3 ms·
Slightly off topic, but in the UK we call rings of fungus "fairy rings" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairy_ring https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairy_ring). My
by mutatio 3y ago
Slightly off topic, but in the UK we call rings of fungus "fairy rings" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairy_ring https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairy_ring).
Myself and others have witnessed these at native orchid sites and one pattern is that orchids don't grow within the ring; it seems the expanding ring consumes nutrients within, eating outwardly as it expands. This in itself is interesting because typically terrestrial orchids have a heavy symbiotic relationship with fungi. There are interesting physical similarities I can see here; a robustness on the perimeter due to higher nitrogen availability, and more barrenness within the interior.
- mtlmtlmtlmtl 3y agoI see these in the forests around where I live quite often in the autumn. In Norwegian they're called "heksering", translates to witch ring, and have historically been thought of as a bad omen. Specifically a remnant of gathering places for witches, hence the name. The species in this case is Leucopaxillus giganteus, which is edible, and due to the unique fairy rings, unusually easy to identify. Though I still don't dare try them because only young specimens are edible and mature ones are known to contain KCN...