Greetings fellow Foxies,
I recently made my first-ever find of a beautiful fungus called Hohenbuehelia petaloides on a dolerite ridge adjoining the junction of Granite and Narrakine South roads. Despite much searching there was only one specimen that had grown from an underground rotting branch or a root.
It is an oyster fungus with gills that run down the stalk (decurrent) and has white spores. Most images on the web show a pale cap.
I recently made my first-ever find of a beautiful fungus called Hohenbuehelia petaloides on a dolerite ridge adjoining the junction of Granite and Narrakine South roads. Despite much searching there was only one specimen that had grown from an underground rotting branch or a root.
It is an oyster fungus with gills that run down the stalk (decurrent) and has white spores. Most images on the web show a pale cap.
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Similar except for the pores A few interesting features are:
- It is named after an Austrian aristocrat: Ludwig Samuel Joseph David Alexander Freiherr von Hohenbühel Heufler zu Rasen und Perdonegg. Try saying that after a few beers? or even before!
- It has a novel way of obtaining nitrogen, which is lacking in wood: Sticky ends on the hyphae, trap nematodes in the soil to harvest their protein.
- I reckon that it resembles a wood fungus I use in my stir fries. Hang on, that has a different name and pores not gills! another poisoning averted :).
Apparently Hohenbuehelia is very similar to Pleurotis, but has a thinner, tougher cap due to a very tough layer below the top 'skin'. I guess I will find out when I find and compare a Pleurotis.