While digging around in the debris below the trees out back of the house, I spotted these ¼" tall fungi attached to a clump of matter. I have no idea how to ID fungi...no books or experience. It doesn't really matter. But, they were impressive how they contrasted with the black background.
I looked around more carefully and found two other examples of tiny fungi on some other debris. More below the squiggle about them.
These were about 2" tall. The pictures are overexposed and not quite focused on the fungi. It is hard to work in that on your knees, dimly lit environment and still get a good picture. Quoting bwren...
This is the kind of situation where all notions of proper ladylike behavior disappear. This is the time to get down on your hands and knees, hunch over a rotting log and happily peer through a 10X magnifier.
Is that a green moss growing on the surface of the log. I hope some readers can fill in the gaps of my knowledge
Here are a few more found in the same vicinity. Each year in the same part of the yard we get a few that look like this that are 8" tall. I will watch for them and get a picture.
I went back into the past diaries for Backyard Science and searched on fungi and mushrooms, etc. Two diaries came up. The first one written by Mark Sumner was on May 22, 2011 about a huge orange fungus in his woods.
Please tell me these are giant truffles worth a zillion dollars an ounce. I've always wanted to be a mushroom magnate.
Mark, did the money ever start flowing from this find?
The second one written by bwren was on July 2, 2011 about some tiny fungi she found when pulling invasive plants from some woods.
These tiny organisms are not the smallest fungi. They remind me of the amazing diversity of life in the nooks and crannies everywhere. And, I do mean everywhere. Athlete's Foot caused by tinea is an example.
Toss your observations of your backyard into the bucket for the good of the cause. I'm certain a lot is going on there whether seen or not.