Fabulous fungi

[Lori S.]

Here's one of the strangest things I've come across!  It was growing on the end of a recently-downed lodgepole pine in the montane forest, and later ID'd as a Hericium spp., in the stage before the toothy projections develop.  As I touched it gingerly, it felt like a a soft bag full of marbles and jelly. 

[maggiepie]

Lori, you are a braver soul than me, it looks like a sac of some alien creature's eggs.
I think I must have read too much sci/fi in my pre computer days.
Amazing pic!

[Ulla Hansson]

Lori, what a strange fungus. I've never seen anything like it. Have you any idea what it looks like inside?
Ulla

[Lesley Cox]

Were you tempted to break it open and see what was inside? I wonder if it smelled bad?

[Lori S.]

Helen, at the time I thought that, realistically, it was probably some kind of fungus (for lack of any better idea) but the thought of alien egg sacs definitely crossed my mind. 
No, I didn't break it open - the texture was a little too off-putting for that!  (And, also, I too have seen/read too much sci-fi to go messing around with possible alien egg sacs...  )

Anyway, it was said to be a Heracium spp. when I posted the photo on the UBC fungi ID site.  Apparently, many in this genus are edible, though not too tempting at this stage, it seems.

http://images.google.com/images?ndsp=21&hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&um=1&sa=3&q=Hericium&btnG=Search+images

[Maggi Young]

Not only edible, but possible  useful in medicine, I gather..... most interesting.... though rather off-putting in the sac stage!  Better later!

[Paul T]

Lori,

Are you in a position to watch it develop over time?  You mention projections etc as it ages, so it obviously changes shape somewhat?

[Lori S.]

No, Paul, we didn't go back to look for it again, and the photo is from a few years ago.  I haven't found any photos that look exactly like it, but if it is Heracium, then I presume the fancy drapey bits on the outside (as in the photos) must form later?   Unfortunately, I haven't come across another of these since, either.
Lesley, I did break the "skin" a bit as I touched it - very fragile - but I didn't notice any odour.

[Lesley Cox]

Looking at the specimens on the link you gave Lori, they all are incredibly beautiful; snow formations, corals etc. And the boxed ones, dried presumably, made in China. What isn't, nowadays?

[Paul T]

Very "frozen waterfall" looks to some of those on your link, Lori.  They're amazing things.

[cycnich]

Saw this in the peloponnese a few weeks ago growing with Galanthus reginae olgae in the langhada pass. Any ideas ?

[Lori S.]

I'd guess it's a very handsome liverwort of some kind.

[Lesley Cox]

Yes, I think that's right, a liverwort.

[mark smyth]

I was in the local park today looking for hibernating bats. I found a bat but also found these. The black one, sadly out of focus is a cramp ball/King Alfred's cakes Daldinia concentric

[Paul T]

Cool!