The Artistic Nature of Mushrooms

After days of heavy rain, the ground around here has been soaking wet, and fungi hunting would be a challenge. Knowing I wouldn’t be able to find any here, my kind brother sent me some surprises from my mum's backyard in the Philippines.

I was struck by the beauty of these mushrooms; each of them was like a tiny work of art and completely unique. It’s amazing how inventive nature can be.

Here they are...

Tiger Sawgill has a tiger like pattern, hence the name. Other cultures value this mushroom as a tea for its potential antioxidant and immune supporting properties, and its rich umami flavour makes it great for soups, though the texture is firm or cork-like, which classifies it as inedible in some areas.

Close up

Underside

Possibly the Blackfoot polypore; I can just see the black stalk of one of them.

Artist's conk, another beautiful mushroom that is not celebrated as much as others, has medicinal benefits comparable to reishi, and it can be found in places where reishi doesn’t grow.
One thing I noticed is that this mushroom shows more detail when growing in tropical countries. Just look at that beautiful white rim!

Underside of Artist's conk.
This is also nature’s canvas, some artists dry it and paint on the underside, or simply etch the underside when fresh to create lovely drawings or sketches.

The artist's conk underside with a scribble.
Just like this one, which I made 2 years ago in the wild, I briefly etched it with a twig right after I picked it and then put it up on the wall to see how long it would last. It hardened naturally, and I think it can be kept for years; the markings stayed the same too. If you are a scribbler, this mushroom is great for it, but I would not keep harvesting them for that purpose, as they play an important role in nature’s ecosystem.

Turkey tail and possibly the blood-red bracket. Not only are they beautiful, but they also have amazing medicinal benefits. The blood-red bracket is used as a natural dye and even as a canvas for art too!

My share in @fungifriday by @ewkaw

Have a lovely day,
Mariah 💕