Sunday, June 7, 2009

Stunning Fungus

We have had rain every day this week. While spraying some poison ivy Saturday morning, B and I discovered a small oak log with beautiful fungi growing on it. I was not able to identify it, though it might be an Exidia.  These are jelly fungi. There were three  on the same log.

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Below is the same fungus from the other side.

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The little specks are tiny insects that I assume are feeding on the fungus.

This one was not so well formed, but it was interesting to see the tiny snail (in the middle) also feeding on it. That may account for its rather sad, squishy look.

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But this one is formed much like a double camellia:

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Beautiful!

2 comments:

Kimberlee said...

Those are amazing! I've never seen anything like it, except maybe in an aquarium. Did you touch one? Or are they poisonous?

S N B said...

This was sent to me from a friend from Japan:

I was reading several of your blog and I found interesting thing. It is very much look like Kikurage, in Japanese. You can say Tree Gelatin. It is fungus but we grew them on the tree. Taste like Jelly fish and texture also. Here is the picture of those for eating. If you scroll down you will see similar picture.

http://sheltycook.exblog.jp/4860095/

Those fungus to eat, brown color is more popular than white. Actually, we are having those (in) soup tonight.