Nature's Magic

Mushrooms differ greatly in color, from white, pink, orange, red, yellow, brown, green, violet, blue to all the shades inbetween.

Here are some totally white ones.

Mushrooms vary in size from very large to very small.

Small Mushrooms

They come in a variety of shapes...twisted, caps, jelly-like, blobs, birds' nests etc.

[This message was edited by Inda on Saturday July 19th, 2003 at 08:03 AM.]

This is really artistic

Surface texture varies from smooth, scaly, rough, waxy to wrinkly.

There are wonderful structural designs...frills, cathedral ceilings, sponges, mazes of teeth and many elements inbetween.

Fragrance varies from the scent of lilacs, geraniums or chemicals like iodine, chlorine, methanol etc. Some smell like fruit, various herbs, fish , bread etc.

[This message was edited by Inda on Saturday July 19th, 2003 at 08:44 AM.]

For those who like to eat mushrooms the taste varies from bland, sweet, spicy, peppery, woody to meaty and many more.

And finally, in fairy tales, mushrooms are used as homes for the little people

Hi,
Say, what a wonderful display of the mushroom
family. I fell in love with the frilly
mushroom. Also, the little people flat top -- I
think I saw one peeking around some grass or
maybe they are just dancing about.
Thanks for sharing this with us.
Joy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~Barbara

Only the pure in heart shall see God.

Thank you for
presenting us
to the world of
mushrooms.....

Make me think of
fall coming after
summer though..


And all kind of fungi
inhabiting us as well
How we all are inmersed
in this world of micro-
organisms as well and
interdependent by all
kind of creatures we
might not be aware of

Amazing to see and fall
for the beauty of their
structure

Wishing you an inspiring
convalacense after your
foot surgery

Love,

Lilie

Thank you Barbara and Lilie.
My foot is fine. I am recovering well.
Thank you for your good wishes.

It is amazing what beauty there is in nature that we often don't really see and take for granted.

Love to you both,
Inda

Oh My!
Where did you find all these?
Did you go for a walk in the woods with the little people?
They are magic indeed, and I like to eat them!

Thank you.
Gisele

Thanks Inda...i feel like a "hobbit" in here...hahahahhaah when i see all these mushrooms.

Love,
Sylvie

Here some dear mushroomchildren from my childhood...

Lilie

Isn't it amazing how each is special and everything has its purpose ! thank you for sharing the mushrooms! love, Carolyn

What a lot of fun. Such wonderful images.
Makes me want to join the fairies and the little people for a mushroom hunt.
Not to mention the 'Hobbit.'

Thank you.
Sue

Thank you All.
Let us walks through the woods together, to look for the mushrooms and the little people.

Artists:Brian Froud and Alan Lee

I like all these mushrooms.
They are really beautiful.

Thank you.
Vicky

Thank you Vicky.
Glad you enjoy the mushrooms.
Sending some Fairies to you.

Artists: Brian Froud and Alan Lee

This is quite a magical thread.

Here are some facts from "On Nature", The Magic of Mushrooms by Cecily Ross.

Mushrooms are neither plant or animal. They do not contain chlorophyll and therefore do not manufacture their own food as plants do. Instead, like animals, they feed by digesting organic matter; unlike animals, however, they lack a nervous system and organs.

Mushrooms spring from underground masses of cells that spread by way of filaments called mycelium or hyphae. The mycelium of a honey mushroom found in eastern Oregon covered 890 hectares and was estimated to be 2,400 years old.

Mushrooms are nature's recyclers, breaking down rotting wood and plant material. Without them we'd be awash in debris.

Mushrooms are 89% water, 4% protein, 6% carbohydrates, 1% fat and mineral, mushrooms are, nevertheless,
a good source of iron, vitaminC, niacin and ascorbic acid.

Many mushrooms growing in the wild contain enough toxins to make a person who eats them very ill or even die, yet they provide a fascinating excuse to go for a walk in the woods.

Thank you yoko for bringing back this very early post.

quote:

Mushrooms are nature's recyclers, breaking down rotting wood and plant material. Without them we'd be awash in debris.

Thank you for bringing back this post yoko.
This is a very interesting topic.
I am not really very good at identifying toxic mushrooms from edible ones, so I will depend on the supermarkets for my purchase of mushrooms.

Medicinal mushrooms

Currently, many species of mushrooms and fungi utilized as folk medicines for thousands of years are under intense study by ethnobotanists and medical researchers. Maitake, shiitake, and reishi are prominent among those being researched for their potential anti-cancer, anti-viral, and/or immunity-enhancement properties. Psilocybin, originally an extract of certain psychedelic mushrooms, is being studied for its ability to help people suffering from mental disease, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder. Minute amounts have been reported to stop cluster and migraine headaches


Love,
Vicky

This is a perfect time of the year to go for a walk in the woods and enjoy the mushrooms. Just remember to pick the ones you are sure about, otherwise just enjoy the magic of them.

You are right Sue, this is a perfect time to roam the woods and look at the mushrooms.
Mushrooms break down and "eat" dead plants, like your compost pile does, and this keeps the woods somewhat clean.

Love,
Vicky