Fungi – You Can Never Have Enough!
More closely related to animals than plants, the kingdom of fungi is full of surprises.
Largely ignored or misunderstood, their presence in a garden is essential for soil health. The few that we’re familiar with are generally pathogens, and some of those are indicators of poor horticulture. Most haven’t even been given a scientific name.
Microscopic mycorrhizal fungi are the most exciting. These hold the key to plant health and mitigating Global Warming. Here’s a few of our favourite fungi.
Starfish fungus, Aseroe rubra, October 2008
Starfish fungus, Aseroe rubra
Starfish fungus, Aseroe rubra
Our neighbour’s Bribie Island pine under siege by bracket fungus, Ganoderma sp.
Coprinus disseminatus, digesting our sandwich mulch. 2005
Fungus Lichenomphalia sp.? (syn Omphalina sp.?) on bamboo debris
Fungus Lichenomphalia sp.? (syn Omphalina sp.?)
The toadstool Hygrophorus lewellinae usually prefers heathland bracken & undergrowth, but at my place it feeds on sugarcane…
Luminous bracket fungi at Vatthe Conservation area, Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu
Fusarium wilt attacking lavender roots. This ubiquitous genus is aggressive in warm, wet, humid conditions
A fabulous stinkhorn growing at Toowong Cemetery, Brisbane, during wet, summer conditions
Stinkhorn at Toowong cemetery. Cap still attached
Stinkhorn at Toowong cemetery
april toadstools
april toadstools
april toadstools
april toadstools
Toadstools emerging from our lawn. Autumn 2008
Black spot disease, Marssonina rosae, on rose at Sydney Botanic gardens. Prevent by spraying with sodium bicarbonate
Downy mildew on pumpkin at Beelarong Community garden, Brisbane. Prevent by spraying with milk solution
This delicate, but short-lived toadstool appears when autumn dewfall is heavy…
…and flourishes on sugarcane bales in late spring
tiny forests of these fungal fruiting bodies briefly appear after rain. 2005
Lantern stinkhorn, Lysurus mokusin, with blowfly pollinators
A mildew eating ladybird, lleis galbula, checking our choko for its favourite food
Mildew eating ladybird lleis galbula – forage on mildew-affected roses and Cucurbitaceae
Powdery mildew, Oidium sp., on old Moroccan mint foliage. This is the cue to prune mint to the ground.
Our first stinkhorn, Phallus flavocostatus
Stinkhorn, Phallus flavocostatus. Flies spread their sticky spores
Stinkhorn, Phallus flavocostatus – detail
Our own stinkhorn, Phallus flavocostatus – detail
Flies couldn’t resist this latest stinkhorn emerging from pine bark mulch. Late summer 2008
Stinkhorn with spore spreading blowflies. Late summer 2008 – detail
toadstool fungus on pinebark
Snow mould, Botrytis cinerea, on fescue turf at Sydney Botanic gardens. It’s most frequent in cool humid winters
A tough fungus first seen on pine bark in wet summer conditions
White felted patches of powdery mildew, Oidium sp., on rose at Sydney Botanic gardens. Prevent by spraying with
Powdery mildew, Oidium sp. Sydney Botanic gardens
