TINY AUTUMN KINGDOM

Kopia – Essence.jpg

COPRINELLUS MICACEUS (the ink cap) back again on my profile,but this time in a slightly different version.

I found them in the same forest in Germany as before, but in a different spot and in completely different conditions. This time the scene was much more colorful. Fallen autumn leaves, more moisture in the air, droplets on the caps and stems. The whole setting simply made them look different.Honestly I enjoyed looking at them much more in this environment. Surrounded by red, yellow and green leaves, they seemed more photogenic, at least for me 😄 The contrast between the delicate brown caps and the intense autumn colors gave the whole colony a stronger visual impact. Perfect for a few shots!

COPRINELLUS MICACEUS is a saprotrophic fungus, which means it feeds on decaying wood. It plays an important role in the ecosystem by breaking down organic matter and helping nutrients return to the soil.Without fungi like this forests would quickly become buried under layers of undecomposed wood and plant material.

Another interesting fact is that this species produces dark brown to black spores, which are released in large quantities in a very short time.Ink caps have a specific strategy: instead of lasting long they grow fast, mature quickly and release spores efficiently before collapsing. This rapid life cycle allows them to colonize new pieces of buried wood again and again throughout the season.

And BTW .... I have a question for mushroom hunters and photographers at the same time.😃

Do you also have more photos of inedible mushrooms than edible ones?😁 I realized that I do! The reason is when I find a good edible mushroom, I get so excited that it usually ends up in my basket before I even think about taking a photo.😅 Only later I remember that I actually wanted to take some pictures in the natural environment. But by the it’s too late....🤣