Puff Balls

 Whilst filling my log basket at the log store today I noticed these little mushroom growing on a tree stump.

I reckon that these are probably the "pear shaped" puffballs. This saprophytic fungus is widespread. If one pokes the fungus gently a cloud of brown spores emerges in a puff from the hole at the top. The fungus is apparently edible when it is immature and the flesh is white when you cut it open - although you would need a lot of these to make a decent meal. The distinguishing feature of puff balls is they do not have gills or an open cap.  These fungi perform a vital role in causing decay of trees being able to digest the lignin. There are plenty of other puff balls to be found some of them very much larger. In parts of Nepal the fungus was used to make ink, and in North America the fungus was used as an ingredient in smokers used by bee keepers to control bees.

                                                                                    Diary

It was minus 5C last night. My camera traps were frozen to their trees this morning - but I had nothing but rabbits when I reviewed the footage. A lot of hungry birds on the feeders by the house.

I was dismayed to read this morning that the Govt has changed the law to allow wild birds to be shot to protect game birds. I fear that it will be a loophole that will be exploited by unscrupulous gamekeepers. Law change

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Dunnock

White Clawed Crayfish

Otters