Hello mushroom friends,
I was wandering through the woods the other day, enjoying the dappled sunlight and the crisp autumn air.
As I strolled along, I stumbled upon something quite peculiar: a cluster of strange, leathery-looking growths emerging from the forest floor. They resembled oversized puffballs, but something about them seemed off.
Upon closer inspection, I realized these were likely earth balls (scientifically known as Scleroderma). These fungi are related to puffballs, but they have a darker, tougher outer skin and often have a brownish hue. Those, however have been yellowish.
Unfortunately, the ones I found were past their prime. Most had already ruptured, releasing their dusty spores into the air, leaving behind a somewhat eerie, skeletal appearance.
Later on my walk, I came across another ruptured mushroom. This one was different from the earth balls
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to identify the species. It was clearly past its prime, having already released most of its spores and revealing its intricate spore-bearing structures.
It has a bit of a prehistoric look to it. Almost like a dinosaur egg or something.
It definitely do not look very delicious.
Btw. I am not sure if any of this mushrooms are edible. It's always best to admire these fascinating fungi from afar and leave them undisturbed in their natural habitat.
This unexpected encounter reminded me of the incredible biodiversity that exists right beneath our feet. Even in the most familiar places, there's always something new to discover and learn.
I hope you enjoyed my post and if you know what species the dinosaur egg is, please let me know.
Have a happy Friday!
