Inspired by Jamie’s recent post on ‘Wet Season Mushrooms’ (9 February 2023) I kept my eyes peeled last weekend for interesting specimens whilst walking around the village. I didn’t have far to go to find an array of amazing fungi after the recent rain. Right there in my own garden was a rotting log flushed with small, delicate creamy-brown mushrooms in large numbers. I haven’t attempted to identify these as yet, but someone with more knowledge of tropical fungi may be able to do so quite readily? I did check at night for fluorescence and fairies under the mushroom caps, but neither were found!
The wet season was late to start this year and in the forest this was reflected in the relative paucity of mushrooms and other fungi during the initial months of this year. The recent late season rains have partly made up for this, although the cooler weather may have inhibited growth in some varieties. I have been keeping record of any mushrooms I have seen since January when I got back from travelling out west and decided to compile a gallery of the results, together with any preliminary identifications I have been able to glean from various references.
One of the highlights for me this year was a blue mushroom that I had seen in previous years but never photographed. This species is quite different from the one that Michele photographed last year (and which I misidentified as being the one pictured here). It has a more mat surface and more muted colour but is quite striking nonetheless.
Entolama hochstetteri is also referred to as E. virescens (a Japanese species) on many web pages and there may still be some uncertainty over which name is most appropriate (or indeed whether it is a separate possibly undescribed species). If you care to do some further reading there is a very readable article in the Queensland Mycologist 12(2):5-8. It’s an unusually fun read with historical anecdotes as well as a brief diversion to discuss the national origin of Pavlova! In New Zealand, where the species was first described, the indigenous name for E. hochstetteri is called “Werewere kokako” which translates as “Kokako’s wattle” referring to the similarity in colour between the mushroom and the facial wattle of the Kokako, a native wattlebird, both of which are featured on the NewZealand $50 note.
The mushroom below (Schizophylllum commune – split gill fungus) is currently still visible growing on old pine logs (ask Lynda Radbone if you would like to see it). Michele Bird first noticed it and its unusual shape led us to think it might be something rare and unique. However it turns out to be a common cosomopolitan species often seen growing on dead wood in gardens and forests. has a shape and texture quite unlike most other mushrooms. it gest its name from the fact that the gills on the undersurface can split lengthwise. The upper surface can be covered in fine white “fluff” and its colour ranges from brown or cream to pale green. This mushroom is considered pathogenic with recent research indicating it can cause respiratory diseases. DO NOT SMELL IT!
UndersurfaceSchyzophyllum commune
Coral fungi are always a joy to see, and this one found by Juanita on the H-track is no exception. It is probably a member of the genus Aphelaria.
Aphelaria sp – Coral Fungus, photo by Juanita Poletto
Identification of a mushroom usually requires a check of the undersurface of the cap to determine if it has gills (Agarics) or fine pores (Boletes or Polypores) The mushroom below is a typical bolete. It most probably belongs to the genus Boletellus and looks like the “shaggy cap” B. emodensis. I’ve found this a couple of times along dryer sections of the Witts lookout track and the Bluegum track. Its attractive pink flakey cap and yellow undersurface are very distinctive.
Boletellus cf emodensis – Shaggy cap
Little red mushrooms are a common sight along the forest tracks poking up from the leaf litter. This one is probably Hygrocybe miniata, which has a mat red surface, a cap that becomes flattened or even concave as it grows larger.
Hygrocybe cf miniata – vermillion waxcap
A few other specimens found over the last few months are set out below – with names where I have found something likely.
Hygrocybe cf proceraHygrocybe cf proceraRussula spRussula spEntoloma pamelae?Entoloma pamelae?Laetiporus sulphureusLaetiporus sulphureus Chicken of the woodsMycena chlorophosMycena chlorophosFiloboletus manipularisFiloboletus manipularis
Text and photos (unless indicated) by Jamie Oliver
On Saturday (10 July) I came across some rather spectacular bright purple fungi at the Village Green. There was only a small patch of these amazing fungi, poking up through the grass in deep shade. I can only suppose that the fungi might have popped up over night, because when I saw them in the early morning they looked fresh, bright and were vibrant in colour. They were easily spotted amongst the green grass. By next day and some 24 hours later, the fungi had faded to a dull brown-beige colour with only the merest hint of purple remaining around the very edge of the cap.
