We spotted all kinds of interesting things on our nature walk. We took photos of these because they were so strange. Do you know what they are? Can you find out for us and record what you know as a comment under the pictures. Let's ask Mrs Steadman when we go to the Allen Centre and see if she can answer our questions too.
Picture 1
Picture 2
Picture 3
Picture 4
Stunning finds Room 7!
ReplyDeleteNumber 1 is a Fly Agaric fungus - very beautiful but very poisonous. Eat 15 caps and die! Its name comes from the fact that it has a built-in insecticide - once used to make fly poison.
Numbers 2 and 3 are Bracket or Shelf fungi. Count the growth rings on top to discover their age - some large bracket fungi live for 70 years! Their underneath is paler and is full of tiny pores which release the spores (seeds) Large bracket fungi send out 5 trillion spores each year! - hmmm -I wonder why the whole forest isn't covered in bracket fungi.
Number 2 is a Rainbow bracket fungi - you can see why. Bracket fungi take ages to rot because they have anti-bacterial substances inside. Think how long we've had the one in the Allen Centre Museum!
Number 4 is a Supplejack - a climbing vine which Maori used to make fish pots. It has both male and female flowers - it's the female flowers that form the beautiful red berries. All interesting stuff :-)
- Mrs Stedman