Sunday, September 13, 2009

The biggest fungus in Trelystan

What a whopper - as my dainty Birkenstocked foot, included in the picture for scale, shows.

This monster and a number of lesser monsters have sprung up around the base of our beech trees. My Glam.Ass. reached for his big book of Mushrooms and Toadstools and is now fairly certain it is Trametes versicolor. This is not good news. Firstly it is in the section dedicated to extremely poisonous varieties and is accompanied by a natty skull and crossbones symbol. Secondly he has decided it may sound the death knell for our trees as it prefers to live on dead wood.

Here we have another example of our differing outlooks on life. G.A. sees the tree as dying while I continue to see it flourishing, ie Not Dead Yet for Heaven's Sake.

8 comments:

Nikki - Notes of Life said...

Looks huge! Is there a way of getting rid of them?

Blossomcottage said...

Which ever way you look at it, the fungi is beautiful, and if you have got to go then surely this is a lovely tribute to you life here on earth.
Blossom

Elizabeth Musgrave said...

Ah yes, the difference of opinion would be the same up here too. Additionally, having decided the tree is dying, my own GA would immediately want to have it chopped down (danger, logs, you can make up the list of compelling reasons). Looks pretty dramatic though.

Pondside said...

Elizabethm wrote exactly what I was going to comment - The Great Dane would be out there with the chain saw before you could say 'interesting fungus'. Why is that? Is it a male/female thing?

snailbeachshepherdess said...

yes another GA here would be out with his trusty friend the chainsaw - it must be a male thing.
How was greece?

Annie said...

Nice to see you back. Hope you have a great time in Greece. Love the fungus. How about doing a picture of it in embroidery? A x

Frances said...

As a fungus ingnoramus, I know nothing, but do agree ... that is some big fungus.

Please do a follow up post on ... what develops. xo

her at home said...

Question is can you cook it?