Bright purple fungi when first spotted on the Village Green last Saturday (10 July).
This website has featured many previous posts on the amazing diversity of fungi growing in and around the village – in various habitats from local gardens, along walking tracks and in deep rainforest. Checking these previous posts I can’t see any other examples of ‘purple fungi’ resembling those recently spotted on the Village Green. I did do a bit of googling in the attempt to identify these fungi, but being far from an expert, I gave up before too long. Can anyone help to identify these rather brilliant mauve mushrooms…..?
The first photo shows the bright purple colouring when the fungi was fresh. The second photo shows the same fungi the next day, with all the brilliant purple colouring now faded to dull brown-beige.
Fungi
are an amazingly diverse group that includes not only mushrooms, coral,
bracket, stinkhorn, and jelly fungi (to mention but a few), but also yeasts,
moulds, and an assortment of nasty parasitic organisms that prey on both plants
and animals. There is also a range of fungi that specialise in symbiotic
relationships with other organisms e.g., lichens (fungus + alga + other
micro-organisms), and mycorrhizae that are an important symbiont with the roots
of many Australian trees. There are about 13,000 species of fungi formally
named and recorded in Australia, although estimates put the real number closer to 250,000, including 5,000 species of
mushrooms (of which only 5% have been named)1
Note:
Many of us enjoy the edible mushroom which we usually purchase from the
supermarket. There are other edible Australian wild fungi but we do not
recommend that you try any of the fungi mentioned below or indeed any that you might
find around Paluma – they are likely to be toxic and can cause serious harm!
Fungus identification often requires experience and technical skills, but there is a reasonable number that are so visually distinctive that almost no skills other than a good eye are needed to make an identification. The following 5 easy species are very distinctive, and at least during the wet season, they are fairly common along Paluma’s tracks.
1. Cyptotrama asprata (Golden Scruffy Collybia)
This distinctive and beautiful orange mushroom can be found along the H-track as well as other local tracks. The colour and prickly-looking surface of the cap are diagnostic. It grows in small groups on dead wood on the forest floor and is found worldwide in the tropics.
This dainty (and fragile) mushroom starts off with a rounded bell-shaped cap that becomes flat then slightly convex with age. The cap is generally cream coloured with varying degrees of yellow in the centre. It is quite common on local forest tracks. Even a gentle touch is likely to damage the cap. It is found on all continents.
3. Filoboletus manipularis – Soldier Pore Fungus
This common wet-season mushroom forms large clumps on both living tree trunks and old fallen logs. It has a pale brown central cap surrounded by pale cream to white, with a white speckled stem. It differs from other clumping fungi on trees in that it has distinctive reticulate pattern of pores under that cap instead of linear gills. Some strains of this mushroom are bioluminescent; however, this does not seem to be true of the ones around Paluma.
4. Stereum ostrea – Golden Curtain Crust
This fungus is commonly found on fallen logs. When still
growing and the weather is damp, they form deep orange concave fans that grow
out and up from a narrow base that remains attached to the log. The lower
surface of the thin fan is smooth while the upper surface often displays
concentric rings that vary in shade. In older specimens that are starting to
dry the colours change to rings of grey, brown and green. Eventually they
completely dry out and become papery crusts that crumble away. The fan can
sometimes split radially as it grows. Individuals can occur singly or cover the
length of large logs.
This is a beautiful and common fungus that can be found as small yellow/orange blades poking out of cracks in dead wood or as larger convoluted fans. It has a rubbery texture and often grows in clusters following grooves in old lumber. It may even be found on the wooden exterior walls of local buildings.
