Mushroom Madness

Welcome to my Mushroom Madness

Come with me on a Fungi Foray

A hidden world beneath our feet,

The mycelium, a root-like network

Sometimes stretching for miles.

The close companion of trees,

Both needing each other in the cycle of life.

And fruiting bodies, poking up

Amongst leaf litter, or on pieces of wood

Deep in the forest and on grassy meadows or verges.

How vastly they range in size

From micro wonders such as Pinwheel Mushrooms

To Giant Puffballs, lying like a white football at your feet.

A tasty treat if ever you found one and could carry it home,

Competing with the Cauliflower Fungus,

A masquerading monster, resting at the base of Pine trees,

Inspiring awe and wonder in even the least interested passer-by.

So many exciting the senses

Like the rubbery feel of Jelly Ears,

Resting like ears on dead Elder trees,

Or the unmistakeable Hedgehog Mushroom

With spines underneath it’s cap.

Some that appeal to our eyes,

Such as Penny Buns ‘did they fall from a baker’s basket?’

Or BeefSteak Fungus, like lumps of meat on old oak trees,

That exude bloody juice when squeezed.

Some specimens change their colour,

Such as the Shaggy Inkcap, which turns a black inky mess with age,

The Blusher, turning slowly pink when it’s white flesh is damaged

Or the Bay Bolete that bruises blue.

The Amethyst Deceiver, the little mushroom

That displays high morphological variability,

In a display of beautiful orange, brown or purple.

And the little Scarlet Elf Cup ,

That remains a vibrant red in the dark month of February.

Some have tantalising smells, such as Coconut Scented Milkcap,

The coconut smell identifying it when fresh, more so when dried.

Or with strange tastes, such as Chicken of the Woods,

A large yellow bracket fungus tasting indeed like chicken.

But you wouldn’t want your nose too close to the Common Puffball

For at it’s appointed time, it expels a puff of spores.

Then there are those that might belong in a fairy-tale book,

The Prince, often found in parklands,

The little Fairy Ring Champignon, typically growing in a ring

Although not due to a sprinkling of fairy dust,

And the Trooping Funnel, that of course grows in troops.

We end our Fungi Foray with poisonous ones

Whose names would give them away,

Such as the Panther Cap, Deadly Webcap

Livid Pinkgill, Destroying Angel,

False Morel, Bitter Bolete,

Sickener Scarlet Cap and Fools Funnel.

But a last mention goes to the Horn of Plenty

Most highly prized, yet not very common

A long, black cone with superior taste

There for those who will take time to look

And partake of the plentiful provision of nature