Exploring the hidden world beneath the mushroom caps.

Soon after the rainy season gets over, we find many wild mushrooms growing. This time, I found one growing in an old door plank. The door is very old and gets wet due to rain. Now as it started to dry, there were many mushroom grows at many places. They were not growing in bunches but were quite in numbers. Being a biology students I get fascinated with them and started capturing. I like the bottom part of the mushroom.

On checking Google, I found them to be Oyster mushrooms which are one of the most common edible mushrooms in the world. They can be used in dishes like pasta, stews, and omelets. Wild oyster mushrooms grow in temperate and subtropical forests around the world, on and near trees, particularly dead or dying deciduous trees like oak and beech. So finding them growing in a wooden door logs is not surprising.

The underside of an oyster mushroom has cream or off white gills that run down the stem, a feature called decurrent. The gills are crowded and can be deep and blade like. These are thin, ribbed structures that look like the pages of a book. This appearance is completelly differrnt from what it appears from the top. I thought to get close and shoot the underside. As the gills were really attractive.

To me if was kind of umbrella, that were spread. Those were at a height, and standing under them, allows me to take good close shots. I am happy to find some wild side of side of mushroom. For me only the butyon mushroom were common which we eats. But this one and their appearance at the underside is very attractive.

Note : All images were shot using my Realme smartphone.

Nature is amazing!!

Thanks for stopping @queenart