Colwyn recently posted her observations on the first crops of mushrooms “popping up” around the village. Over the last few weeks even more have been springing up around the forest walking tracks and many of them are delightfully photogenic although they can be frustratingly difficult to identify. Here is a collection from the last month that Andi Cairns and I have seen out on the tracks. The identifications are made with a fair degree of confidence (and a large measure of hubris) but we would welcome any comments on our identification efforts.
Mycena haematopus – Bleeding Fairy Helmet
This gorgeous mushroom gets its somewhat macabre common name from the fact that it will ooze a red/purple juice if squeezed or cut (especially at the base of the stem). If the name puts you off you can always opt for its alternative common name: Burgundydrop Bonnet. It is widespread and common in Europe, North America and also recorded in SE Asia and Australia.
Photo by Jamie Oliver
Filoboletus manipularis – no common name
Depending on which reference you use this delightful
clumping mushroom, frequently found on
logs and trees, can be named Filoboletus, Favolaschia or Mycena. It differs
from other clumping fungi on trees in that it has a reticulate pattern of pores
under that cap instead of linear gills.
Photos by Jamie Oliver (left) & Will Cairns (center, right )
Wikipedia claims that it is bioluminescent but the specimen shown on the tree trunk did not show this trait (the mushrooms were rotting by the time I (JO) went back to check.
Dacryopinax spathularia – Fan-shaped Jelly Fungus
This is a beautiful and common fungus which can be found as small yellow/orange blades poking out of cracks in dead wood or as larger convoluted fans. It will even grow on polyester rugs, so you might just find it in your house if we ever get a proper wet season here in Paluma!
Photo by Jamie Oliver
Wikipedia states that this species is edible and is a component of the Asian vegetarian dish called Buddha’s Delight. But PLEASE DO NOT EAT this unless you independently confirm its identity
Crust Fungi, or Corticoid Fungi
These are not often mentioned in books or online and are a diverse group of fungi with superficially similar form (encrusting) but which can belong to any of 18 different taxonomic orders. On consultation with an expert colleague of one of us (AC), Dr Sapphire McMullan-Fisher, “ This is a skin, patch or Corticoid fungus, which are super-tricky [to identify] and we don’t have many experts in Australasia. Microscopic characters are likely needed [to confirm identification].” To the untrained eye this one could easily be taken for a lichen, so confirming that it is actually a type of mushroom is some progress.
Photo by Will Cairns
Galerina patagonica – no common name
A beautiful clumping mushroom that grows on rotting logs, it belongs to a group with highly toxic species that unfortunately bear a strong resemblance to some hallucinogenic Psilocybin mushrooms. So if you are looking for an alternate view of reality – beware.
Photos by Will Cairns
This species has not been formally recorded in north Queensland before, although there are some photos on Flickr that were taken in Cairns that are identified as C. patagonica.
Cyptotrama asprata (Golden Scruffy Collybia)
This distinctive and beautiful orange mushroom can be found along the H-track as well as other local tracks. It grows on dead wood and is found worldwide in the tropics.
Photo by Jamie Oliver
Leucocoprinus fragilissimus (Fragile Dapperling)
This dainty (and fragile) mushroom starts off with a rounded convex cup that becomes flat then slightly convex with age. It is quite common on local forest tracks. Even a gentle touch is likely to damage the cap. It is found on all continents.
Photo by Jamie Oliver
Laetiporus sp – Shelf fungi
I was impressed by the size and colouration of this shelf fungi on the Andreé Griffin Track. I am not certain of the species but it is a member of the Polyporace which includes a variety of shelf and bracket fungi.
Photo by Jamie Oliver
Another smaller species of Laetiporus (L. sulphureus) is yellow to brilliant orange and is likely to be seen around the tracks as the wet season progresses (I have seen it once this year but did not photograph it). Despite its distinctive colour, which would provide good material for a common name, L. sulphureus is called Chicken of the Woods, apparently because, like many unfamiliar foods, it “tastes like chicken”. However there are reports that it can cause tummy ache, so I suggest you stick to real poultry unless you really know your mushrooms.
