Wolves Wild

Once again a fungus which can be seen much of the year, not just the autumn. And not necessarily a very welcome sight. A cluster of these sprouting at the base of a tree trunk means the tree has been infected, eventually fatally.

Honey fungus is not one species, but a group of closely related species. One of these is claimed to be the largest living organism on earth right now. Spreading across the whole of a wood in Oregon, it’s estimated to weigh perhaps as much as a couple of hundred times as much as an adult blue whale.

The West Park lakeside liquidambar as featured in the post a couple of days ago, seen this time from across the lake and reflected in the water.

Turkey tail is a common year-round bracket fungus, with a cluster of small fan-shaped fruiting bodies. The white stain on the same tree stump is perhaps the white rot as the fungus digests the wood.

A liquidambar tree by the lake in West Park, with leaves which turn vivid colours in autumn. Usually I take its picture from the opposite side of the lake, getting double value from its reflection in the water. For a change, here it is with the lake and the island just showing as background.

Deceivers, small mushrooms which can crop up mush of the year as long as it’s not too cold. Deceptive because they are very variable in form, making it easy for some of us to fool ourselves that we’ve spotted something more interesting.

The trees at the back of the West Park chalet (currently the tea rooms) turned a particularly varied set of colour this autumn.