A Bright and Giant Find Yet

One of the things I learned from a recorded book I read some time ago is the benefit of walking. With that in mind, I went out yesterday afternoon to give my legs some workout and to feed my soul.

Leaving my Lil Guy curled up on the couch, I paced unhurriedly toward the hilly side of the property. It's usually my go-to place whenever I want a little hike. The air is fresher, it's private, and the probability of meeting another soul is close to zero. I like it, especially when I need some solitude.

And guess what I found?

I was about to rest when my eyes caught something bright on a tree trunk. Oh boy, was I excited! Not only was it huge, but it was also thick!

It's even longer than my palm!

Google Lens identified it as Fomitopsis pinicola or Red-belted conk, although I wasn't sure if it was. Accordingly, this type is a stem decay fungus common on softwood and hardwood trees.

The species is common throughout temperate Europe and Asia. It is a decay fungus that serves as a small-scale disturbance agent in coastal rainforest ecosystems. It influences stand structure and succession in temperate rainforests. It performs essential nutrient cycling functions in forests. As well as a key producer of brown rot residues that are stable soil components in coniferous forest ecosystems. It has been reported that mushrooms have significant antioxidant activity.^(src)

From the description, this is a young fungus. And since this type is perennial, it develops a new pore surface each year. I hope not to forget and check it out on my next walks to see what changes. I did not touch it, but it should have a hard texture.

Anyway, this is the view from up there. The blue sky was magnificent, and the clouds added a magical touch.

On my way down at past 3 pm, I found a tiny one growing on the ground, on the same spot where we photographed what I referred to as the Fungi Kingdom.

GL says it's a Shiitake, an edible type of mushroom, but I highly doubt it. So I just left it there until it disappeared like the others before.

The rain came at 4 pm, nourishing the earth again so I might see more fungi along that route pretty soon. Of course, I would not hesitate to take pictures to share. Until then, have a fantastic Friday, frens!