Sunday, September 28, 2014

Beautiful Fungi

Beautiful..... and a slime mold - Trichia decipiens
Fungus and beautiful are two words you may not think belong in the same sentence, but Mark Bower's photography may change your mind.  His updated exhibition of the mushrooms of our area will be on display through the month of October at Burr Oak Nature Center in Kansas City.


Pseudomerulius aureus - Click to enlarge
For those of you who saw his exhibit at the Springfield Conservation Nature Center this year, there is still more to see.  He has added a number of species including some that I think are his best works ever.

Stemontitis sp. (Chocolate Tube Slime) - Click to enlarge
Many of these are tiny slim molds.  The whole set are on line at this Flickr link.  Simply click on the picture and then thumb through them.  At the bottom you can get more information on the species by clicking on "for more information".

Mycena caerulea - Click to enlarge
His other Flickr albums are here.
Mark is a member of the Springfield Plateau Chapter of Missouri Master Naturalists and the Missouri Mycological Society.