I live in the Venezuelan plains, a region where the climate is generally very warm, differing in the year, two very marked climatic seasons: One dry and one rainy. The dry season extends from December to April, and the rainy season runs from May to November. The lowest temperatures are recorded between December and January, with a minimum temperature of 23 ºC and maximum temperatures the rest of the year, which can reach 45 ºC. Based on these data, you can have an idea that it is very difficult for fungi or mushrooms to abound in this region.
Even with these adverse conditions for this type of organism, it is possible to see one or another specimen, especially in the plant material that is decomposing, as it is the ideal substrate for its growth. On my backyard there is still standing, although it is already in clear decline, a mamón tree (Melicoccus bijugatus), which was pruned 12 years ago, but unfortunately it progressively deteriorated, to the point that it only has one branch, ( which I plan to transplant because this tree was an extraordinary fruit producer). Its trunk is badly cracked and rotten, becoming a space for fungal growth. Below you can see part of the trunk.
This lack of contact with these species implies that I am ignorant regarding their classification and usefulness, however I recognize that they are essential for terrestrial biomes to function properly, because their disintegrating function is essential in the transformation of plant material and in the enrichment of the soils; that is why I admire its ephemeral existence and its ability to spread. And precisely days ago, I was able to observe the presence of a group of fungi on the trunk of the aforementioned tree.
They timidly peeked out of a crack in the trunk, as if observing the nearby environment. Even though their color is not very attractive, they are gray; I found them very pretty and it caught my attention that some showed small bites on the top or hood, which is the meatiest area. I guess it was some insect or rodent that seemed appetizing to eat them.
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At the foot of the tree I saw other mushrooms, larger and reddish in color, and like the previous ones, they were nibbled laterally. If any of you know this species, I would be grateful if you could tell me at the bottom of this post. Thank you.
I was researching on specialized internet pages, finding acceptable matches for the gray mushrooms, but for the red mushrooms I didn't find them. According to the information I was able to gather, these mushrooms have the scientific name Coprinus truncorum, regarding their common name, I do not know, here they call everyone mushrooms, without differentiating or classifying them. According to what I investigated, they present the following characteristics, (note, I did not copy verbatim, I only consulted, at the end of this post there are the links that helped me):
Its colors can be the range that goes from beige to gray (on the hat).
Hat that can be conical.
Thin meat.
They are species without gastronomic value, that is, they cannot be eaten (even with the bites they had).
They usually appear in abundance in decaying wood.
It did not seem prudent to disturb them or remove them from there, because if they grew in that area of the trunk, it is because they are doing their disintegrating work, which tells me that I must speed up the transplant of the sucker branch, taking advantage of the current rains, well, like this, will have a greater probability of surviving and generating a new, healthy and productive tree.
Here I end my post today, reminding you that all animal and plant species have a specific and fundamental function in ecosystems, hence the need to respect them (whenever this is possible). Thank you very much for reading my post and always keep in mind the following: We are part of Nature, just like a plant, a bird, an insect... we are part of it, not its owners. A big hug to all.
These photos are my own, and were taken with a Xiomi REDMI 8 A phone
The dividers used are courtesy of @eve66 who shares beautiful designs that embellish the layout of our post.
In case it is required to use the content or images of this post and of my other publications, I would appreciate if you could refer to my authorship (Fabiola Martínez) and cite the corresponding link. Thanks.
