Fungi Friday - Even More Spore Photography
Happy Fungi Friday FungiLovers! I'm back again with more spore photography taken of spores collected from mushrooms found in western Michigan, USA. After a few thunderstorms, the summer fungi are in full bloom in the forests. Over the last year, I have begun to capture images of spores with my compound microscope and eyepiece camera. Just as I was beginning to feel as if I had a solid understand of the fungi in my region of the world, my foray into the microscopic world has made me realize that I am still very much a neophyte when it comes to mycology. The tremendous diversity inherent in the number of macroscopic forms that fungi take on in my local forest is only compounded by the diversity of forms expressed by their spores.
For instance, I have historically not paid much attention to my local members of the Brittlegill Genus (Russula). Though there are notable exceptions, like the blue-green cracking russula (Russula parvovirescens) and the variable russula (Russula variata), whose macroscopic forms are striking enough to warrant stopping to take pictures, most members of the Russula genus appear as indistinct, bright red-capped mushrooms. Being so notoriously difficult to discern from one another, I told myself that I would hold off on attempting to ID these specimens until I had more experience as a mushroom identifier and more sophisticated identification tools like a compound microscope. Though this may have been a reasonable position to take at the time, if I am honest with myself, another significant reason why I was not as interested in this genus was because its members rather boring. In comparison to the vibrantly colored boletes, choice edibles, and insidious poisonous species that inhabit my local forests, the monotony of finding yet another red Russula that I lack the expertise to narrow down to a species felt both mundane and frustrating at the same time. I temporarily let my curiosity fade, lying to myself that I had concrete plans to return to the genus once I was better prepared. Thankfully, and as they have proven they will do time and time again, the fungi have reignited my curiosity, and this time, I refuse to let it fade again.
Brittlegill (Genus Russula):
What may appear to be nothing more than an inconspicuous red russula in the forest reveals its beauty when its spores are placed under the lens of a microscope. I have learned that unlike the spores of many other species, the spores of the Brittlegills (Genus Russula) and Milkcaps (Genus Lactarius) are adorned with microscopic spikes and ornamentations that make them stand out amongst the smooth spherical and ellipsoidal spores of many other bolete and gilled species. This simple observation has made me realize that there is an entire world of microscopic forms that had previously remained invisible to me, even amongst the species I have disregarded as mundane in the past, and I haven't even begun to observe the many other microscopic components of fungal gills, mycelium, etc. I still have so much to learn. I feel lucky to have found a passion in studying a subject that we still have so much to learn from and understand. The well of knowledge is both deep and wide, and I have only just begun to take the plunge. Let's see what I can learn along the way.
I hope that you enjoy these photos! I am sure there will be more to come.
Variable Russula (Russula variata):
Blue-green Cracking Russula (Russula parvovirescens):
Green Russula (Russula virescens):
Lactarius psammicola:
Peppery Milkcap (Lactifluus piperatus):
Ash-tree Bolete (Boletinellus merulioides):
Golden Chanterelle (Cantharellus cibarius):
Smooth Chanterelle (Cantharellus lateritius):
Eastern American Jack-O'-Lantern (Omphalotus illudens):
Reddening Lepiota (Leucoagaricus americanus):
Orange Grisette (Amanita crocea):
Bitter Bolete (Tylopilus felleus):
Pallid Bolete (Imleria pallida):
Ruby Bolete (Hortiboletus rubellus):
Red-mouth Bolete (Boletus subvelutipes):
Webcaps (Genus Cortinanrius):
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