Photo by Jamie Oliver (taken on the H-Track in 2014)
While we are showing photos of fungi that, while not seen by us this year, have been recorded in the past, this stunning Anemone stinkhorn (Aseroe rubra) was seen by Will and Andi in 2004 along the track to Witts Lookout.
Photos by Andi Cairns
Be on the lookout for these and other marvellous mushrooms as you stroll along our local tracks.
Text by Jamie Oliver and Andi Cairns; photos as per captions
Further Reading
Some references for those who would like to try their own identifications, or just learn more about Australian Mushrooms:
Fuhrer, B, (2004). A Field Guide to the Fungi of
Australia. (now out of print, but might be in
some libraries)
Young, T & Smith, K (2004). A Field Guide to
the Fungi of Australia. UNSW Press
Facebook
identification sites prefer a photo of the under-surface of the mushroom cap
and (if possible) a spore print (this may be too much information!). It is also
a good idea not to touch fungi with bare hands — it’s better to use a
disposable glove or tissue to turn over a mushroom cap, and always wash hands
after touching fungi.
Fairy rings of pale, slightly frilled fungi have grown in a dark part of my garden overhung with coleus plants. They formed a dense colony and looked quite magical. Unfortunately, I was not able to get a good photograph of them. However, their appearance prompted me to search for more of what I call ‘pop-ups’ – the little fungi that, encouraged by the warm, humid weather, pop up all over the lawns, in pot-plants and beneath shrubbery throughout the village.
I would need the help of a mycologist to identify the different species of fungus but am fairly sure that the lacy-cowled fungus collapsing over the mulch pile near PEEC, is a species of Phallus fungus. It is commonly known as a ‘stink-horn’ as it has an unpleasant smell of decaying flesh.
A small white toadstool on the Village Green had been tipped over, giving a good glimpse of the ‘gills’. On the lawn outside No 24, and again on the opposite side of the road, several clusters of pale ‘mushrooms;’ have popped up. They have the distinctive ‘mushroom brown’ gills and easily peeled skin that identifies an edible mushroom but I am not prepared to take the risk of sampling one.
A cluster of tiny orange coloured fungi is growing under the mint. I wonder if it could be a species of Hypholoma.
Over the next few weeks we should expect to see many more pop-ups erupting. Have fun finding them – many will be more spectacular than these early samples.
Another pop-up we all know and welcome with the early rains, is the dainty, pink flowered Rain Lily, (Zephyranthes species) which blooms in little clumps throughout Paluma.
As mentioned by Michele a couple of days ago, there is currently a rather spectacular orchid flowering on the H-Track. It is the Giant Climbing Orchid (Pseudovanilla foliata) Apart from its beautiful flowers (in copious quantity), this orchid is also special in that it has no leaves. It is one of several species of saprophytic orchid that derives its food from rotting wood rather than from photosynthesis. This particular species is not often seen around Paluma since it spends most of its life as an inconspicuous tangle of stems climbing up dead trees – it flowers only briefly. Once the logs and dead trees that it feeds off have fully rotted away it dies off. Wilfred Karnoll informs me that after cyclone Yasi these orchids made a brief appearance in a few locations along the walking tracks near the village.
Flowers are produced in great numbers for a limited period. they have a faint but pleasant scent.
The roots penetrate rotting wood
While this orchid has green stems and may be able to make a small amount of food for itself, it is unlikely to able to grow and produce masses of flowers on this energy source alone. Most saprophytic orchid lack any green colour, and thus do not need (and cannot use) sunlight to obtain food. One group of these orchids has completely forsaken sunlight and spends its entire life, growing, flowering and fruiting underground – never seeing the light of day!
