The Fungi-World in Autumn

In a Forest at Løvenholm manor, Djursland.

                                                                                                                           (Flora and Fauna)

After some rain there were many mushrooms in the September-forest. The forest at Løvenholm manor on Djursland is usually a good place to find a good variation of mushrooms.

The first collection of my mushroom-photos is from Løvenholm, the second from a heath at Vrads Sande and the third from a forest close to Silkeborg. 


                                                                        

The autumn is high season of fungi in the woods, both the edible and the poisonous. There are many guided tours with experts who'll guide people to find the good edible mushrooms and to avoid the dangerous ones.

Many groups are out in the forest with baskets, gathering mushrooms for their dinner and many love to go fungi-hunting in the autum, where numbers of toadstools after a heavy rain suddenly tell people that now has autumn arrived.

The fungi are so deviant from plants and animals that the overall collective term flora and fauna  had to be expanded by a third unit which only includes the fungi.  Until the middle of the 1900s the fungi were considered to be plants, but however the scientists acknowledged that the fungi were so deviating from other organisms that they should have their own group. There are supposedly about 1.5 million fungi worldwide. In Denmark are over 6000 species.

 Many years' research has shown that fungi in fact er more closely related to animals than to plants. The research has also proved that fungi have an important  role in the decomposition of organic substances in the soil.






2) At a heath at Vrads Sande, Mid Jutland

Vrads Sande, in  Mid Jutland.

                                                                                                                                                              

Edible fungi have been known by humans for thousands of years, fx in China. In the old Rome people also knew about both edible and poisonous mushrooms, and they believed they were outgrowths from the moist soil. Not until 1710 the Italian Pier Antonio Micheli discovered that fungi reproduces by fungal spores - and he described several species. But it was the Dutchman Christian Hendrik Persoon (1761-1836) and the Swede Elias Fries (1794- 1878), who are considered the founders of mycology.
 

Fungi are able to create very complicated organic connections  Several fungi create substances, which when eaten can attack the human organs, fx kidneys and liver, this often causes death.The most common cause of fungi-poisoning in Denmark is the substance Alfa- amanitin which among others are found in the Amanita virosa (Danish Hvid Fluesvamp), European Destroying Angel. Immature specimens of A. virosa resemble several edible species commonly consumed by humans, increasing the risc of accidental poisoning.

Amanita phalloides (Danish: Grøn Fluesvamp),  commonly known as the Death Cap, which resembles several edible species , commonly consumed by humans, increasing the risk of accidental poisoning

Other poisonous substances are Orellanin and Gyromityrin, and finally the substance Muscarin, which acts as a neurotoxin on the heart.


 3) In a Forest close to Silkeborg

The forest

Some fungi have a hallucinating effect without being directly poisonous. Psilocybin-fungi grows all  over the world and were known long before our time. Already in 500-1000 BC humans have been drawing mushrooms upon stones in religious connections. In many countries the mushrooms were an important part of religious ceremonies and rituals. The fungi had a divine status in such cases - and in Mexico people believed in a god called Piltzintecuhtli,who was the god of all hallucinogenes, especially of the sacred mushroom.

The use of psilocybin-fungi has been done ever since, although it is illegal in many countries today. It has been illegal in Denmark since 2001 because of the risc of bad trips and poisoning. 


As it is difficult to accurately identify a safe mushroom without proper training and knowledge, it is often advised to assume that a wild mushroom is poisonous and not to consume it.

 













Fairy Rings
 Danish: Heksering:  A fairy ring, also known as fairy circle, elf circle, elf ring or pixie ring, is a naturally occurring ring or arc of mushrooms. Fairy rings are the subject of much folklore and myth worldwide—particularly in Western Europe While they are often seen as hazardous or dangerous places, they can sometimes be linked with good fortune.

One of the largest rings ever found is near Belfort in France. Formed by Infundibulicybe geotropa, it is thought to be about 600 metres (2,000 ft) in diameter and over 700 years old. On the South Downs in southern England, Calocyve gambosa has formed huge fairy rings that also appear to be several hundred years old.

I have not added any names of the mushrooms in my photos. I do not gather mushrooms, I only take photos and  I buy my good edible mushrooms in the supermarket, but I think it is an exciting period in the autumn forest when all the pretty and mysterious mushrooms pop up with their fine colours in the green moss.


photo Djursland and Mid Jutland, September 2014: grethe bachmann

North Djursland along the Coast of Kattegat.

a very fine chessboard, Vivild church.

