St. Ann's Hill Location 1: the first two weeks

Located near the top of the hill where it is quite dry. There are four fungi of the same species which we have successfully identified as Sparassis crispa (Cauliflower fungus). The Cauliflower fungus is often found on pines, cedars, firs, larches and spruce, meaning that the fallen tree it is growing on will probably be one of those; I will attempt to identify it this week. The spores, which are just the bit of the fungi that you can see, are annual spores meaning that the spores grow and die within a single growing season. The Cauliflower fungus causes a type of rot known as “brown rot”, which degrades the cellulose within the woody cell, leaving only the barky structure behind. This fungi is edible but I still wouldn't eat it!