Technically saprophytic orchids do not directly feed off decaying wood and vegetation, but derive their food from a close symbiotic relationship with fungi that do all the hard work of breaking down the fairly indigestible wood and then provide it directly to the roots of the orchid. Whether this is a mutualistic relationship (with both obtaining benefit from the exchange) or a parasitic one (with the fungi being robbed of fuel it would prefer to use for its own growth) is not fully understood. So far, research on this matter appears to have failed to show any clear benefit to the fungi.
After reading a bit more about orchids on the web I discovered that the relationship between fungi and orchids is widespread and devilishly complex. Virtually all orchids rely on fungi for seed germination. Orchids produce seeds that are microscopic in size (they make up for this by producing prodigious numbers in each seed capsule). These seeds are so small that they do not have the energy reserves that all other seeds use to fuel the cell division needed for germination and subsequent growth of the first green leaves that will manufacture new fuel from photosynthesis. These tiny seeds rely entirely on fungi for that germination energy. Some orchids have been shown to have an ongoing obligate relationship with fungi, while others shrug off this reliance once fully developed. A further twist in the orchid-fungi story occurs in some species, where the fungi that the orchid derives its food from, is itself deriving its fuel from the roots of certain tree species. Thus we have sunlight being turned into food high up in the forest canopy and then being transferred down to the forest floor, into fungi and then into the saprophytic orchid!
On Saturday afternoon (28 December 2019) we decided to take a stroll along Paluma’s H-Track. The main impetus for the walk was a tip-off from Jan Cooke that the giant climbing orchid, the ‘Pseudo Vanilla Orchid’ (Pseudovanilla foliata) was in flower along the track. Having never seen this orchid in bloom I was keen to observe and photograph it.
The Pseudo Vanilla Orchid in full bloom.
More information and photographs of this spectacular and unique orchid will appear in a future post by Jamie Oliver.
We started our walk at the eastern end of the H-Track off Lennox Crescent. After some showers of rain in recent days the rainforest appears refreshed and revitalised after the long dry spell. Fungi of several colours, shapes and sizes has sprung from decaying wood along the track.
Brilliant orange fungi growing from decaying wood on the forest floor. Fascinating fungi growing on a tree trunk.
It wasn’t long before we encountered a sizeable red-bellied black snake, actively foraging for food amongst the leaf litter. Upon detecting our presence it appeared quite agitated and retreated into a hole at the base of the buttress roots of a large tree. It immediately reappeared, head first, raised and in defensive mode. We quickly moved on, leaving it to its foraging.
My very blurry and unfocused photo of the red-bellied black snake. I have to admit to being more ‘focused’ on the movements of this snake, than on focusing the camera!
The walking track and surrounding forest floor is littered with numerous fruits and flowers at the present time. We observed the fruit of quandongs (Elaeocarpus sp.) and the brilliant purple fruits of the Paperbark Satinash (Syzygium papyraceum). Many of these fruits showed the distinctive nibble marks of rainforest marsupials and birds.
The bright purple fruits of the Paperbark Satinash.
There are some spectacular trees to see along the H-Track including many large specimens with distinctive buttress roots. There are also some splendid climbing vines weaving their way high into the rainforest canopy.
A stroll along the H-Track is always a pleasure with so much to see and absorb. Take the time for a wander along this short rainforest track and you are sure to be rewarded with many interesting sights, sounds and the wonders of the tropical rainforest. The bird calls alone are worth taking the walk! During our stroll we had the pleasure of listening in on numerous conversations high in the canopy, courtesy of the shrike thrushes, cat birds and whip birds.
Text by Michele Bird, Photos by Michele Bird & Colwyn Campbell.
Michele recently documented some plants that are flowering around Paluma late in the dry Season. One would normally not think of looking out for mushrooms at this time of year, with the forest floor about as dry as it ever gets, and most fungi either totally absent or, in the case of bracket fungi, persisting as dried-out colourless husks clinging to logs and tree trunks. However there is one group of fungi whose fruiting body (what we call a mushroom) make a regular occurrence at this time of year and they are really quite spectacular in their shape. They are called coral fungi (most of them in the genus Ramaria), and as a coral biologist I can attest that they bear a striking resemblance to true corals.
