Marasmius pulcherripes

Latin Name	Observation date	Location
Marasmius pulcherripes	January 14 2025	Buket Alue Puteh, Aceh, Indonesia

Yesterday I discovered an interesting and beautiful species of mushroom, I found this mushroom growing on a rotting Rumbia frond, and of course this discovery was an extraordinary experience because it is rare for a species of mushroom like this to be found in the area where I live, the shape and color of the mushroom This is very eye-catching and when I found him like a prima donna in the wild, and did a search to find out more about this mushroom and I was lucky I found the right one, this is a beautiful mushroom with the popular name "Marasmius pulcherripes".

Marasmius pulcherripes is a species of fungus that belongs to the marasmiaceae family, this fungus is known because of its distinctive and attractive appearance, one of the most prominent characteristics of this fungus is the color of the mushroom's fruit body which tends to be bright, this fungus has a bright golden orange color and having a fairly smooth and thin structure, these mushrooms grow on rotting organic material such as the stems of the grass where I found them growing or other plant remains, and I was lucky to be able to find mushrooms as beautiful as this and it was an extraordinary experience.

Thatch fronds which are part of the sago tree are often an ideal place for various types of fungi to grow. The decay process that occurs in these fronds creates an environment rich in organic materials. These materials are a source of nutrition for the Marasmius pulcherripes fungus to thrive, and in this case the Marasmius pulcherripes fungus takes advantage of these conditions to grow, as you can see in the picture this fungus only grows solitary or in small groups, although the size of this fungus is not too big but the shape and color What's unique is that this fungus remains prominent among the remains of decaying organic matter.

the presence of this fungus in rotting organic material also shows the important role of fungi in the ecosystem, I am sure this fungus must have a very important role in the decomposition process like other fungi, Marasmius pulcherripes helps break down organic material and return nutrients to the soil, this is the role of all mushrooms of any type that grow in nature, and in this case Marasmius pulcherripes plays a role in maintaining the balance of the ecosystem even though only on a small scale because this mushroom is solitary, looking at the place where they grow we can interpret that Marasmius pulcherripes help speed up the decomposition of thatch fronds that are no longer useful, which then produces elements needed by microorganisms and other plants around them.

Overall, the Marasmius pulchripes mushroom has a very aesthetic shape, the mushroom cap is thin with a golden orange color, the edges of the mushroom are smooth and appear slightly curved, while the mushroom stem is thin and long so that the beauty of the shape and color of this mushroom gives the impression of elegance, and its presence in place. Full of decaying organic matter it provides an alluring contrast, and is a perfect example of how nature can create beauty in unexpected places.