One of the last days of summer. I had promised to find some reliefs on some churches for a lady from Germany, I actually collect them myself, so it was no inconvenience at all. We first went to two churches on our way to North Djursland and found the reliefs. Those chessboards  are so so much discussed among church experts. I'm of the opinion that the chessboard-patterns  were carved by the stone masons to keep the Devil out from the church. When he saw the chessboard he began to play instead of harassing the church and the church goers inside the church. There are especially many churches in North Jutland with those patterns.

chessboard Ølst church, very indistinct I could hardly find it.

 I really come around in small places! Now I'll have to research the net about chicken!  We had to stop on our way to the beach. I have never seen such a big chicken farm - where the chicken are out in the open air. There were two large enclosures with lots and lots of chicken. Well, I wanted to know what race it was. I guessed they were brown Italians, they are almost the only chicken I know, brown and white Italians. And some called Wyandot. The feathers from the cock are fine for making flies for fly-fishing!  But there are 170 races of chicken and bantams. I was really amazed. Aren't you? Those chicken looked like they were having a good time. They looked healthy with fine feathers. It was a joy to see. All chickens should have a good life like that. There was a rose bush outside the fence.  I threw a ripe rose hip to them, and one of the chicken got hold of it and run off. That was Olympic record in chicken run. It looked so funny.

Fjellerup

Tthe weather was so lovely on this September's day. The beach at Fjellerup is a lively place in high season but on a day like this - already out of the season - it was a quiet peaceful place. I love such places! The air was fresh and salty, the screams of the seagull and the terns were few and deligthful! There are many sandbanks and when the sea is calm like on this day the shades in the water are all kinds of blue and turquoise and emerald green.
Fjellerup strand is one of the good beaches at the northern coast of Djursland. The area is sheltered from the rain behind the Jutland ridge, so the climate is therefore comparatively dry and sunny. This is seen in the vegetation with beach pastures, coastal heaths and chalcareous banks with plants which like the drought.The inland forests and the coastal forests are habitats of various flora and fauna. In the large forests on North Djursland are red deer, the largest land mammal in Denmark.




Two divers just walking out until they were gone. I wondered where did they go? "Do you think they'll commit suicide?" I said. A shake of the head and a grin was the answer. When we drove away from the beach,  we saw them walking up to the holiday houses. They were an elderly couple. 

Landing................

 

landing succeeded.......

Who's that? I don't want to talk.....

come on let's fly away....

Do you think the elves drink water from this one?

As far as I can see the English call this fungus yellow tuning fork. The Danish name is guldgaffel = a golden fork. Dacrymycetes  is the Latin. It is a fine little fungus looking up from the thick green moss. It always grows upon or in connection to a conifer.The colour vary from orange to yellow and bright yellow. There are various species of this fungus. Another little fork mostly grows on beeches.  The Danish family name is tåresvampene = the tear fungis, a poetic name. The golden fork is common all over the country.























The dung beetle is one of nature's garbage men. Most of its food are decaying fungis.It flies mostly at night in june and late summer. While flying it makes a buzzzing sound , in this way males and females can find each other. If you take the beetle up to your ear you can hear a scratching noise, this is the hair of the back-body under the big wings, which is rubbed against the elytra. The enemies of the dung beetle are small predators like hedgehogs and bats, they are also out at night, but birds eat it too.







The Fly Agaric can vary some, and therefore it is important to emphasize that the fungus is poisonous. Typical symptoms after eating are nausea, vomit, and dizzyness, in some cases it is fatal caused by fluid loss from  vomit and diarrhea.

The family name referring to a fly was given because the farmers in the old days used to smear a porridge of Fly Agaric upon the stable walls. This killed many flies. Sibirian and Samic people have used Fly Agaric as an euphoriant. The fungus is rare on the Kamchatka peninsula, and it was extremely costy. Common people could not afford to buy it, but it is said that they drank some of the urine from the rich men to feel a little of the rush. The myth about the Vikings using Fly Agaric is now said to be wrong. The stories about the various euphoric use of Fly Agaric are doubtful in general ! But interesting!

Fly Agaric grows under both pine and birch and is rarely found under beech. The fungus contains poisonous substances , especially ibotensyre and muscimol. The elk likes to eat it like cats like to eat catnip. It grows mostly, but not only, in poor soil in woods where special trees can function as mykorrhiza-partners.  The cap might be from deep red to almost orange and the scales on the cap might be few or miss completely. This is due to that heavy rain has washed away the scales, or the scales have been removed by touch. The ring might be very small or miss completely, especially in older specimen. 


Confusion:
Fly Agaric should not be mistaken for other species

Source: Miljøministeriet, Naturstyrelsen.
Danmarks fugle og natur, felthåndbogen.
































It was day of the dogs, many were out walking the dogs, among a flock of them was a boy with two dogs and a family with more than two dogs - the others are outside the photo. The lovely Sct. Bernhard seemed to know that mom was the strongest!! Or maybe not?

