’ve been (accidentally) imported

            In either direction, much as we got honeybees and the Brits got gray squirrels: some good ideas transplant better than others.

        2. Ed Avatar
          Ed

          Similar puffballs grow in the lawn and along the edges of the driveway, with the bigger ones reaching softball size.

          I’ve learned to not mow the ripe ones… *cough*

        3. Frans Avatar
          Frans

          In either direction

          Naturally. We have American trees and vice versa. I’m sure spurs can travel just as easily as seeds.

          Btw, why would they introduce gray squirrels where red squirrels already live?

          1. Ed Avatar
            Ed

            why would they introduce gray squirrels

            I can’t find a reliable reference as to why it happened, but I’m sure it made sense at the time… perhaps because they’re so cute! [wince]

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