Reading some of the nature notes in the press of late, Stalker is reminded that this year has seen the most amazing floresences of fungi, especially on lawns around the country.
One correspondent wrote in about finding a huge mushroom 9 inches across, which looked like a regular field mushroom, but they didn’t want to chance eating it due to its unusual size. The expert opinion was that the reader was very wise never to eat a fungus one is not absolutely sure about.
The fungus was provisionally identified as an Agaricus macrosporus, but microscopic examination of spores would be necessary to be absolutely sure. Bit of a palaver to get that done.
In the same week another specimen was mentioned, and photographed, the dog’s vomit slime mould - now there’s a mess that one would want to avoid.
“A Mycomycete that grows on dead leaves and other decaying plant material. Appears suddenly after a spell of heavy rain and feeds on bacteria and fungi. It can move around a bit, slithering in an amoeba-like fashio
