June 1, 2009 10:27 by
Luke
Orange fungus emerging from a dead branch Photo: Luke Simpkin Source: Museum Victoria
Small toadstools emerging from leaf litter Photo: Luke Simpkin Source: Museum Victoria
Delicate and colourful fungi often sprout in the forest in May and June. Today I took a few snaps of fungi emerging in the Forest Gallery. Australia has an estimated 250,000 species of fungi, only 5% of which is formally identified, so you can appreciate that I don't know the names of these ones. Some are extremely tiny and can only be spotted by people willing to get down on their hands and knees. Fungi are the main recyclers of the forest ecosystem, returning nutrients from dead plant and animal material to the soil.
Learn more about some of the more bizarre and unique fungi of the tall forests on the Forest Secrets website: http://museumvictoria.com.au/forest/plants/fungi.html
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