I couldn't resist posting another selection of fungi pictures, these were taken along the trail at Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park.
On my last post I commented about how the fungi have an alien quality and if it was true about the specimens then it is even more true about the first three shots today.
So for the third post in a row I have chosen fungi. I will pick a different subject for my next post but rest assured I will certainly be coming back to fungi in future as I have loads more interesting pictures. I should probably try to learn a little but about these things so that I can identify them and at least know a little more about them.
Nevertheless I think they are pretty amazing. All of the specimens today are really tiny, even smaller than those in yesterdays post and they are all really lovely.
I was going to start off by saying something about the red discs in the first image but I now know that they're not red at all so I won't embarrass myself by saying anything about the colour and just say that these tiny discs look amazing against the dark of the damp log they were growing on.
The second one is probably no more that 1cm tall and you can see from the pine needles on the ground around it that it is quite thin too.
Not as thin as the ones in the third shot though with their cotton thin stems and pinhead caps. You may be able to see the way one of the tallest is bending under the weight of a tiny water droplet. These would have been so easy to miss, again the pine needles provide a sense of scale. It is amazing how they even support themselves .
I really like the final specimen which I am reliably told is a mustard yellow. I have seen other varieties like this in a range of colours like purple or grey (I think). I love the pattern on them that makes them look rather like a collapsed umbrella.
Some people might think I have an obsession with fungi after all I do take lots of pictures of them, and when my son asked what I was posting tonight I told him the title of the blog and he guessed "fungi" straight away so maybe there is some truth in that.
However they are really beautiful and so photogenic.
You cant really see from these pictures but the specimens I have chosen today are all really tiny fungi but even though they're very small there is lots to appreciate about them.
These are just a few of the fungi I found on the fringes of the forest at Centennial Park. They really are fascinating and each one plays a crucial role in the maintenance and well-being of the forest as a whole.
One of the highlights of my Canada trip this year was the 25km hike to the top of the Sleeping Giant and back. It was something I had been looking forward to doing since my first visit when the opportunity hadn't really arisen. It was definitely hard work in places but well worth the effort and there will be more shots from along the route and from the top in future posts.
However I also used the hike as another opportunity to photograph more of the many varieties of fungi along the way. Here are a few of them. I was amazed by how may different fungi there were and I really like the first of today's specimens that resembles a natural sponge.
Some of you might notice that one of these plants is not actually a fungi and I almost saved it for a post of its own because it is a really interesting plant. It is of course the plant in the fourth image, it is Monotropa uniflora which is known as Indian Pipe or ghost plant. It is a herbaceous plant that grows very quickly when conditions are right. It is unusual because it is white and that is because it does not contain chlorophyll and so it is unable to produce energy from sunlight in the way that green plants do. Instead it is a parasitic plant that draws its energy from micorrhizal fungi which means ultimately it gets energy from the trees. It will often be found near beech trees and because it does not rely on sunlight it can actually grow in very dark environments.
It has a use in herbal medicine as a "nervine" for act on or affect the nerves; quieting nervous excitement. Which is ironic because I was quite excited to find this along the way.
Here is another super helping of fabulous fungi.
Again this selection highlights the wonderful diversity of fungi, they're so beautiful.
A few days ago I shared a few pictures of Fungi from my first hike in Sleeping Giant Provincial Park and for today I have selected some more fungi, this time from a hike along one of the trails in the Pigeon River Provincial Park. Most of these were along the boardwalk but there are some from the Finger point walk too and in time there will be lots more to come.
Of course unless you have been there none of the walks I mention will mean anything but that really isn't important, it's the fungi that really matter and these are fabulous specimens.
The odd one out of course is the lichen in the fourth image which is really tiny and easily overlooked but in its own way it is as spectacular as the larger and more fleshy fungi.
It really is amazing how many different varieties there are in so many different colours, shapes and sizes
Here is another small selection of fungi from my recent trip. The first was a tiny little mushroom hidden away in a rotting tree stump, it could have so easily been missed so I am glad I spotted it because it is a lovely little thing.
The others were found on a wooded hillside on the path to Pigeon River Falls ( I will be posting some shots of the falls in due course) and I had to scramble up a steep bank to get these pictures. The lighting under the trees was really nice and shows off these fungi at their best. I particularly like the specimen in the third photo