Ramaria sp
I have seen two fine specimens of coral fungi in the last few weeks. One on the track to Witt’s lookout (above), and the other at the cutting outside the gate to 28 Mt Spec Road. They are probably gone now but there should be others coming up over the month around the village and adjacent tracks.
Ramaria sp
Coral fungi, despite there impressive appearance have not been well documented in Australia. According to the Qld Mycological Society, there are only 19 described species of Ramaria in Australia, but “… it is quite possible that the total number of species of Ramaria found to occur in Australia will be over 100.” None of the 18 recognised species in Queensland looks similar to the ones in the photos here so it is quite possible that these specimens are are an undescribed species (or tw0)!
On New Year’s morning, there were a few million animals hanging out together on a decaying log on the forest floor on ‘H Track’, doing their thing. This is a Slime Mould, and most likely to be Physarum polycephalum, the Many Headed Slime Mould, and some of the things they do are quite funky.
Slime moulds are thought to be approximately 600 million years old, although some think they could be as old as a billion. They arrived on land as soon as there was land, making them hundreds of millions of years older than other animals or plants. So, okay, they have been around for a long time, but what are they?
Slime moulds are Protists, or single celled organisms, which like moist, humid, dark environments, such as the rainforest floor. They favour rotting and decaying vegetation, where they feed on micro-organisms, including fungi, algae and bacteria. A single slime mould cell, in favourable conditions exists as an Amoeba, basically a nucleous surrounded by cell fluid, contained within a membrane. Amoeba travel by moving this fluid within the flexible cell membrane in a process known as cytoplasmic streaming, which is handy when you need to hunt down your prey, before engulfing it with your body. But what about when food is scarce, and too difficult to find when you’re a microscopic bag of fluid?
Slime moulds form a plasmodium, which is the part of the life cycle shown in the photo. Huge numbers of single celled amoebae find each other in the environment using chemical signals, and join together, losing individual cell membranes to form a complex organism. This organism is also able to move to search for food, which it surrounds, before secreting enzymes to digest it. This is also the primary reproductive stage for slime moulds; if food runs out, conditions become too dry or receive too much light, the plasmodium begins to make spores. This is the stage the photographs show, with the bumpy bits (the many heads of our slime mould) containing the spores.
The spores are able to survive unfavourable environmental conditions for long periods of time. When conditions improve, the spores rupture, producing a single cell amoeba. However, if things get too wet, this amoeba is able to rapidly transform into a flagellated organism (a flagellum is a long, whip-like structure which helps the animal move in water, similar to swimming). This shape is also reversible when conditions are not quite so wet, and being an amoeba is more convenient.
But you don’t get to be nearly a billion years old without having a few more tricks up your sleeve. If life becomes uncomfortable at the plasmodium stage, the organism can become dormant, and it can survive like this for many years. Amoeba can also transform into cysts to survive when conditions are unfavourable. It’s kind of like being able to go into suspended animation whenever it’s too hot, too dry or too bright. Amoeba can also fuse with other single amoeba to form a reproductive organism, or a single amoeba can reproduce by just splitting. Plasmodia can also fragment or enter another dormant phase called a spherule which can survive indefinitely. So, Slime Moulds have lots of options, including shape shifting, mind (and body) melding and suspended animation to enable them to survive in this unpredictable and changeable world. And that’s why they’ve been around so long!
These amazing creatures have fascinated scientists, and provided many opportunities for research. They are easy to culture in laboratories, and provide a model organism to study amoeboid movement, cell motility, and other anatomical and physiological processes. The real surprise however is that slime moulds also provide opportunity for behavioural research. They have been observed finding food in mazes and forming networks between food sources to provide efficient nutrient transport that rivals our own transport design systems. These adaptable and resilient organisms will probably be around for the next billion years!