                                                                           



It was always like that in the old days. The inn was placed opposite the church. "It is better to be in the inn thinking about the church than in the church thinking about the inn!" people usually said. Which people?  Those who liked the inn better I suppose. But it was a common sight to see the church and the inn looking at each other out in the countryside. This one is Hornslet church a little north of Århus and the old inn on the other side of the road. Now a suburb-place. Many roads have been changed and most village inns now lie far off the beaten track, but still opposite the church of course.I don't think it is easy for the inns to handle the new times. Many disappear completely,others change their service to a "gourmet- inn" or a "family inn" or a place with ball each Saturday or a place for week-ends and holidays - or simply a bodega. It is difficult for most of them to survive.  Today it is very rare to meet an old-fashioned inn where you can go in to have a cup of coffee and a good cake  or a meal that is not too sophisticated.

Farewell green hills........

photo: september 2011 Djursland: grethe bachmann

The Army Road, the Lake District. - and Mushrooms in September

A Taste of Denmark 

 

Smurfs are little blue people who live in magic mushrooms. Think about it.
--Unknown


The weather! I always mention the weather, but it is important! No rain that day. We have had so much rain lately, but we were lucky. First we went to "our" field in Gammel Ry, where we have been a hundred times! It is often an indicator for what is to be seen elsewhere. There were many mushrooms in all three places we visited on this one of the first days of  September, but I have only selected a few mushroom-pictures. 

Common Centaury

Lonely White Butterfly

Wart Biter (click to enlarge)

Nature's Lace

Common centaury (Marktusindgylden) was named after the centaur Chiron, famous for his skill in medical herbs. Other names among many are Bitter clover, Christ's ladder, Feverwort, Rose pink and Thousand guilder herb.

Vrads, cats in the window

Vrads, three horses

At Hærvejen

Karl Johan

Anthill

Hærvejen (Army Road) is a system of roads running up through Jutland, once mostly trade roads, but the name Hærvejen refers to their use for army transport. In the 1100s a Wendic army forced its way up through the peninsula on the army road. The Jutlanders built dikes and fortifications and some are still seen along the road.  As a trade road the road system was known by the name Oxen road. The oxen were lead on the road down to the destination in countries south of the border and slaughtered there. Meat was one of the most important Danish products, and it was swapped with exotic products from the South. Settlements were gradually established in connection to the trade road., and they developed into important centres, like the town Viborg and the royal centre Jelling. The Oxen road is estimated to be about 4000 years old. The written sources begin in the Middle Ages. Today the road is mostly used by tourists, bikers and hikers.

eaten by squirrel or woodpecker?

The mushroom hunters say that this year is a fantastic year for mushroom-picking, it is 30 years since it was that good. The moist climate this summer has made perfect conditions for the mushrooms out there in the forest.  I like to go mushroom-hunting with a camera, but I don't pluck them - only if we find some Karl Johan mushrooms. They are easy to recognize, they look like a upper part of a bun.They are better than chanterelles IMO. And  they make a good mushroom soup. Karl Johan is the Scandinavian name;  Latin: Boletus edilus, in English commonly known as penny bun, porcino or cep. Widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere across Europe, Asia, and North america, it does not occur naturally in the Southern Hemisphere, although it has been introduced to southern Africa, Australia and New Zealand.The western North American species commonly known as the California king bolete (Boletus edulis var. grandedulis) is a large, darker-coloured variant that was first formally identified in 2007.
The mushroom with the red hat is a Russula emetica, called the Sickener. It causes vomiting and diarrhea when consumed. Known from woodlands in Europe, Asia, North  Africa and North America. Can be very common. A study in England and southern Scotland found that the Red Squirrel is known to forage for, store and eat the Sickener.

Hampen lake

The Sickener

Lobelia, stig bachmann nielsen,Naturplan Foto 

Sympetrum

puffball mushrooms

Hampen lake in the lake district of Mid Jutland  is a so-called Lobelia-lake, a calcareous and nutrient-poor freshwater lake with clear water where plants are able to grow on the bottom. Lobelia-lakes are rare in Denmark, caused by pollution with plant nutrients. These lakes are found in heaths, dunes and forests, especially in Jutland,  like Madum lake in Rold forest.  Hampen lake is actually two lakes, a big and a small lake. The big one is a deep dødishul (a kettle hole from Ice Age), the small one is a low inlet with a bathing place. Lobelia: English names include Lobelia, Asthma Weed, Indian Tobacco, Pukeweed, and Vomitwort.

A view to the lake.

photo Mid Jutland September 2011: grethe bachmann
photo Lobelia: stig bachmann nielsen, Naturplan Foto