Mongolian Mushrooms

1991: Fungi

The woods and wild places are full of fungi at the moment and these stamps show a few edible mushrooms that might be seen.  On the left is Scotch Bonnet or fairy ring mushrooms (Marasmius oreades)  I always find a fairy ring a delight to see but it is not always appreciated by owners of pristine lawns.  On the right is an oak mushroom or Slippery Jack (Boletus luteus).  When photographing fungi there is always a certain amount of pruning required around them so I like that the artist has painted in some grass poking up.

Next is one I had never heard of the March Mushroom (Hygrophorus marzuolus), a so called snowbank fungus because they occur adjacent or within melting snow, a fact that gave me the wow factor. In Spain it has  the same name, Seta de Marzo, but the Italians call it The Sleeping Mushroom.  On the right is the chanterelle (Cantharellus cibarius) a prize for the gastronomic mushroom hunter.

Next is the Field Mushroom (Agaricus campestris) and the Bronze boletus (Boletus aereus),  also called the Black fungus and described as "an edible mushroom par excellence" which grows in abundance from spring to late autumn in woods in warm climates such as the southern Mediterranean.

Lastly we have Caesar's Mushroom (Amanita caesarea) which is said to be the best fungus raw, cooked or in oil.  No doubt the Roman Emperor agreed.  Make sure those gills are yellow when picking for it can be confused with the poisonous Fly Algaric (Amanita muscaria) with its white gills, you will be ill but usually not life threateningly so.

1971: Livestock Breeding

Camels are known for eating everything and anything. I wonder if that includes mushrooms.

Common Earthball

 

Sunday Stamps II theme this week is - Eastern Hemisphere - travel to See It On A Postcard